the third mrs durst

2.5 stars

A disappointing mystery/thriller from one of my favorite authors.

I LOVED the Razorland series, so when I saw another book written by Ann Aguirre I jumped at the chance to read it. Sadly, I just didn’t connect with this book. It hurts to write this review, because I really enjoy this author’s previous works, and I met her at Comic-Con one year and she was delightful. Despite the fact that I didn’t like this book, I will read anything she releases in the future.

The good news is that this is a quick and easy read, so you can read it in between heavier, more dense books. The bad news is that there was no character development and the plot was flat and uneven. Rather than a first person account of the main character’s tumultuous life, the story seemed more like a bare bones book report delivered in a monotone voice. Marketed as a mystery/thriller, there was little of either. There wasn’t any mystery about what would happen or why, and the “twists” could be seen early in the book.

Marlena escaped a dead-end life in a small southern town, determined to make a better life for herself. Through determination and wile, she talks herself into a modeling job with a small time, local agent. From there she moves up in the modeling world, eventually ending up on an international stage and catching the eye of a wealthy man, Mr. Durst. Marlena carefully lays her trap to catch Mr. Durst, until they finally marry. But being Mrs. Durst comes at a price, including being controlled by Mr. Durst in every aspect of her life. If she disobeys, she suffers the consequences. Marlena must decide if and how she escapes her gilded prison, including the possibility of death.

Overall, I wouldn’t recommend this book, but I can see how other people may like it.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.