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5.0 out of 5 stars
A definite page-turner, June 13, 2009
This review is from: Burned: A Tragic Mystery (Paperback)
I admit that I was flattered when asked to review this book, especially as I have yet to plunge into that coveted list of top 1,000 reviewers. The author has a good sense of humor, noting from my profile page, that I love to read while cuddling with my cat and sipping tea. He wished me happy reading and urged me to "get the tea brewing and find a cat to cuddle with." That I did. This book is a page-turner: once you start it, you want to know what happens and how it will all be resolved.
At first glance, I thought that this book might be taking on too much: a baby left badly burned through her father's negligence, the mother leaving the dad, the mother starting a new life and career, AND the mother's new career involving a company embezzlement cover-up. It seemed that any one of the above issues could stand alone as the plot line for a 200+ page novel. Fortunately, I was proven wrong. Nevling deftly interweaves the past and present in this book, and the winding plot is suspenseful without seeming overladen.
Possible spoilers
You can sympathize simultaneously with Sharon, the angry and distraught mother, and Jim, the abandoned father whose mistake of negligence couldn't have been more unintentional. Sharon needed her space to work through her reaction to the accident, so her "impulsive decision" to separate from Jim wasn't such a bad idea in hindsight. It's what she needed to do to process the accident and reevaluate what's important to her. Her job as an accountant at Prescott Inc. helped to distract her from her recovering baby and separated husband. Yet Sharon cannot reconcile some extravagant travel expenses posted by her supervisor. That overcharging seems like child's play compared to the millions of dollars being diverted from the company's account. Sharon and a pair of detectives try to figure out what's going on, especially after a company car runs Sharon off the road, resulting in what could have been a fatality. Another strange occurence: Sharon tests positive for drugs. Yet Sharon swears she has never taken illicit drugs.
The loose-ends are tied up in a satisfying conclusion, and we are advised along with Jim and Sharon to leave the TV behind (a football game had distracted Jim's attention, leading up to the house fire). Jim and Sharon's reconciliation was wonderfully written and believable; I'd have to say that that was one of my favorite parts of the book. Sharon knew that Jim had suffered as much as she had, and that he was tortured by his mistake. Sharon remarked to her friend Katie that it seemed like no time had passed between her and Jim, and that they were able to pick up where they left off, reestablishing their intimacy.
I guessed the identity of an accomplice (who technically hadn't broken any law), thinking this person the main culprit. I certainly didn't guess whodunnit or why.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Novel of Page-Turning Suspense and High Emotion, October 27, 2008
This review is from: Burned: A Tragic Mystery (Paperback)
How many times have you sat in bed with the pillows propped up behind your back, the clock showing that it's well past midnight, and thought, "I'll just read one more chapter before turning out the light!" Then, four chapters later, you still are compelled to continue through your chosen novel because you are so captivated by the characters and their stories. This is the experience I had while reading the new book Burned by first-time author J.A. Nevling. He develops men and women whose passions and weaknesses will be understood by the readers. I certainly found myself connecting with the main character Sharon Nagol, who cherishes her life as a young wife and mother to a beautiful little girl. The other personalities who are revealed throughout the pages, from unhappy spouses to devoted best friends to conniving bosses, will likely have parallels to the people we all have in our lives. So, when Nevling takes his characters and places them in unimaginable situations, the readers will be completely caught up in the ride.
The book opens with a tragic house fire that initially leaves the reader not knowing the fate of Sharon Nagol's husband and child. Devastated by this upheaval in her ideal life, Sharon moves to a new city and begins work with a large firm as an accountant. What she uncovers through secret books that are not part of the company's standard financial disclosures lands her in the middle of a violent chain of events. The author reveals just enough in each chapter to keep the reader guessing about the motives of the main characters and to keep the pages turning to reveal the next detail. Through it all, Nevling creates unexpected twists and heartbreaking discoveries that had me jumping out of my chair (that was a sight at the coffee shop!) and invested my emotions in the outcome of the protagonists in this adventure.
One of the most effective ways that Nevling draws his readers into the development of the story is through a wonderful narrative that alternates between current and past events. Some books are not able to execute this stylistic effort with fluidity, and readers are forced to reread segments or flip back to previous pages in an attempt to determine the time frame for a particular conversation. Not so with the weaving of the plot lines in Burned. Nevling always chooses just the right moment in the development of the plot to take his readers back to an earlier event. This technique serves both the purpose of keeping the reader in suspense at pivotal points and filling in the background of the people we come to know as we proceed through the pages. I liked learning about the characters a little at a time, with each new piece of history or revealed struggle adding dimension to the people involved in this drama.
Nevling seems to draw upon a knowledge of the psychological dynamics that exist between individuals when developing the relationships between his characters. I was compelled to reflect on how I would feel if I discovered my husband's negligence had caused a horrific fire that forever changed the lives of my family members. There are other issues of the human psyche that are addressed as well. Why do people in unhappy marriages continue to present a public facade of a partnership in order to maintain wealth or power? In what ways do the tight bonds that exist in female friendships provide both security and an increased chance for deception? How do our first impressions of people affect the relationship we are willing to develop with them, or simply determine the level of kindness we will choose to extend? The author uses a dramatic plot of money, sex and power to address these issues in an environment of heightened emotion and consequence, but they are still relevant to readers in even the most ordinary of circumstances.
J. A. Nevling has written a remarkable book, especially considering that this is first venture into the world of book writing and publishing. Burned: A Tragic Mystery combines elements of a terrific detective or suspense novel with the intensely personal and human emotions of betrayal, grief, lust, and greed. Whether or not Nevling intended so upon its writing, or has allowed the possibility to pass through his mind since publication, Burned is one of those novels that could easily transfer to the movie screen or the stage. I assert this suggestion without any insinuation that the storytelling does not excel in its current format. But, this book does form a story that I hope will generate mass appeal in the written form, and could easily do the same in a visual format. I highly recommend the new book Burned by J. A. Nevling and I look forward to future novels that this author may choose to publish in the future.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful, Exciting and Edge Of Your Chair Reading., June 24, 2011
This review is from: Burned: A Tragic Mystery (Paperback)
This book is wonderful. Edge of your chair reading. A Very moving and compelling story that you cannot finish it until you have read the whole thing in one sitting.
Sharon Nagol Says yes to a surprise lunch invitation with her best friend, leaving husband Jim home to babysit their infant daughter. While Sharon's away, a firebreaks out, severely burning both Jim and the baby. When Sharon find out that it was Jim's negligence that caused the fire, she separates from him, and rents her own apartment. She finds a job as an accountant at Prescott Incorporated. There the mystery begins. Dark secrets, embezzlement and a rotten skirt chasing boos leads you on an exciting ride.
Best book I have read in a long while.
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