Carol Tibaldi

As much as I would love to give this book a five-star review, I can't bring myself to. From the description, I was expecting more of a period book, but there were very few actual period references, and too many current day references. A writer myself, I know the importance of making sure to put dialogue specifically where you want it.

The story behind everything was sound, and interesting for the reader to read. With laryngitis currently, it was interesting enough to keep my attention all day, which I commend it for. The characters, at least in the face of the kidnapping, are connectable, but then in some of their relationships I think they are a little hypocritical.

The book, I feel, was well put together, but I didn't like very much how much it jumped. It felt almost fragmented in parts, but then again, that could be the author's intentions. The book was enjoyable, but I would have just enjoyed a little more accurate period references and consistency.… (plus d'informations)

A Review for Freebooksy Reviews
Ebook copy provided by author/review site for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review in any way, all conclusions are honestly given and entirely my responsibility.

This book is set in 1929 – 1931, centered in the city of New York and the Long Island communities. I can’t quite determine if this is a romance with a mystery – or a mystery with romance to enhance the drama. If you are looking for a read that has some romance with your mystery – or mystery with your romance: this is the book for you. The story is paced well with a good premise, and the characters do work within the story to keep the plot moving forward.

Laura, the heroine, is separated from her movie star husband Phillip, and takes a small apartment in the Greenwich Village area of New York City with her infant son Todd. On his first extended visitation with his son, Phillip leaves him on his Long Island estate, and heads off on a publicity stunt/junket for his studio, and the child is kidnapped. We are introduced to the utterly self-centered and selfish attitude of Paul: his character is never developed beyond that rather wooden stereotype, even with overly vocal attempts by his ex-wife, Laura, to convince us otherwise. Perhaps the “flatness” of Phillip is enhanced by the wonderfully well developed and often surprising voice of Laura. While the story is set in the relatively ‘repressed’ late 1920’s to early 1930’s as compared to this millennium, her attitudes towards sex, illegal actions of her aunt, and her own desire to raise her child alone are all rare attitudes of the time for a “respectable woman”.

We are introduced to her aunt, Virginia Kingsley, a woman who owns a speakeasy, and is busy living the dichotomous life: dealing with Capone-like mobsters and maintaining her “woman of quality” reputation. Again, Laura is her most vehement defender, preferring to accept the omissions of the ‘real story’ from her aunt. The police that we encounter are all focused on Virginia as a suspect, with her connections to the ‘dark side’ of bootlegging and influence peddling. The police almost to a man are portrayed as rather simple, bumbling and ineffective at police work.

Enter the mix, a Pulitzer Award winning journalist Erich Mueller, who is brought in to bring some “public interest’ to the story in the hopes that leads will be generated. He and Laura are instantly attracted, and he is, with the police, convinced her aunt is more involved in the child’s disappearance than she is willing to admit.

There are several other minor characters that are developed in a two dimensional sense: the bad characters are wholly greasy without redeeming features. In the main characters of Phillip, Virginia and Erich; there is not a great deal of complexity in character development that would make a more believable and real person.
… (plus d'informations)

There's drawn out heart-pounding suspense and then there's just dragged out please-someone-slit-my-wrist suspense... and unfortunately this is the latter.

The son of a famous actor and his ex-wife is kidnapped. Laura, his mother, is beside herself with grief and worry while Peter, his father, is basks in the media's attention. The police are involved with an allegedly incompetent Detective Wilson at the helm of the investigation. However, nowhere in the process of the investigation does he actually display incompetence and we have only the scathing contempt of Laura's bootlegging aunt's word that he couldn't solve his way out of a paperbag.

There are too many inconsequential characters and unexplained incidents in this book to make this a worthwhile read.

It had potential, but I feel the author tried to make it complex without understanding how to do so effectively. It ended up somewhat disorganized, and I thought I thought the chapters were slapped together like haphazard bandaids.… (plus d'informations)

Laura Austin has just successfully left his philandering husband when a mother’s worst dream happens. Her son is kidnapped while at his father’s home of Willow Pond. Laura is sure that Phillip is behind it because his movie career is waning and there’s nothing like a hot story to bring him back. She never even considers the other people in her life.
In the Roaring Twenties in New York where flappers abound and dirty deeds are blamed on the mob, the police are duds where investigation is concerned and, when the man they’ve just discovered was part of the deed ends up with a bullet in the head they’re stuck. Laura’s aunt Virginia has mob connections through her speak-easys and her lavish salon called Baccanel. Does she has have what it will take to help Laura find her son? Or – is she in on it? Never!
This first novel is a gem. The descriptions of clothing, vehicles and saloons are dead on. The characters know all the local language from the era and the plot unfolds really well. Ms. Tibaldi has done an excellent job of keeping us on the edge while waiting for Todd to be found. If he is, that is.… (plus d'informations)