In the state of Florida, a seller does not have to disclose if someone died in their house (unless the death was caused by a property defect). If you’re buying a home here, and you believe in staying away from bad juju, you’ll need to do your own sleuthing to find out if a tragedy occurred within your walls-to-be. Luckily, Florida’s As Is contract offers an inspection period in which the buyer can cancel for any reason. After that, good luck getting your escrow back if you find out where that stain on the garage floor really came from.
Catherine Ryan Howard’s new thriller, Buyer Beware, is a captivating page turner about a woman who rolls up an old carpet in her new home and finds a body-shaped stain underneath. But the title is a bit of a misnomer. The book isn’t so much about the danger of buying the wrong house as it is about the danger of choosing the wrong man.
Ellie has just moved into 1 Delaney Row, a small home in a row of cottages in a desirable Irish town. With secrets in her past, she’s not eager to get to know her neighbors. But when strange and scary things start to happen—and she finds that unfortunate stain—she’s forced to ask questions. Trouble is, people have lots of questions for her. And then the break-ins start.
Two storylines in the past add more mystery to Ellie’s situation. Erin, a smart and driven high school student, becomes entangled with Jason, a manipulative loser who seems destined to pull her down to his level. And Hannah, a thirty-something business owner, gets swept off her feet by a man who might be too good to be true. How these three storylines intersect is the meat of the book.
All three characters are incredibly sympathetic, but as Ellie’s point-of-view is the only one in first person, she’s the character readers will identify with the most. The narrative is somewhat frustrating, because Ellie has a secret that she’s hiding from the reader, and waiting to find out exactly what that secret is provides most of the book’s tension. And there’s so much build-up toward this reveal that when Ellie finally tells readers what she’s hiding, it’s a bit of a letdown. Had Howard come clean in the beginning about what Ellie had done, readers could have focused completely on the dangers she faced in the present and the mystery of the house.
Erin and Hannah’s plots are more straightforward. It’s clear that they’re both headed for disaster with the wrong man, and seeing them get pulled in is like watching a car crash in slow motion.
Buying the wrong house is a huge mistake that can cost a person dearly, both literally and figuratively. But houses can be sold. Choosing the wrong man can ruin your life.
Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following us.
Listen to this book on Speechify!
No comments:
Post a Comment