Tue 6 Oct 2020
A Mystery Review by LJ Roberts: VICTOR METHOS – A Killer’s Wife.
Posted by Steve under Reviews[4] Comments
Reviews by L. J. Roberts
VICTOR METHOS – A Killer’s Wife. Jessica Yardley #1. Thomas & Mercer, hardcover, March 2020. Setting: Contemporary Utah.
First Sentence: Jordan Russo swung the passenger door open and leapt from the moving car.
Some time ago, I gave up writing negative reviews of books as it was just too frustrating. But now and then, there is a book that really needs to be addressed.
I have read two of Victor Methos’ standalone legal mysteries and loved them. In fact, I started to bore people by talking about and recommending them. Therefore, writing this is painful in the extreme.
My first issue was the constant referral of the protagonist by her surname. I recognize there are some professions where that is common, regardless of gender. However, a friend and I, who share the same first name, are the only ones I’ve known to do this is real life. Even Donna Leon makes the distinction of referring to her character as “Brunetti” when he is at work, and “Guido” when he’s at home.
Second, the troubled, incredibly bright teen-aged daughter. What kind of mother would hold her child back from being able to realize her full potential? Red flags immediately were raised as to the purpose of this.
Third, when the police, who were comically incompetent, and who had already withheld information from her, came and asked for attorney Jessica Yardley’s help with her serial-killer ex-husband, any sane, reasonable person who had been through such an experience, would have told them to do their own damn jobs and get out. Instead – I know it was the basis for the plot – she agrees. Then, when they tell her not to enter the crime scene, she does the classic TSTL move and enters the crime scene. Jessica, for someone who was supposed to be so incredibly successful prosecutor, was painfully dumb.
Fourth, the too-good-to-be-true boyfriend. Red flags screamed at that.
About one-quarter into the book, there was no question where the plot was going, and it isn’t that long of a book. The end was so clearly broadcast that I broke my cardinal rule and went to the end of the book, only to find I was 100%, bang-on correct.
The only parts of the book that were well done and rang true were the courtroom scenes. Due to Methos’ experience as a lawyer, the courtroom scenes are interesting, engrossing, and suspenseful on their own merit. Too bad the rest of the book didn’t hold up as well.
A Killer’s Wife was an absolute wall-banger for me. Even more frustrating was that I couldn’t actually, physically throw it across the room because it was an e-galley and I wasn’t willing to sacrifice my Kindle. I’m not completely giving up on Mr. Methos. I’d be happy to read another of his standalone legal thrillers which, I repeat, I found to be excellent, but I shall stay away from his dysfunctional female protagonists
Rating: NR (Not Recommended).
October 6th, 2020 at 5:05 pm
As some have no doubt noticed, and commented on, I have no fear and feel no pain writing bad reviews of films or books. I put out hard earned money and I think it is only fair to warn others if I felt cheated (if I recall I did one review one book I got for free by commenting I thought the author owed me money for having read it).
Too some extent it is all horseraces, the subjective experience of the reader, and the more reviews you write the easier for those who read them to know where you stand.
Don’t feel bad about steering readers away. You carefully pointed out why the book disappointed you and what you thought was good, and that is all any writer can ask of a review.
If you only ever write good reviews there is no way for readers to compare their experience to yours in reading and to know whether to trust your judgment.
In short, good job, good review, and go a little easier on yourself. You told me exactly what I needed to know to decided whether to spend money on this one or not. That is what a good review does.
October 6th, 2020 at 5:17 pm
You seldom see bad reviews from me, because when I find I’m reading a book that’s become a struggle to keep going, guess what? I stop. If there’s still something left to talk about, I put what I have to say into a file called “Books Noted.” Long time readers of this blog may recall one I did a while ago of one of P. D. James’ doorstops of a book. Otherwise, when I abandon books half way through — or often, not even that far — no one but me knows about it.
October 6th, 2020 at 5:31 pm
Thank you, David. I appreciate your comments.
I do hate writing negative reviews, but when a book, especially by an author whose other work I’d liked, disappoints me as much as this did, I just couldn’t ignore it.
You’ve made me feel better.
October 7th, 2020 at 6:50 am
LJ – thanks for the review. There are too many books worth reading out there to waste time on crap, and we need to know which is which, right?
That’s why I have warned people off Andrew Grant’s Die Twice, unless you are someone who has never read a mystery before. The guilty party was incredibly obvious to me in Chapter 1 (this is no exaggeration, just fact), and yet the protagonist never even considers this person as a possibility. Clearly, he has never read Agatha Christie. I plowed on, hoping against hope for at least a "surprise" twist ending, but no…guilty from chapter one, guilty at the end.
I swore I would never read another of his books, and that includes the forthcoming Jack Reacher series he is taking over from his brother, Lee Child.