August 15, 2008

Drowning Ruth by Christina Schwarz

I found this book at our local used book store and was intrigued by the cover and that it billed itself as a psychological thriller. I love psychological thrillers.

From the back cover:

A gripping psychological thriller....in the winter of 1919, a young mother named Mathilda Neumann drowns beneath the ice of a rural Wisconsin lake. The shock of her death dramatically changes the lives of her daughter, troubled sister and husbands....Told in the voices of several of the main characters and skipping back and forth in time, the narrative gradually and tantalizingly reveals the dark family secrets and the unsettling discoveries that lead to the truth of what actually happened...

Overall I really enjoyed this book. It was different than most other books I've read recently. It was an excellent story and Christina Schwarz is an excellent writer. She created a gripping story and interesting characters. I was very surprised to find that this is her debut novel, and I look forward to reading more from her.

My only gripe (which is why I gave it 4 stars instead of 5) is that after building a wonderful, intriguing story throughout the novel, the end seemed rather hurried and anti-climatic. I was left with the feeling "that's it??" I was hoping for something more twisted.

But I do recommend this novel. It's worth the read.

3 comments:

  1. I read this book shortly after it came out several years ago because I met her husband. He stayed at the holistic center where I worked, and he told me about how she'd been saying for years that she was working on a book, but no one really paid any attention to her because EVERYONE says that. Her next book is called All is Vanity, and it's one of the books I'm giving away in my romance writing contest. It's not a romance, it's about two best friends who live far apart; one is a writer and the other is a SAHM. The writer finds herself provoking the SAHM to do things she shouldn't just to see what happens so she can write about it. It's pretty interesting.

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  2. That does sound very interesting! I really like books like this. I am not sure if I'll win your romance writing contest, so I'll just go get the book now. :-P

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  3. I read this book several years ago, and while much of the details have been forgotten, I do remember liking it. I also remember wishing the ending offered a little more. Overall, it was a great read.

    --Anna (Diary of an Eccentric)

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