Wednesday, January 13

Book Review: Superstition by Karen Robards



Author: Karen Robards
Title: Superstition
Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Paranormal and Romance
Pages: 432
First Published: Jan 2001
Where I Got It: My shelf (A gift)

Sparks fly between a police chief and a reporter who are thrown together when a brutal killer comes out of hiding after fifteen years. 

Pawleys Island, South Carolina. Sunny, idyllic, and picture perfect, until a tabloid news program airs a splashy segment about the community's only unsolved murder-the grisly stabbing of teenager Tara Mitchell and the subsequent disappearance of her two best friends, both thought to be long dead. In the years since the murders, several families have moved into the mansion where the crime occurred, each claiming that the dead girls still haunt the house. Beautiful redheaded reporter Nicole Sullivan, sensing the story that could be her big break, arranges for her mother, a renowned psychic, to contact the three victims via a live séance on the showTwenty-four Hours Investigates. 

But something goes terribly wrong during the segment, and a young woman is murdered in the exact same manner as Tara Mitchell was fifteen years earlier. Pressured by her producers to get the inside story, Nicole is ordered to continue to investigate. As an attraction grows between Nicole and police chief Joe Franconi, another identical murder occurs, along with a menacing note warning that the original killer is back to claim three more lives. The body count rises, and so does the danger to Nicole, who is attacked, barely escaping with her life. She and Joe are forced to join forces as it becomes clear that the killer has set his sights on Nicole as his next victim. 



I tried oh so hard to get into this book. I really, really did, but I just couldn’t.

The beginning was fantastic and I couldn’t put it down….but…it just fell apart for me. It fell apart right after the discovery of the new body and Nicole got really, really dumb. At first I really liked her, but as the story went along she turned into a TSTL character. Her thought-process left me dumbfounded and I wanted to kick her.

Even though the story was falling apart I kept pushing through because I wanted to know who the killer was. Plus, I loved the small supernatural aspect of the book through Nicole’s mom being a psychic. I also am one for self-torture…so there is that too…

I had hope for the ending, but again, that was a letdown for me. It seemed over-the-top and not realistic.

The romance was also meh, because Joe deserved someone smarter and better then Nicole. He and Nicole’s mom were redeeming characters of the book…everyone else….meh. Even the killer let me down.


Overall, this was a letdown for me. The beginning had such hope for an amazing mystery! Maybe I am too harsh on this genre….I really haven’t read a really good one in such a long time. Sighs. But yes…Nicole was too stupid to live, the ending was far-fetched, the killer was a bummer, and I could barely stay focused. The beginning, Joe, and Nicole’s psychic mom were the only redeeming qualities of the story. Out of five stars, I stamp this with 1. Bummer. 















5 comments:

Blodeuedd said...

I have read one of her books...I threw it at the wall

Melliane said...

it's sad that it started that good to end up like that. I hope your next read will be better

Carole Rae said...

B, I bet! I had to control myself. xD

Melliane, I was bound to get a bad one sooner or later...I was on a good book streak there for a bit.

Anachronist said...

A heroine who gets stupid? I will avoid this author, thank you very much!

Carole Rae said...

Ana, BUT SHE WAS IN LOVVVVVVVVEEEEEEEE....>_<....LOL