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There are currently 32 member reviews
for Precious Thing
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Eileen L. (Danvers, MA)
Great concept but mediocre read
This book started out with great promise. The premise was so intriguing and initially I was hooked. The twists and turns within the story held a lot of promise and the writer had a wry sense of irony. As the story unfolded, however, the characters seemed to become diluted. I did not "get" or feel the relationship between Rachel and Jake and the dialogue became cliche. It also seemed that the series of events in the last of the book were just confusing rather than suspenseful or clarifying. It seemed to me that the storyline got lost in an effort to create big "Wow" moments. In a nutshell, it was a story of friendship and betrayal that lost character development and then lost direction all together. It is a shame really as it started out strong and I was expecting a great read.
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Betty T. (Warner Robins, GA)
Do You Really Know Someone?
"You can be so close to someone for a lifetime and not know who they really are."
This book is a long letter from Rachel to Clara, lifelong friends. On Rachel's first day in a new school she sits next to Clara thus starting this seeming innocent friendship. Each would do anything for the other. Now the girls are in their late 20s and things have changed. Clara and Rachel had an argument that got out of hand. Rachel, as a successful news editor, is sent to cover the story of a missing woman. The woman turns out to be Clara. Rachel was supposed to have met up with Clara the previous evening but Clara did not show. What has happened to Clara and why? There are secrets the two friends held from and about each other. Will those secrets destroy their friendship? Rachel must try to determine what happened to Clara -- murder? suicide? Or was she kidnapped, and why? Can you be a lifelong friend with someone - be soulmates - and really not know that person?
I gave this book only three stars in spite of a good storyline. It seemed a bit predictable in several places. Some of the story dragged along, and at times there was excessive descriptions. The book is written in first person and at times just did not really flow easily. However, the first person narrative did keep you only withing Rachel's head, thus not knowing what was happening in Clara's head.
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Teresa H. (Mechanicsville, VA)
Rather Twisted
If I had the option I would give this 2.5 stars. It is slightly more deserving than a 2 if for no other reason it held my interest to the end. This book is so full of twists and turns that I was never sure what was real or imagined and felt rather off-kilter until the end. I kept comparing it to The Other Typist as I was reading it except I found the characters in Precious Thing to be fairly contrived and unbelievable overall.
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Stephanie M. (Westerville, OH)
Crime Reporter Turned Novelist
Colette McBeth was a crime reporter for BBC TV. Her ability to describe a crime scene, the relationships between reporters and police, and a criminal thought pattern make her first novel, PRECIOUS THING, readable. If you like light thrillers or stories about highly dysfunctional relationships, give this novel a try.
While I appreciate McBeth's first effort and hope she'll continue writing, there are several reasons I would not generally recommend this book. The plot is predictable and instead of writing flashbacks into the story, the author makes use of datelines. The narrator, Rachel, starts out as a strong character but becomes whiney and unlikeable. The telling of the story is for the benefit of the antagonist, Clara, instead of the audience so Rachel spends pages telling about her friendship and love of Clara without really showing us much of their friendship.
The reader never gets a full view of Rachel's relationship with her mother although we are told enough about it to get the idea of the level of dysfunction. The full story of an incident that occurs in the past that has a strong impact on the plot is kept from the reader but we are told enough to understand that impact. The concept of this novel is solid but is left unfulfilled in the construction of the story.
