Customer Reviews

When the Dead Speak: The Second Brett Higgins Mystery (Brett Higgins Mysteries)

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

 

 

Passion filled adventure surrounds Brett and Allie when they take charge of thier new life together. Upon entering thier new home, believed by neighbors to be haunted, Brett begins to feel something unfamiliar. As the two begin to explore the history of the house they find a girl was murdered there. While investigating the murder of years prior, Brett is faced with her own past. Will the memory of Storm ruin Brett and Allie's relationship, or will the truth set Brett free from fear? Szymanski is a true genius in her writings, combining intense passion and adventure to provide a reading enjoyment like no other.

Now, I was very excited about The second Brett Higgins mystery becuase I thought the first, 'When the Dancing Stops', was excellent! But, I was a little saddend by this one. I found the writing a little rushed and contrived. The first novel I felt read much more logically and the characters were more believable, likable and interesting. The only person in this novel I liked and believed was Liza, the mudered girl and she was hardly in the story. Brett just seemed to darn butch for her own good and the dialogue between she and her lover Allie was just plain unreal. It was as if the words and the "glares" were stratigically placed. So strategically placed infact that it seemed to flow more like a play. A play written by a budding highschool writer. The only thing that kept me reading the novel was that I wanted to know how the book was finally pulled together in the end, and to see if Liza made any more appearances (and the fact I spent some money on it). The love scenes were cliché, and the character development non-existant. Overall, the read was easy, and a bit entertaining but the novel left much to be desired. I'm a little nervous about ordering the next in the series. I just hope that the story line is a bit more believable than this one. But keep on keepin' on Therese because I'm sure this is not the last novel I'll read by you.

The story in the book kept my attention and I refused to put the book down until I had finished it. However, the mystery itself did not flow well. It seemed to me that Brett and Allie got most of their clues by luck and by Brett's contact with the dead Liza. I think the best approach to this book is to just tell yourself "I believe," and force all doubts and questions out of your mind. I also saw no reason for Storm to keep appearing. Until Storm's appearance, Brett seemed to have no problem with her memories of Storm. It was only after Storm appeared, and told Brett she had to let Storm go, that Brett started questioning her relationship with Allie.

What a wonderful surprise this was! I was expecting a blue collar crime story like the first novel in the Brett Higgins Motor City Thriller series, instead I was treated to a seat of your pants mystery with elements of the supernatural that are compellingly believable.

This is a keeper!

Terrific humor as always with this author - this is a not to be missed novel.

From the publisher's Website -

Having convinced the police and rival gang members that she is dead, former underworld figure Brett Higgins has moved to California and is living with her lover, Allie Sullivan, under the assumed name of "Samantha Peterson." The move out west gave her what she needed most - a chance to escape her brutal past and start over again.

Safe in Allie's arms, Sam almost believed that she could change her life as much as she had changed her name. But somewhere deep inside, Sam knew there had to be a price to pay for the trail of bodies they had left behind them. She had no idea how high that price would be. Until she found the gleaming butcher's knife... and the blood-soaked clothes...

Don't miss any of the novels in this series -

When the Dancing Stops (1)
When the Dead Speak (2)
When Some Body Disappears (3)
When Evil Changes Face (4)
When Good Girls Go Bad (5)
When the Corpse Lies (6)
When First We Practice (7)
When It's All Relative (8) - coming in April 2008