Watch Me Die. Erica Spindler (2012) - Plot & Excerpts
I have to say that what first captured my interest about this book was that it enabled me to catch up a bit with Stacy Killian, who first appeared, I believe, in SEE JANE DIE, and then had a story all of her own in KILLER TAKES ALL, in which readers met Spencer Malone, the lead detective in WATCH ME DIE. As a fan of both of the previous books, and of both of the characters, it was a treat to be able to follow them again, and see their relationship continue to grow and evolve.As for the plot, I won't rehash all of the details and plot-points that other reviewers have done such a great job of describing. What I will say is that neither the book, nor its plotlines, are exactly ground-breaking, nor do they deviate from the mold set by most of the other books in the suspense (with a touch of romance thrown in) genre. However, though Ms. Spindler isn't reinventing the wheel or anything, that's not necessarily a bad thing: you go into this book knowing exactly what you're going to get: a moderately suspenseful fast-read that's really pretty enjoyable and entertaining.New Orleans always makes a wonderful backdrop for just this type of novel, with its rich culture and ambiance, and Ms. Spindler uses that to great effect. She also does not shy away from the impact of Katrina, both in terms of its consequences on the area and the people, and also how it has devastated Mira and left her dealing with massive amounts of guilt and pain, leaving her unable to move forward in her life. (As a side note, that latter aspect of the character is delved into quite a bit, and while it's certainly understandable that the tragedy of it all, and the blame and responsibility that she has felt [along with all of the accusations that have been hurled at her since that time] have wreaked unimaginable havoc on her life, she also sometimes seems to be utterly unwilling to move on, even a little, and that can be a bit frustrating and aggravating to read, at times.) Ultimately, however, she is a strong character, and the reader roots for her to make it through, and finally find some happiness again.As the storyline unfolds, and begins to impact numerous people in Mira's life, the stakes are definitely raised as she struggles with the questions of who to trust, why these things are happening to her, etc. It should be noted, though, that while the story, in general, contains a fairly good amount of suspense and creepiness, that is not to say that it's not pretty predictable. Further, while Ms. Spindler is more than capable of writing a solid, entertaining book, subtlety isn't her forte - the more a character looks suspicious, the more the reader is entirely certain that the blame for the horrific events lies elsewhere. So, this book doesn't rank up there with classic literature or even with the better entries in this particular genre, but Ms. Spindler does what she does best: delivers a book that is entertaining, with a rich atmosphere, some mystery imbued with a few twists and turns (but is ultimately relatively formulaic), characters that are mostly likable, and an overall product that serves its purpose of being pure escapism. This is my first Erica Spindler novel, I grabbed it off the shelf at a library book sale because the plot seemed intriguing.It starts off rather slow, but it slowly builds with tension and suspense. Some of the characters come off a bit cliche, since everyone seems to have a tragic back story.The ending is a bit on the soft side, but a decent read. It definitely got me interested in her other books.
What do You think about Watch Me Die. Erica Spindler (2012)?
Couldn't put it down!! Now it's way past my bedtime!! Great mystery, kept me guessing until the end!
—Mp14
