Customer Reviews

Revenant

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

For some reason I picked up this book thinking it was a paranormal mystery. Maybe it was the cover or the fact that the publisher also prints a paranormal vampire series that I follow. Revenant however is very firmly grounded in reality. It's a murder mystery featuring truly evil bad guys and a lot of gray characters. It seems the only truly good characters are the victims.

Our heroine, investigative journalist, Carson Lynch seems to be slogging through life in an alcoholic stupor since the death of her daughter due to an arson attack that was intended for her. Following the subsequent collapse of her marriage, Carson moves back home to Mississippi to take a job with one of the few newspapers willing to risk investing in an alcoholic. In a life filled with intense depression and punctuated by panic attacks Carson clings to the only constant in her life- her job.

When 5 bodies show up underneath the parking lot of a local night club followed by the appearance of fresh bodies with the same MO, Carson gets drawn in to the mystery and uses her local know-how and a few connections to try and solve the murders.

As a mystery/thriller the book failed to keep me engaged as I was confident in answering the who-done-it by midway through the novel. However, the novel was redeemed by the excellent characterizations of our main character's grief and slow recovery as well as a cast of intriguing a well fleshed-out secondary characters including Carson's co-workers and family. So while the thrills might not keep you turning pages the relationship dynamics between Carson and those around her will.

The ending was satisfying from the standpoint of justice. The resolution was not overly abrupt and tied off the necessary lose ends. My only qualm is it left Carson's personal story and possible future happiness open ended. As long as Haines plans on continuing Carson's story in future books that can be over-looked but if Revenant is planned as a stand-alone novel it may leave people feeling slightly dissatisfied.

Carson Lynch, a washed up journalist with a drinking problem who has lost her child in a fire, her husband and her former prestigious career. Five bodies are uncovered that were buried decades ago beneath a parking lot of a Biloxi, Mississippi night club. Carson begins to investigate, hoping that this story can help her get her career back on track. Days later, two more recent bodies are discovered--each girl wearing a bridal veil. The ring finger has been taken by the murderer. Is this the work of a serial killer or a copy cat killer? Why has such a large expanse of time separated these murders? Can Carson find the clues in time to prevent other murders without risking her own life?

Carolyn Haines intersperses the current thriller plot with ever increasing glimpses of Carson's life, creating a multi-dimensional reading delight. The reader wants to know about Carson's flawed character as well as the unfolding hunt for the killer. REVENANT has some intriguing twists and turns as the identity of the killer is discovered only through careful research and an understanding of the motive behind the crimes. The thrills continue down to the last tense dramatic resolution. The suspense focuses on the eerie nature of the crimes and the psychology behind the crimes. As Carson hunts for leads, Carolyn Haines reveals the psychological dimension of the past moments that led Carson to her present situation. A few more veiled clues in the beginning and throughout the novel would have heightened the reading suspense. Some clues arrive unexpectedly without earlier preparation so that the final revelation feels just slightly too easy in terms of the narrative structure. Fans will eagerly await another thriller with Carson at the center of the activity thanks to Carolyn Haines' brilliant characterization.

We read for entertainment, knowledge, and to pass the time. It is nice to be challenged intellectually and Carolyn Haines provides this in her latest book Revenant. Always a good story teller in any genre you can name, in this mystery-thriller Haines cleverly plots a new angle and develops characters who will long be remembered. As a former journalist herself, she is also teaching us that the media has not always been as it is now. There was a time when news people sought to tell a good story without invading the privacy of victims ("Aside from that, what did you think of the play, Mrs. Lincoln?") and without trying to be sensational and entertainers rather than reporters.
The setting along the lovely Mississippi Gulf Coast before the ravages of katrina is beautifully described and the action flows fast to a startling climax. If you are wondering about the title, read the book and you will smile and say, "Ah, yes."

The story is set in Biloxi, Mississippi, in early 2005 - before Hurricane Katrina rearranged the landscape. There is some commentary about substandard construction in hurricane prone areas, an issue in the background of the principal character. Investigative reporter Carson Lynch is dealing with demons in her own life when she is drawn into the investigation of five bodies unearthed by excavation at the site of an old waterfront nightclub. The victims were reported missing 24 years earlier. Then there is an additional killing with a gruesome detail matching the earlier victims.

As the story progresses, Carson digs into the past. When you turn over rocks, you are never sure what you might find. Along the way, she also has to deal with problems in her own life and the lives of people around her. Many people have things to hide, and some people don't want things dredged up.

This is a well researched, well written novel. The author is a native of Mississippi with a university appointment at the University of South Alabama in Mobile. She is intimately familiar with the settings used in the story.

Clawing her way back from the death of her young daughter and collapse of her marriage, Carson Lynch has returned to her roots in Southern Mississippi. Too much grief, and too much drink, have taken a toll on the once award winning journalist, but she has wrangled a job at a Biloxi paper. When the skeletons of 5 young women are unearthed in a parking lot, she has the skills and an opportunity to once again make a name for herself in jounalism. But nothing is easy, and Carson has plenty of baggage--old boyfriends, her complex relationships with her family, and an ex husband she still loves.

The book is redolent with the atmosphere of a pre-Katrina Gulf coast, and Haines skillfully weaves the unfolding horror of a mass murderer and Carson's re-emergence into the world she left behind years ago. Then the killer strikes again, and Carson finds that she no longer knows whom to trust. The audio version is enriched by the thick as molasses southern accent of Lauren Fortgang.

I think this book was buried as a "romantic suspense," which it is not. It is clearly a mystery and the brief romantic elements play important roles in Carson's character development without dominating the plot. It also could be the first episode of a fine series! In my opinion, this was one of the 5 best mysteries of 2007, the main mystery being why it received so little aclaim!

"Revenant" is a great thriller from Carolyn Haines. The mystery is interesting, but the characters really make the book. This book could be just another cookie cutter thriller if not for the great character development of Carson Lynch & her family. I hope to see Carson in more books in the future.

Haines did such a superb job writing these characters. I LOVED Carson. She was such an imperfect heroine. I related to her easily and I felt strongly for her through the plot.

The mystery and plot about a serial killer held my attention. The killings were uniquely portrayed and I really wanted the killer to be caught.

The ending had a couple of surprises as well. Though I felt as if I wanted just a bit more closure at the end, I think the story was very well written and I enjoyed it.

This book satisfies in so many ways. It's a great mystery--when revealed you can say, "yes, it's the only solution that makes sense." The protagonist Carson is the kind of "damaged" real-life character that we all love. And the writing is exquisite in the style of James Burke, revealing the rich tapestry of the Gulf Coast in the course of the novel.

Carolyn Haines, the author of the Sarah Booth Delaney Mysteries, has a dark side which she demonstrates in this book. There are twists and turns and it keeps you guessing until the end as to who the actual killer was. It was written to be the first in a series, but sadly the series didn't develop. It does leave you wanting more of Carson so maybe someday we will find out more about her. Still a very good book.

Carolyn Haines is wonderful at depicting the emotions of a grieving mother trying to move on with her life, but she's halted by her demons. So for a fresh start, she moves to Mississippi. She uses this opportunity to investigate local murders and through the process she begins to live life again. Carolyn Haines uses rich details and her love for Mississippi to create three dimensional characters and setting.