Customer Reviews

Evolution of a Sad Woman: The Story of Kizzy

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Five men from different wakes in life, a priest, a lawyer, a football player, a cab driver, and a cop are in love with the same wonderfully mysterious woman, Kizzy Theriot. They all are drawn together upon Kizzy's murder and vow to make the person pay who is behind it.

Among many twists, turns, and discoveries they begin to unravel the life and death of the woman they all treasured and with every new revelation each mans future is changed forever....

WOW does not even begin to express how I feel about Evolution of a Sad Woman! This was an explosive debut novel by Gale Laure and one that held me spellbound until the last page. It immediately pulled me in and had so many different angles going at once that my fingers were ripping thru the pages trying to solve the mystery. Kudos to Gale for keeping me up well past my bedtime because once I started this book I couldn't sleep until I knew who killed Kizzy! This novel was so awesome that I never correctly was able to guess who done it! I was totally surprised!

[...]

Imagine a woman who arranges for her own gruesome murder. She draws a bath, has a glass of wine, and awaits. The butcher commits the deed, as requested, with a serated knife and a meat clever to dismember the beautiful heroine.

What would compel a wealthy woman to plan such a death?

During her life, Kizzy had met five men whom she loved and trusted with the joy of her life. Her lawyer invited them to attend the reading of the will advising that they would inherit millions. Each came and relived their lives with the woman who was the love of the life of each, in turn. She asked them, in her handwritten will, to undertake a task to achieve something precious to her. First, they would have to discover the hidden joy of Kizzy's life. Kizzy left few clues.

The men from vastly different walks of life banded together to solve the mysteries, and seek revenge. In the course of their thrilling adventure, the men bond together in a shared love of Kizzy and the joy that she asked them to cherish.

Evolution of a Sad Woman is a thought-provoking story that is told masterfully. A reader cannot help but to want to meet Kizzy and experience what she gave to these men in the short time she was in their lives. Each had known a different woman. As usual with such well conceived and executed books, a reader's mind wanders to associate the story with life experience. In my case, I kept picturing a Marilyn Monroe character confused in life, not knowing where to turn, and finding peace finally, via her own hand, in another realm.

Thank you Gale for a wonderful read!

This is a great book. I enjoyed it so much that I bought several copies to give out as Christmas presents this year. Gale Laure is a wonderful new writer and I am looking forward to her next book.

When Keziah Theriot, better known as "Kizzy," is suddenly and tragically murdered, the suspicious circumstances surrounding her death raise a gaggle of questions - most significantly whether her demise was either inadvertent or planned. Shortly before her death, Kizzy leaves specific instructions in her will for her death to be solved by five beneficiaries, as well as for them to find a mysterious "prized possession" of hers. Far from random strangers, all five beneficiaries are men that Kizzy came to love and trust over the course of her lifetime, and when they unite to investigate her untimely demise, they are hardly prepared for the ultimate surprise that awaits them...

Evolution Of A Sad Woman is a story that works on multiple levels; beneath the surface of a murder mystery lies the heart of a tale of the incomparable, enduring power of true love. As equally integral parts of her past, each of Kizzy's five heirs managed to carve out their own special places in her heart, and, thus, subsequently plays a unique role in solving the mystery of her fate. By highlighting the genuine, heartfelt nature of their bonds, author Gale Laure helps the reader reach a higher appreciation of the emotional intricacy of her tale, and, ultimately, of love itself.

Furthermore, Laure's engaging writing style, along with her superb character development, bolsters her tale by leading the reader to care not only about Kizzy's fate, but that of her redeemers and the ultimate success of their investigative quest as well. In so doing, Laure lends her tale a palpable, emotionally-accessible quality that's easy to conceive but difficult to execute.

Entertaining and rewarding, Evolution Of A Sad Woman is a promising debut from an emerging new literary talent, one highly recommended for fans of both the romance and mystery suspense genres.


Renee Washburn
Apex Reviews

liked this book immediately. It started off with a bang and didn't let up through much of it. I may be a bit biased because I do enjoy murder mysteries and detective stories and if you do as well, you will probably enjoy reading Evolution of a Sad Woman.

The best parts of this story are the five men who come together to solve Kizzy's murder. Each of them have vastly different backgrounds and personalities and Ms. Laure does the reader a great service by showing through flashbacks exactly how each of them came to know Kizzy and what part each played in her life. Their frictions and their flaws felt very real, as well as each man's deep desire to find out who killed this lovely lady of their past.

And despite being the victim in the story, Kizzy is as much a living, breathing character as any of the men who loved her. She is so well drawn, in fact, that finding out what happened to her and why became as important to me, the reader, as to those five men.

The plot was very well done, with the requisite red herrings thrown here and there but without feeling forced or cliched. With a few well thought out twists and turns, Evolution of a Sad Woman will keep you turning the pages, anxious to see where the story will take you and how it will play out.

Because of the well done character development and finely tuned plot, Evolution of a Sad Woman is more than just your cookie cutter detective story. Each man has a strong, tangible connection to the victim and so it becomes personal - - and the heart of that personal connection comes through the writing and the telling of the story, making it a strong read.

