Book Review: The House On Seventh Street by Karen Vorbeck Williams

Format:  E-book

Pages: 259 pages

Published: September 1, 2015

Publisher: Booktrope Editions

Genre: Fiction & Literature, Mystery

Synopsis:

Winna returns to her father’s last residence, an 87-year-old mansion in her Colorado hometown, to settle his estate and sell the house her grandfather built. As Winna shares memories with her married daughter, reconciles with her disinherited sister Chloe, and becomes reacquainted with old classmates, the old house gives up its secrets. A handwritten will, old love letters, an unfinished story in a notebook, and a diamond ring hidden among her childhood marbles, call into question everything Winna knows about her beloved grandmother. Then come footsteps on the stairs, numerous break-ins, her car’s brake failure on a mountain road, a fall down the basement stairs. Someone is trying to kill Winna. She can’t begin to think it is her sister or Todd, Chloe’s handsome new husband. Could it be her high school boyfriend John or the local handyman she’s hired?”

The plot gives the impression that this is a straight up “whodunit” mystery. That is not the case here. Don’t get me wrong, there is a mystery. But as the reader I had a hard time grasping and diving into the plot, which I always try to do when reading a mystery.

The mystery plot was decent but I felt that the author should have focused more on that. The synopsis marketed as a mystery and even though it was there, I just felt there wasn’t enough of it. It read more like a woman reconnecting with her old roots and trying to understand her family. This part of the story was well-written, however, also a letdown when you wanted more of the mystery depictions.

You will find a lot of decriptive imagery and the author used to be a photgrapher so you will find it beautifully done and won’t be disappointed. That being said, there were times that I found the decriptions went on a little bit too long. I would be reading these parts and would say to myself “This is great and all but I want to read more of the story”. I’m girl who loves descriptive writing but that much. I wanted more of the story. Also, some of the plot writing felt a little misplaced. Some were towards the end when in fact I thought it belonged in the beginning or some other place in the story.

Although with some flaws, this was a quick and captivating read. Just, if you are looking for a good mystery to settle down, this may not be for you. However, if you are looking for a good fiction read with an in depth look into family relationships, then this is the novel for you.

Overall rating: 3 out of 5 stars.

Note: I received this from the author and published for an honest review.

Get It At: Amazon | Book Depository