29 Seconds by T M Logan

Regular readers of the blog will know that I love T M Logan novels. I've read The Holiday, Lies, The Catch and now 29 seconds. This book is the second book that T M Logan wrote but each book is standalone and unrelated to the others so the order in which you read them doesn't really matter though a word of warning- don't read this one first. If I'd have read this one first I would have been significantly less likely to read any of the others. It pains me to say this but this is the one and only T. M Logan book that I've not enjoyed- so much so I almost gave up reading it!

T M Logan is the master of thriller writing and ordinarily his books are full of twists and turns that are exciting yet believable. In this particular novel Logan left plausibility at the door. It's hard to explain why the storyline isn't believable without giving away one of the earlier twists but I will say that certain characters are from a walk of life that doesn't seem realistic- almost mythical in nature. This contrasts sharply with the other T M Logan books as I've found all the character in previous novels, both villains and heroes to be likeable, believable and real with motivations that are clear and understandable. 

The main character in this novel is Sarah, she is having a difficult time in life. Recently separated from her husband Nick and trying to avoid being sexually assaulted by her boss - Sarah could do with a helping hand and it arrives in the form of the aforementioned unrealistic characters. 

The book has the typical T M Logan twist at the end, picking up the pace until a crescendo of an ending which is unpredictable, clever and well thought out. The ending and how things eventually resolve themselves was satisfying but the build up to that point was clumsy and unclear. I didn't feel the sense of mystery that I usually get from these books, I didn't feel like I was playing detective and working things out, I felt confused rather than curious. The reader is given pieces of information that don't really go anywhere, such as Nick- the estranged husband, his presence is irrelevant to the story. Possibly he's there as a red herring but the story didn't set him up that way. In previous T M Logan books I've understood the relevance of every character and considered their role in the mystery that is unfolding. Nick just didn't fit. Neither did the storyline involving Sarah's dad and his personal history- it seemed very far fetched and unrealistic.

This was a real tough book to get into and even after persevering and eventually getting a satisfying ending I can't recommend this book. It's just so out of keeping with the rest of T M Logan's novels. In his other stories I can envisage the story playing out in reality- this storyline is just too far fetched and has characters that seem ill thought out. Overall a clumsy book and I'm glad it wasn't the first one of Logan's that I read. 

Thanks For Reading 

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