Reviews
Unexpectedly Great!!
I love a good mystery as much as the next person. The only problem is that is it exceedingly difficult to find one. I mean, when you have figured it out within the first five chapters, the book quickly becomes irrelevant. No matter how well the characters are developed or how engagingly the book is written.
Luckily, "Face of Betrayal" was a good mystery. One that actually kept me guessing from the first page to the last. Because the characters begin to draw you in from the very beginning, where you are introduced to Allison Pierce. She is a no-nonsense prosecuting attorney who soon finds herself deeply entrenched in the mysterious disappearance of a 17-year old Senate page, Katie. With the help of her friends Cassidy (an up and coming television reporter) and Nicole (an FBI agent), Allison attempts to unravel the twisted threads of Katies life and bring her abductor to light. Over the course of the investigation, it is discovered that Katie may have been carrying on an adulterous affair with a U.S. Senator, which suddenly transforms a missing person case into the story of the year. (In fact, the entire story feels vaguely familiar. It's as if Lis Wiehl took the most sensational parts of the biggest news stories of the last year or so and combined them into one.)
I am not going to say anything that could be a spoiler, but the entire plot of the story is fantastic. Everything flows, the characters are very well developed, and all of the sub-plots are very relevant and come together in the end. (There's nothing worse than a story full of pointless filler plots and red herrings.) And you will find yourself surprised at the twist at the end when the whodunit is exposed.
Honestly, I didn't have the highest of expectations for "Face of Betrayal." I mean, Wiehl is a legal analyst for FOX NEWS. I was actually a little bit afraid (tic). But I changed my tune before I finished chapter one, and I would recommend this book to anyone. Easily 4 ½ out of 5 stars. And this is only book one of the Triple Threat Series. I will now be anxiously awaiting the release of book two, "Hand of Fate" in April of 2010.
Good but not Great
I was really looking forward to reading this book on a long international flight. It promised to be fast paced and thrilling and that's what it turned out to be. Face of Betrayal is quite a gripping book and after reading a few pages and having identified with the characters, I wanted to keep reading till the end. The story is about a 17 year old girl, Katie, who on a Christmas break at home goes missing.
The story continues with three women, a reporter, a Federal Prosecutor and a FBI special agent, who keep adding pieces to the puzzle revolving Katie's sudden disappearance. An investigation that starts with theories of kidnapping or running away quickly turns into a murder investigation when Katie's blog reveals her relationship with a Senator. Storyline is pretty fast paced and keeps one glued for more.
What I did not like about the book was intermittent short story lines that never added to the whole plot. I believe these were attempts by Author to establish the character of the three protagonists. Although for me, these were not required as they never made any sense when seen with the bigger picture of Katie's story. As a reader, I did not care too much about the personalities of the protagonists who were not as impressive as the storyline itself. And they were tied to a proper end in themselves.
Also, this book kept me going with a curiosity to know what finally happened to Katie, but in the end I was a bit disappointed with the way the story folded. Author calls it a `Shocking and satisfying twist' but I was seriously unimpressed.
There are too many subjects that Author has tried to deal with in this book - ranging from child molestation, teen sex, and domestic abuse. Sometimes I was confused as to what the book actually was about.
All in all, I was quite satisfied with the book. It could have been better but I don't regret it at all. I will not call it a must read, but it's a good read.
terrific political thriller
In Portland, Oregon seventeen year old US Senate page Katie Converse goes home during the Christmas recess. However, when her family reports her missing, the media goes into a feeding frenzy searching for any nuance as Katie is the All American paragon; the press seeks clues to her whereabouts while assuming the worst occurred and intrudes on the law enforcement search for her.
Federal prosecutor Allison Pierce, crime reporter Cassidy Shaw, and FBI Special Agent Nicole Hedges uncover incriminating information that Katie is not the role model her parents and others describe. In fact the teen page was having an affair with a much older senator whose political career would be nuked if the truth came out. He will do anything including obstructing justice to conceal his involvement with Katie.
Mindful of Congressman Gary Condit and the murder of Federal Bureau of Prisons intern Chandra Levy scandal that fell off the media scope with 9/11; FACE OF BETRAYAL is a terrific political thriller with a homicide investigation as its underpinning. The story line is fast-paced but loaded with plausible twists that add taut suspense to the inquiry. Lis Wiehl and April Henry provide a superb tale that hooks the reader from the start and never slows down until the final convergence.
Harriet Klausner
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