A Twist of the Lens

Everyone has a past—some darker than others.

Take Charlie’s, for example. Even after all these years, there’s no escaping the dark recollections that lay like landmines in the subconscious mind, triggered without warning by the most innocuous events. Always the black sheep of the family, Charlie struggles to find self-worth despite considerable personal achievement, and when older brother, Tommy, asks an unexpected favor, Charlie can’t help but wonder wherein lies the trap. Tommy always has opinions on Charlie’s life choices and rarely hesitates from expressing them.

Still, it’s strangely satisfying to be deemed responsible enough to be asked to care for Tommy’s pre-teen daughter, Alex, when he and his wife, Lindsey’s European summer vacation plans are jeopardized by Alex’s absolute refusal to go to summer camp as planned. She’s had a falling out with her bestie and swears she’ll bolt at the first opportunity if she’s forced to go. It’s an opportunity to spend some quality time with the niece, and since Charlie’s own lady love, Becca, is already committed to staying with her own family for a spell to assist in caring for her ailing father, it’s practically a no-brainer. After all, it isn’t like Charlie can tag along with her. Becca’s family doesn’t approve of their relationship, and it would just be additional strain on an already stressful situation. Tommy would consider it a great personal favor if Charlie might somehow gain some insight into whatever the heck is going on with Alex. She’s certainly not opening up to her parents, whom she has now taken to calling by their first names simply because it irritates them. As added incentive, it gives Charlie an excuse for a cross-country excursion to Colorado on a newly restored motorcycle that is both a gift and an albatross that tethers Charlie to a past largely informed by its former owner and Charlie’s childhood mentor, Bill.

It feels like an opportunity for a little redemption—almost like fate.

From the opening pages, Devecchi grabs readers by the short hairs, pulling them into the plight of her main character’s daily life with careful deliberation. You get a real sense of the players through their exchanges with one another as carrots are dangled and parallels are drawn between Charlie’s questionable past and Alex’s currently unfolding drama, and it keeps the pages steadily flipping until Tommy and Lindsey finally board their European flight, and Charlie and Alex are left to their own devices.

That’s when things REALLY take off.  

Skillfully executed with revelations dispensed with deliberation, this was an incredibly engrossing read from start to finish. As we get to know more about Charlie’s past, we are reminded that we all have things we’re not so proud of lurking in the background, and vanquishing those demons is far easier said than done.

I hate to say anything even remotely spoilery, but I guessed a final-act revelation very early on, but that is through no fault of the author. There was just something about it that niggled at me despite the author’s deft ability at obfuscation, and I felt a rush of vindication once it was finally confirmed, and any book that makes me feel smarter is an automatic thumbs up for me! 😄 My feeling was a little short-lived; I hadn’t read the book’s Amazon description before diving right in, and I was shocked to see that this particular twist is spoiled right in its own description—and I would fix that ASAP. It’s really rather jaw-dropping if you don’t see it coming.

Perhaps an even bigger surprise is how few ratings/reviews this book has received. It deserves a much wider audience. I was randomly assigned this book as part of an “Adopt-an-Author” FB event, and WOW, what a find! Devecchi’s capable storytelling absolutely shines, and I look forward to reading her other work soon.

Highly recommended.

I don't know that I would call this a horror so much as a slow burn thriller. It's a solid story though with good characters and an enjoyable setting and plot. Reccomended for people who like thoughtful thrillers over gory or super fast paced ones.