Reviewed
by: BigAl
Genre:
Suspense
Approximate
word count: 55-60,000
words
Availability
Click
on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes &
Noble, or Smashwords store
Author:
A
licensed psychotherapist, this is Clayton's sixth novel. In addition,
she's written one non-fiction book and several short stories. In
between attending her son's soccer games and writing her own books,
Clayton writes for Indies Unlimited and runs her own small publishingcompany. She lives with her husband and sons in Florida.
For
more, visit Clayton's website.
Description:
“On
a beautiful fall evening, in the middle of a game of hide-and-seek,
five-year-old Bobby Clark is kidnapped by his estranged father, a
shiftless man with a history of domestic violence and drug abuse.
Bobby’s twin brother Ricky watches, terrified, from his hiding
place behind the bougainvillea, while mother Tabby, who also
struggles with addiction, lies inebriated on the living room floor.
Bobby
isn’t seen by his loved ones again until a fateful morning
twenty-five years later, when video of his arrest dominates the
morning news. He has been charged with the murder of his father, but
before the trial can begin, he manages to escape.
As
Tabby and Ricky absorb the news of Bobby’s return and subsequent
escape, Tabby is convinced he’ll come home to the quiet Florida
street from which he was taken so long ago. But when events begin to
spiral out of control, she’s left to wonder: is a child born to be
evil, or shaped to be evil? And in the end, when it’s time to make
amends, does it really matter?”
Appraisal:
On the
surface, Making Amends
is a suspense novel, with all that implies. The point of view changes
from chapter to chapter between three main characters.
Tabby,
the mother of two identical twin boys, Ricky and Bobby. Kidnapped by
his father when he was five, twenty-five long years ago, Bobby has
not been heard from since. Then he's arrested for killing his father.
Tabby has always felt guilty about Bobby's kidnapping, thinking she
should have prevented it.
The
second POV character is Ricky, who has always had ambiguous feelings
about Bobby's kidnapping, wondering why their father only took one of
them.
Last,
Tabby's best friend Von, who has been involved in Tabby's life since
before the twins were born. She provides a more realistic point of
view, helping temper Tabby's self-recriminating thoughts.
The
changing view points are clearly labeled at the start of each chapter
and the transitions were easy for me to follow. From the descriptions
of the characters above, you might have already gathered that while
the story is suspense, the psychological aspects as they struggle
with and try to come to terms with their pasts are actually where the
best part of the story lies. In the process, it will set your mind
reeling with thoughts and questions about responsibility, family and
friendship, and the nature of evil.
FYI:
A
small amount of adult language.
Format/Typo
Issues:
No
significant issues.
Rating: ***** Five Stars
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