Here’s the full review from Midwest Book Review for “License to Lie.” You can see the original on their site at www.midwestbookreview.com.
License to Lie
Terry Ambrose
Oak Tree Press
170 E. Palmer St., Taylorville, IL 62568
9781610090513, $15.95, www.amazon.com
This author says in his introduction: “License to Lie lets two characters who look at the world very differently tell the story of how a kidnapping and $5 million con forced them to wonder that would happen if you couldn’t trust a soul…even your own.”
This is exactly what the story does. The narrative alternates POVs, giving us that of criminal minded Roxy Tanner, who plans to make her getaway with the 5 mil, no matter that she may in the process hurt elderly investors and her own devoted parents, and of Skip Cosgrove, who’s falling in love with her and is determined to save her from her folly. The tension between these two characters, with their very different goals and outlook on life, provides an ongoing thread which weaves through the surface mystery of kidnappings and convoluted criminal activities. And through it all, the reader is never entirely sure if the truth is as Skip sees it, as Roxy sees it, or none of the above. Roxy seems somehow involved in the events, but is she enabling them or fighting them? The puzzle grows until the reader wants to shout at Skip, “Leave her to heaven!” You can’t help someone who doesn’t want to be helped…or can you? Be prepared to have second thoughts about everyone and everything in this intriguing story.
No matter, we just want to solve the mystery, and sort out the rights and wrongs of it later. The action is breathless and non-stop, making the book a page-turner and a must-read. The tension heightens as each POV character becomes involved in the plot until it’s life-threatening.
License to Lie is not a conventional murder mystery and it does not follow the usual formulas. Terry Ambrose is breaking new ground and proving that there are new directions for mysteries to take. Characters and situations are fresh, and there is a strong sense of place focusing on the coastal community of Carlsbad, California. This one is highly recommended.
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