Killing Me Softly (Previously published as Live and Let Die)

I read a lot, but don't write many reviews. Had to on this book. We were told the main characters were black and the writer did not have to mention it again and again and again in each chapter. I felt the writer was trying to make it longer with all her detailed descriptions. It needed more details on the storyline and developing the characters instead of ad nauseum descriptions on weather, clothing, scenery, etc. Story had potential, BUT (and this is a BIG BUT) we did not need to know every petal on every flower, every leaf on every tree, every size 2 waist on the characters -- you get my drift. Found myself skimming and skimming and skimming, just to get to the end.

I COULD HAVE LOVED IT but the writer REALLY REALLY needs to stop with the NAME. I know the lead character is SONDRA...okay so why is everything Sondra looked in the mirror, Sondra could not sleep..SONDRA SONDRA SONDRA...if you look at a single page THE NAME IS 10 PLACES...it took away the flow of reading...like when a persons speaks of themselves - my name is Carl so when I would speak Carl does not like that type thing. Made it distracting where it should not have been.SECOND...I GET IT...YOU ARE A BLACK AUTHOR WITH BLACK CHARACTERS...BUT REALLY...I GOT THAT FROM THE BEGINNING THE CONTINUED REMINDER OF BLACK AND COFFEE COLORED AND MOCHA...JUST TOO MUCH OVER KILL..BUT...that said this was my first read of this author and the story line was UNIQUE...I totally was absorbed into the story because I have not read anything quite like this and it kept me guessing..WHICH I LOVED.SO FOR THE STORY LINE ALONE...READ THIS BOOK. the twists were great, nothing I can say I SAW COMING until the very end and then I kind of knew on the phone thing...but by then you are 90% into the book and so still a GOTCHA moment.I would probably read more of hers but hopefully down the line she can get away from labeling her character and write from the character...would make for way better reading.

Difficult one for me to review. What I liked about this book outweighs what I didn't like. A wonderfully complex story and plot. Very well done. Many sudden twists and turns that totally took me by surprise. What I didn't like were all technical in nature. The author overuses the person's name when she doesn't have to. It's annoying; i.e., Sondra did this...Sondra did that...and so on. When it is obvious to the reader who the person is, the repetition of the name becomes clumsy. SPOILER ALERT: I found the alleged lack of forensic investigation in the murder to be staggering and unbelievable. If Chicago police are that inept, if I plan to murder somebody, I'll do it in Chicago. The police are satisfied of the victim's identity on just the say so of her husband? What about the autopsy? What about blood type? What about fingerprints? It isn't believable that the alleged murder victim's family never asked to see the autopsy results. Some simple fixes to the story and I would love this book.

Overall, okay, and many points for making the protagonists people of color.There are a number of issues that an editor would have caught, such as paragraphs that begin from one point of view, switch midway to another, and then switch back. And there are whole chapters that either repeat earlier chapters or repeat earlier information from another character's point of view. The dramatic denouement was implausible, and the epilogue was not properly foreshadowed. The epilogue also felt rushed, as if the author had shot her wad with the denouement and just wanted to get the book over with.(As a side note, I got tired of most of the women being a perfect size four, a perfect size two, a perfect size zero, a grossly obese size six. The average woman in the US weighs 165 pounds.)

This has to be the best debut novel ever. I was hooked. It's been so long since a book has had me that enthralled. I burned my fish reading this book. When I had to use the restroom, I ran there and ran back as if I would miss something. This book had my head gone. If anyone likes a good mystery/thriller/suspense, then this is the book for you. I love that you learn relatively early on who the "murderer" is, but the plot continuously unfolds until the very last page. You can hardly trust any characer in the story. I loved it! Excellent. 5 stars!

This was a fast-paced hard hitting story from the start until it ended. Somehow I knew the outcomes would be on pace with what happened in the end, with a few exceptions thrown in.Tracy was a TV production admin., her new husband was a pharmacist. From the onset there was always something a little off centered for me about Phillip. He gave off an uncomfortable feeling. You can't quite pinpoint what it issue was.Tracy's sister Sonya had the same eerie feelings about him as well. No spoilers here, however, Phillip's persona will make you cringe. After 6 months into the marriage with Phillip;Tracy is murdered. And her sister had a difficult time trusting David's story. It was strange and hard to believe. Two years later when he remarried the mystery of Tracy's death piqued the interest of Sonya again. As a result, she set out to find the truth about what happened to Tracy. The plot twists are so well executed. So much so, that the little twist in the end was jaw dropping good. I highly recommend this novel. The mystery and suspense is super good. The story is well worth the read.. I promise.

Sondra's sister (Tracy) went jogging one night and never returned. Her body was found a week later a mugging gone bad. A year or so later Sondra still has her sister on her mind. Things just don't seem right. She decides to do some digging of her own. Soon she begins to discover the truth and her life may be in danger.The plot is very good, fast paced with a lot of twists, turns and surprises. Sondra is very likable, she is an independent and determined woman. Just when I thought I had it figured out, a new twist occurred that had me thinking "I didn't see this coming". Overall I really enjoyed Killing Me Softly and highly recommend to those who love a great psychological-thriller/suspense.