Customer Reviews

The Trap

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

 

 

Wonderful book. This is not a let down to Joan Lowery Nixon fans. Of course this one does not have any romance in it. Julia helps her grandma and her uncle, and while she's there some of the senior citizens jewelry is stolen, and two people turned up dead. Julia takes it upon her self to investagate the murders. It will keep you guessing. Not as good as spirit seeker or a canadaite for murder but still well written.

Wonderful mystery. Anybody who has read any of joan's books will not be let down. Unlike her other books, there is no romance in this book. Julia goes to help her uncle and her grandma and ends up investagating the disapperance of some of the senoir citizens jewlery and two murders that had happened. A good read! My favorite Joan lowery nixon book is A Canidate for murder!

Note: Letter grades are given at the end of my reviews ranging from A (highest) to F (lowest).

First of all, I'm not even sure why this book is called The Trap. I can't recall any specific trap per se, unless you mean claptrap.

The Trap (Joan Lowery Nixon, 165 pages) starts off relatively promising, introducing a serviceable heroine and a solid story. However, it quickly dissolves into a linear, predictable whodunit with characters who are unmemorable at best and annoying at worst. Nixon spins the murder mystery around a hormone-pumping girl named Julie, and he goes to great lengths to make her identifiable to the reader (you can feel in the writing tht maybe Nixon knows this is going to be a bad book). His method for doing so, however, involves turning Julie into a whiny girl who complains a fair bit of the time, which becomes grating quickly.

The plot is thin, but mystery books that have weak plots can recuperate with sharp dialogue and unforgettable characters (this is what got Sherlock Holmes off the ground). I've already established how miserable the characters are - the dialogue is even worse. ("You have not realized that I have been faithfully at your side" croaks Julie's hunky crush Louis at the end of the novel).

The actual mystery is actually halfway decent, but feels like an afterthought, shunted backstage to make room for Julie's teenage angst and predictable fears ("Will I make friends?" "Will boys like me?" Give us a break!) So at a measly length and a painful execution, The Trap doesn't quite ensnare you. D+

This book is really good (like most of the Joan Lowery Nixon books) this young lady (i dont remember her name at this momment) goes to her great Aunt's ranch and uncovers a mystery. She doesnt know who to trust and gets sabatouged (is that spelled right?) anyway some one trys to kill her.