Chelsea Humphrey's Reviews > Snap

4.5 STARS

Yes, yes, ALL OF THE YES. This book was exquisite! It's been a hot minute since I've read a book by Belinda Bauer, so clearly I had forgotten that she is a crime writing queen meant to rule all of the land. In a sea of novels claiming to provide "a twist so shocking you won't see it coming", she quietly places a superior story that doesn't rely on gimmicks or tag lines in front of us and patiently waits with neatly folded hands until we're through reading. Seriously, this book is such an excellent blend of the various sub-genres that make up crime fiction as a whole, which kept me turning the pages late into the night. It's been a 3 cups of coffee kind of morning, one of the few I welcome gladly.

The blurb gives you a good handle on what you need to know going in, but you could also do as I did and skip the blurb and just dive right in. Never has a character study of many working parts felt so much like a thrilling, plot driven experience in all my years of reading. Perhaps this one fell into my lap at just the right time, or maybe it really is that good, but either way I appreciated the complexity of the various threads that, although seem very disjointed and separate at first, slowly gather together to tie in a wicked good ending. Picture a cat tumbling its ball of yarn, but in reverse; in the beginning it feels as if we have individual strings that we come to realize have been from the same segment all along. It's a satisfying feeling for the reader, as I'm sure it is to the author who has created such a feat.

If you've enjoyed Bauer's previous novels, I can't imagine you not taking to this one as well. I found that Snap is best devoured when you're in a reading rut and can't stand to stomach another cliche, done-for-the-millionth-time novel, because this one is very straightforward, yet still highly entertaining. It does not claim to have an epic twist, but I still found myself gasping and guffawing at a few choice places that, due to the lack of tip off, caught me off guard. Highly recommended and I hope you enjoy Belinda's latest masterpiece as much as I did.

* Review copy received via NetGalley.