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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not so bad but........., April 7, 2001
There was a time when Barbara Taylor Bradford's books were a light piece of fluff and an enjoyable read. But her last few books were tiresome and I didn't really think I would ever read her books again. Then I found her new book, The Triumph of Katie Byrne, at the local library and being in between books, I thought, why not? The good news is it wasn't an altogether bad read, the bad news is it wasn't an altogether good read either. The Triumph of Katie Bryne is actually two books and if Bradford had published them this way, they might have been right on the money. The first book is concerned with three young women yearning to become actresses who plan on moving to New York City when they graduate from high school. But their plans are shattered when in a single afternoon, one girl is killed and another one is hurt so badly she lapses into a coma. The third woman, Katie Bryne, who was on her way home when the attack takes place, is understandably forever changed. Although an invetsigation takes place the guilty party is never found and the years begin to roll by. The second part of the book takes place 10 years later where we find Katie studying drama in London. When she is offered the role of Emily Bronte in a play about the Bronte family, a friend suggests, as a means of inspiration, that Katie visit the countryside where the Brontes lived and wrote their classic works. Katie then travels with this friend to the ancestral home of her late husband's family in Yorkshire where Katie spends time walking the moors, visitng the Bronte library and learning more about the Brontes from another guest in this home. And for me this was the more interesting part of the book and the one which I would have enjoyed continuing to read more about. The last part finds Katie returning home on the advice of a psychic who tells her she must be at home to help solve the mystery. And when Katie opens on Broadway to rave reveews she not only finds love but........and to find out what happens you will have to read the book. Known for her romance and family saga books, this is Ms. Bradford's first attempt at a murder mystery as she calls it or romantic suspense as I call it. But she included too many bits and pieces of irrelevant information for a book of this size and somehow all of this only detracted from honing in on the main plot of the book. I do wish somehow she could write another book like A Woman of Substance but perhaps that only comes along once in a lifetime. As for whether or not I'll read another Bradford book, I guess only time will tell.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Appallingly Awful, December 5, 2002
Now I know why this book was 50 cents at a book warehouse. I advise you not to spend so much on it. The first 106 pages are where the action is and are interesting, if tame. You can then skip from there to about 10 pages from the end, and you will have read the substance of the book. Better still, save time: Read the first 106 pages and then email me and I will tell you who did it and you can move on to another book! Such an otherwise good author, what was she thinking?
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Booooooring!, July 20, 2001
This book initially captured my interest because the plot sounded interesting. But it was not. Part 1 begins with Katie and her two 17 year old friends, Carly and Denise, as lifelong friends dreaming of acting on Broadway. However, these dreams are dashed when Denise is brutally murdered and raped and Carly is badly beaten and left in a coma. The two girls are found by Katie and her brother and this experience scars them for life. Yadda, yadda. Part 2 - race ahead 10 years. Katie is now 27 and living in London studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. She is offered "the part of a lifetime" acting as Emily Bronte in a new play (huh?). This part is made up mostly of Katie doing obscure research of the Bronte sisters in Yorkshire and telling people about her past. She meets many very flat, boring characters that are not explained. All this "mysterious" stuff is going on among the whole group which promises to be explained later, but never is. We know nothing about them, their pasts, their presents or futures, but who cares. She also meets a psychic who tells her that she must go "home" that her future is there. Whatever. Part 3 - move ahead a couple of months. Katie is rehearsing for her part in the play. You meet up with a few more bland characters including an ex of Katie's that has never been explained. Katie also meets up with a new man that for some reason she feels an instant connection with and falls madly in love with. Her performance is supposedly an instant hit, she and her lover work out all their supposed problems, the crime is solved and everyone lives happily ever after. Yeah, right. It almost seems as if the author was told this book had to be under 300 pages but she had to write all this junk in it. None of the characters make any sense, no relationships are explained at all, the plot is obscure and the book is really bad. The ending is probably the worst. I won't give it away, but when I read the solution to the crime, I was saying, "Huh???" It was completely implausible. Even though I am going to try to sell this used, I know I won't have any luck. Don't buy it! You'll regret it! My 5 year old niece could tell a better story and it would make a lot more sense.
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