Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Review: Fatal by John Lescroart

Fatal



I hate giving John Lescroart a 2-star rating but... I need my Dismas Hardy. Fatal is the latest standalone novel that doesn't feature him that just didn't holdup for me. Sorry to get into my dislike of this novel so quickly but... Damn! I started Fatal knowing without a doubt I would be entertained. I was wrong. Boy was I wrong.

The novel begins with Kate who has an odd affection for a man she hardly knows. After meeting him at a mutual friends dinner party she can't stop thinking about him. Kate's life isn't unhappy and there's really no reason why she would want to but she decides to eat forbidden fruit. She calls Peter and they have an affair. And suddenly, Peter goes off the rails. 



Enter Beth, she's investigating the murder of a man who's washed up on shore. Before long, she finds out this man's last few months alive may have been the reason for his death. He mysteriously leaves his family and begins a life of hooking up. His once perfect life is no more... but why? How can one moment cause such a ripple effect. 

To top that off, enter in a terrorist attack. I know right? We aren't in Kansas anymore Lescroart.

Fatal had a lot going on but not enough to keep me interested. Yes, the beginning was interesting. Most affairs almost always end awfully for at least one of the parties. But, the terrorist attack was an effort not to go down the Fatal Attraction sinkhole yet still did nothing to salvage the plot. It simply made it even more disjointed and annoying.

To top it off, the characters just didn't do it for me. Beth was a nice enough inspector but... she was almost too cliche. I hate to sound like such an ass about this novel, but it didn't feel like any other Lescroart novels. They are usually better put together with an engrossing mystery that won't relinquish it's grip on my attention.

Suffice it to say, Fatal was not my favorite John Lescroart novel by far. I don't even want to be clever and try a play on words using the title because it doesn't deserve my whit. That's a little harsh. I'm sorry. My apologies. The novel wasn't awful but I have certainly read better and expect better by this author. **

Copy provided by Atria via Netgalley

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