In this installment of the series, the main character was also the main target of the villian. In earlier ones, the main crime victim was someone else. This has created more suspense in the story. However, I'm more of a cozy mystery fan. I prefer the puzzle to the suspense. So I haven't enjoyed the past couple of installments in this series as much as I enjoyed the books in this series in the beginning. I've loved all the other books I've read in this series, but this one wasn't a favorite. The story felt disjointed to me -- even the home repairs were more difficult to follow than usual. I didn't enjoy going into so many points of view. I didn't care about those characters enough to be in their heads, so I found myself wanting to skim past the crazed killer parts and the other secondary character installments so I could get back to the story. I thought it diluted the tension rather than heightening it. I was also bothered by the way so many characters cut off mid-sentence and mid-thought all through the book, either leaving a big blank for the reader to fill in for herself or (worse) letting Jacobia finish for them in her own thought process. And, then, as if they knew that she'd just satisfactorily explained it for the reader, they never bothered to think or say what else was on their minds. All in all, it wasn't Ms. Graves best work so far, but it certainly wasn't so poorly written that I gave up on the book, nor was it weak enough to make me give up on the series. I just hope the next installment is stronger.
What do You think about Knockdown (2011)?
I only read this series because the books are set in Eastport, Maine, a lovely isolated area.
—Dpippin
Super story. This is a great series. If you haven't started reading them, check them out!
—VLS