Customer Reviews

The House on Sprucewood Lane

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

 

 

I came across an early copy of this book at a friend's house when visiting New York last week and was intrigued by the theme. I have just finished reading it and want to recommend it to all the perusers of this website. Slate writes easily and colloquially,and is especially good at dialogue. The characters are very well drawn, as layers of their personalities are gradually revealed. The plot is complex and carefully unfolded for the reader; and the suspense (the whodunit factor) is killing. It is a difficult theme but neither unlikely nor untimely, as any newspaper reader knows. Don't start this book unless you have a free afternoon because you won't be able to put it down.

A really exciting good read. A true page turner. It was hard to put down once I got into the story.

Ms slate has conjured a mystery that is as much self-confession as it is slight of hand & inquiry. I especially liked the risk she took in balancing the psychology of all the characters with the psychology of the author [come] 'detective.' She (Ms Slate) has a special talent rarely seen in 'mystery' writers: where the writing itself carries the passion & the intrigue! I felt it well fleshed-out & 'unafraid.' A great read!

This book has it all. Suspense, mystery, and an empathetic and analytical look into the interior life of damaged people who are actually improved by their immersion in tragedy. Caroline Slate uses her quick wit to perform a sleight of hand in the moment to moment rendering of the mutually distrustful relationship of family members who all suspect each other in assigning guilt for the commission of a particularly heinous crime. It is also a story of the love between a traumatized woman and her disturbed young nephew. And it is a love story as well, between two people who had no reasonable hope for emotional fulfillment ever again in their lives.
This is a frightening, uplifting and yet tender work with impact on brain AND heart. I strongly recommend it.

This is a terrific read. Fast-paced; Well-developed, complex characters; and a gripping plot with just the right twist at the end. The author really gets at the heart of complicated relationships with people who we're supposed to trust.

While I enjoyed this book, I would definately not give it a high rating. I found the "suspense" never came for me and I figured out the ending well before it was revealed. The characters, while some were likeable, seemed to be rather stereotypical. The dialogue was anything but natural and at times became tedious. I hesitantly suggest this book if you're looking for a quick and fairly entertaining read.