The Red Thread by Roderick Townley

Dana has terrible nightmares. Dark dreams of tombs, betrayal, and a sneering man. Her only release from a constant terror of sleep is photographing everything in sight, even if her artistic talent isn't registered on every elitist's scale (*cough* cruel school girl *cough*). And the night is only one of her problems. She also has to deal with a paralyzed brother, a confusing relationship, and a psychotherapist who might need professional help of his own. But then sleep begins to leak into day and visions pursue her from the streets of Portsmouth, New Hampshire to the cobbles of London. People she once knew. Happenings she once was present for. And a murder she might have committed.

I am very sad for this book. The plot and characters had so much potential, but fell short of my expectations. But suspenseful moments peppering the storyline were enough to keep me from putting this novel down. Also there were nagging questions, some of which continued unsolved even after the last page turned. But the protagonist is difficult to like and important plot points are skimmed over with juvenile writing style and inconsistencies. Chase and Dana appear to be friends in the beginning and suddenly they are kissing. Crippled Ben goes from mature and intelligent to not understanding anything in the least. Another great flaw was found in the detail of place. The cities of Portsmouth and London are described by streets and landmarks that make no sense to the casual reader who has not visited the places or seen a map of them (myself included).

Ultimately, I would not recommend this novel unless there was truly nothing of value to read in the general vicinity. 3 out of 7 lightnings for the book that tried and failed on most levels.

Reading Up on Calvinism,
Aella Siofra