FAR FROM TRUE (2016)

Far From True by Linwood Barclay
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Unexpected twists and interesting characters populate Linwood Barclay thrillers. This is the second entry in a trilogy set in Promise Falls.

THE STORY: Once again Linwood Barclay delivers an unexpected and ultimately shocking opening. A group of teens are planning to attend a final showing at the local drive-in theater, smuggling in beer and one of their friends in the car trunk. They are in line when there is an explosion, the screen collapses, and people are killed. The reader is hooked! From there the author begins feeding out various story lines. The daughter of one of the victims asks Cal Weaver, a private investigator, to help solve a break-in at her father's house where he finds a hidden room. Meanwhile Detective Barry Duckworth is trying to solve two murders, one three years old, that he suspects are linked. And lurking in the background is the ominous Mr. 23.

WHAT I THOUGHT: Although Barclay is a master at plotting and making threads weave together, this entry in the series introduces so many characters that it takes some serious work to keep everything straight. Some reviewers thought the story could stand alone, but I disagree. Not only are there cliff hangers from Broken Promise, the first title in the series, there are reoccurring characters from many of Barclay's earlier books. For me, part of the fun was running into them and recalling their back stories.

FIRST SENTENCE: "They ain't seen nothin' yet."

BOTTOM LINE: Don't read this one as a stand alone. At the very least, read Broken Promise first so you're ready for the conclusion due out in November of 2016. Personally I would suggest reading one of his stand alone thrillers. Two I enjoyed were Trust Your Eyes and Never Look Away. Linwood Barclay is a good writer with compelling stories. Highly recommended.

DISCLAIMER: Invited by NetGalley to request and receive this title for an honest review.

Title: Far From True

Author: Linwood Barclay

Genre: Thriller, Mystery

Publisher: NAL

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

No. of Pages: 480 pages

Copyright: March 22, 2016

ISBN-10: 0451472705

ISBN-13: 978-0451472700

Linwood Barclay is the New York Times and #1 international bestselling author of fourteen critically acclaimed novels, including Broken Promise, No Safe House, A Tap on the Window, Trust Your Eyes, which has been optioned for film, Never Look Away, which has been optioned for television, and No Time for Goodbye.  (from Amazon)