The downside of Evolution of a Strong Woman? A few portions of the dialogue felt a bit "written" to me and somewhat forced. I felt the character or characters in that particular scene didn't sound as natural as they could have, or should have.

And completely shallow with nothing to do with the overall story - - but I disliked the cover of the book. It just didn't move me or grab me and if I had seen this book in the store, I doubt I would have picked it up, judging solely by the cover.

As an additional note, while I did not have a problem with it, Evolution of a Sad Woman contains some fairly graphic violence, strong language and a few sexual situations. It may not be suitable for all readers.

Overall though, I enjoyed reading the book and I enjoyed Ms. Laure's writing style. I look forward to her follow-up sequel, which is in the works.

Great book! Hard to believe it's a first for this author. Kept me interested from the first page. Good character development and great plot. Can't wait till for the next.

The character development and interaction was thoughtfully presented. The twists and turns were unexpected and unanticipated. I'd highly recommend this book to everyone!

It is hard to believe that this is Ms Laure first published book. It is a great mystery with plenty of suspense on every page. Each character comes alive and you feel like you are part of the story watching from the standlines. If you like mysteries this book will not disappoint you. Can't wait to read her next novel.

Evolution of a Sad Woman centers around a quest by five strangers -- a cop, lawyer, football player, cab driver, and priest - who are unexpectedly bound together by their individual love for the beautiful, mysterious Kizzy following her brutal murder. While following instructions Kizzy left in her will for them to find a "prized possession," the men seek answers and justice for Kizzy's brutal murder. As befits a psychological thriller, this quest follows an exciting path of twists and turns, continually revealing surprise after surprise about the life Kizzy lived. With intriguing details and dialogue, the story is written in a way to engage the reader in the quest, and to create empathy for all of the characters. The surprise ending purposefully leaves an opening for a sequel already being written (that I look forward to reading). Evolution is a spellbinding debut novel for Gale Laure, which is highly recommended for anyone who loves a good mystery. And even better, the novel just screams to be made into a screenplay.

EVOLUTION OF A SAD WOMAN

(The Story of Kizzy)

By Gale Laure [Sharlet Liebel Reviewed]

Author Gale Laure chose a nearly impossible murder mystery, Evolution of a Sad Woman: The story of Kizzy, as her Debut Novel. Be aware of a most fascinating beauty and her adventures of enormous propositions. Get ready for the unexplained shock of the demise of the emerald-green-eyed, flowing long hair, and gentle spirited Kizzy and prepare to shudder in the very first chapter of this novel. In this story, detectives yield to overwhelming circumstances that describe in detail a heinous murder that leaves audiences weak. Gale Laure captivates her readers with twists and turns for a suspenseful murder mystery.

What is known about Kizzy is that ever since childhood dealt her a mean set of circumstances Kizzy cannot seem to find a joyful path toward love. Kizzy seems drawn to inappropriate dysfunctional men. This is probably due to Kizzy's feelings of missed bonding with her mother who dies when she is a child. In a few years, she loses her father. Thereafter, Kizzy seems psychologically bound to lose sight of right and wrong behaviors. She is a passionate teen and her first love, unfortunately, leaves for college never to return. Thereafter, she has more affairs that are complicated.

Her search is all too common. For lost souls who venture into dangerous circumstances seek great love. She continually disappears from those whom she can trust to cultivate relationships with people she can't control.

Readers begin to understand Kizzy's personality after back stories unfold as each of her lovers reveal their story. Kizzy is a strong willed young woman who leaves all the men before they leave her. She makes the rules or so we the viewers believe. What we don't understand or know are her reasons. Why?

Kizzy travels in questionable circles from the U.S. to foreign territories. Is she running from or into danger for an adventure? Is she on a mission of unknown proportions? All these questions are in the realm of Kizzy's impossible motives.

The psychological thriller is one that even crusty detectives heave over. It's an outrageous murder. It's gross in the details and the phenomenal content of the storyline is passionate in producing quality. What human creature could do such a horrible act? What did Kizzy do to deserve such an exit? This is a tough death to solve so the reader must be alert to the few clues available. In addition, Kizzy leaves vague clues to inform only her most loving admirers, her best friends, how to find her personal possessions. She trusts that together they will not disappoint her.

The reader gets caught-up in the thorough descriptions and minute details as detectives and Kizzy's five loves enter her residence to investigate her death. They decide how inexplicably difficult it would be to break into her 28th floor apartment. Once inside, they see her expensive drawings are pulled from the walls and the backs are slit as though looking for a document or small hidden item. Her answering machine doesn't work because a battery is missing. Each of her friends recognizes an item known only to them.

In death, Kizzy leaves a haunting memory of her life. She may have had to relinquish the men she loved in life but never would she release them in death. For to abandon them when she died would not be her kind of justice. Even as a child, Kizzy knows that people who hurt her, "...have to pay..." In the same way, those she loved would always love her. Nobody would get away from her passionate characteristics.

Reviewer: Sharlet aka Sharliebel

Evolution of a Sad Woman: The Story of Kizzy