It's Hard To Live Up To High Expectations

It must be hard to be an author who has written so many exceptional books - I probably hold someone like Justine Davis to a higher standard, since I can't help thinking of books like The Morning Side Of Dawn when I assess her books.

Second-Chance Hero by Justine Davis (SIM 1351)
(2005, Contemporary Series) 5/26/06
Grade: 3

When a sabateur threatens an air strip in Belize, security expect John Draven is on the job - but he doesn’t expect to see Grace and her teenage daughter, the woman he saved from an earthquake months before, and who is still struggling from the after-effects. But despite his solitary life, he’s thought about her ever since.

As always, Justine Davis creates compelling, sympathetic characters. But the focus here is on the suspense, and every time I started to get interested in the development of the hero and heroine, the focus shifts to “who done it”, much to my frustration. I really liked the hero and was expecting more of an exploration of who he was, rather than who he could shoot. The denoument of the mystery is kind of interesting, but still, it took up too much of the book.

The next time I'm tempted to pick up a book that looks overly "suspense-y", I should think twice. Even if the author is someone I've liked before.