Customer Reviews

See No Evil (Marti Macalister Mysteries)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"The story is particularly engaging for its character and situations, but Bland doesn't scrimp on suspense, building through tragedy, wasted lives and hope to a breath-catching climax. A well-written standout series."

"Bland has succeeded here in producing her most sophisticated, complex, and successful work yet ... the unexpected denouement is as satisfying as it is surprising, giving Marti new evidence as to the quality of her parenting. With this compelling page-turner, Bland firmly establishes her credentials as one of today's most talented mystery writers."

He comes into your home, goes through your things and plots your family's death. Yet detective Marti MacAlister is totally oblivious to this evil presence in her own home. Will her blindness and that of her friend Sharon cost them their lives and that of their family?

In this sixth case of the Marti MacAlister series we find the detective consumed by the murder of a woman and the disappearance of her snitch's best friend. Marti's room mate is consumed by her inability to say no to "Mr Wonderful" thus compromising her self esteem and neglecting the children. Throw in a kid trying to become a gang member, a flasher and people who refuse to report what they see and you have quite a mess going on the job.

This is an intriguing story as we see the intertwining of Marti's personal life with that of her job. We see the budding sexuality of her daughter and the courageness of Ben, her fiance. Marti's consuming time on the job interferes with what is so plainly before her as she begins a new step in her life. Follow her along this track of evil. See if she awakes before it is too late.

"Bland tightens the suspense with realistic details and subplot twists before wrapping the narrative up in a satisfying solution."

This was my first time reading Eleanor Taylor- Bland's book. I really enjoyed this book. She keeps you in suspense until the very end. When you read this book and find out who the stalker was you will be a bit surprised. I would have never guessed it. She puts together the pieces of the puzzle very nicely. All the characters have a significant role in this novel.

I highly recommend this book. One of the best things about the book is that it is really not about being a black female detective, it's just about solving the crime. The novel is based in Illinois and I could relate to all the references she made ( expressways, streets, etc.).

The only thing I regret is that I hadn't heard of her before. I like to read books in sequence. I am just starting to read GONE QUIET and it is starting out real nicely. I'm sure I'll enjoy it just as much as I enjoyed See No Evil.

On the Illinois side of Lake Michigan, the murdered body of Ladiya Norris is found. Assigned to investigate the former drug user's death is Marti MacAlister and Vik Jessenovik. As the two cops make inquiries, they focus on the deceased's abusive lover, who swears that he is innocent. However, the case is not progressing well for the two officers as leads seem to fail to pan out.

Marti also has problems at home. She shares a house with another divorcee and their teenage children. Teenagers being what they are, Marti is concerned with their behavior, especially since her adult roommate is ignoring her child for her lover. However, unbeknownst to Marti is that her domestic problem is a lot more dangerous than simple teenage angst. A stalker has easy access to her home and is planning to kill Marti and her family when the time is right.

Eleanor Taylor Bland does not live up to her name as her sixth MacAlister mystery, SEE NO EVIL, is far from being bland. The story line is jammed with realistic suspense that slowly boils over until the reader feels burned. Marti is a great character and the support cast help keep the story moving forward. The various sub-plots add to the excitement and brilliantly tie together in an exhilarating climax. Because of the insight into the characters (both recurring and new), this entire series continues to provide some of the best who-done-it novels available today.

Harriet Klausner

We don't expect anything less than top notch from Eleanor Taylor Bland and she hasn't let us down!