Write your own review!
Angela
(08/11/08)
Well Done
I really enjoyed this book. Once I started reading, I did not want to put it down. It's part drama, suspense, a bit of action, and quite entertaining. It comes with a flawed, yet independent leading lady, a tortured and devoted cop and all the characters are layered so that your first impression may not be your last. This book would certainly appeal to anyone interested in crime stories, female leads or an easy read. A bit reminiscent of The Lovely Bones.
Nancy
(08/11/08)
Tethered
While Mackinnon's book may be called a mystery , the real story here is Clara Marsh, the main character. She's flawed and damaged, making her that much more real, so that the reader takes to her right away. Mackinnon does such a beautiful job with Clara's character that the reader can identify with her at every juncture. The other characters are also very well drawn and the prose just sings. The tone is dark and gloomy most of the time, adding to the suspense which keeps the reader turning pages.
Tethered would be a good book for a book group, and I'd also recommend it for people who read mystery novels or who just want something new and different. Overall -- good book.
Josephine
(08/11/08)
An intriguing first book
I can't remember reading a mystery where the protagonist was an undertaker, but who better to be involved in murder, and Clara makes a very interesting character. The book is quite dark, and some of the scenes might put off a squeamish reader. With that caveat, I would recommend it for someone looking for a mystery a bit outside the ordinary.
Gail
(08/11/08)
Tethered
I really enjoyed this book by Amy Mackinnnon, it was exciting, thought provoking, sad, happy and a good page turner. It held my interest until the end.
However, I did not like the ending, unless there will be a Tethered II.
I look forward to Mackinnon's next book
Terrie
(08/11/08)
Quick Read
Parts were interesting - the meaning of different flowers. Kept my interest until 3/4 of way through. Would not recommend it to book clubs, but if you want a quick read that has some twists and turns, go ahead.
Shirley
(08/11/08)
Hauntingly Beautiful Murder Mystery
Tethered is a haunting, beautifully written murder mystery Clara, our undertaker narrator, never flinches in her descriptions of death and the agony of life lived unloved. She leads the reader straight down the razor sharp line between life and death. A great book club selection, with lots of opinions and viewpoints to discuss.
Carol
(08/11/08)
A novel of murder and self-discovery
Tethered is both a murder mystery and at the same time the personal self discovery and awareness of the narrator. The story is both sad and haunting as I discovered and grew to understand Clara who was the narrator and an undertaker. The detail the author provides on the embalming process in contrast to the human touch Clara provides in her care of the deceased was both at times macabre and so very touching. The author kept you wanting to learn more about Clara and her relationship with her Grandmother, Trecie, the missing child, Mike the detective involved in the case and Linus who owned the funeral home.
The author does a wonderful job drawing you into the main characters lives through flashbacks and memories. I found the story unique as told from the perspective of a female mortician, and sad due to the child abuse content. I also watched Clara as she struggled with her inability to pull herself from her world working alongside the dead to the world among the living.
I would recommend this book to a book club as the narrator is an interesting study in addition to the author's choice of Clara as the narrator.
I gave a 4 rating as there were some aspects of the story which were predictable but I found this a good read with aspects to details which you could almost see, smell, and hear. This book would appeal to teens and adults. It is an easy read and I found I wanted to keep picking it up to see how the story unfolded.
Margo
(08/11/08)
Tethered
Though somewhat morbid, this mystery holds the attention of the reader very well. I found the book engaging despite its subject matter (child abuse and child pornography).
I would not suggest this as a title for the book club that I moderate as I am afraid that most of the women would find some aspects too gory and they would not welcome another book on this subject matter.
I think Amy does a great job making her point that we never really know anyone and no one is ever above suspicion in cases of this type. She weaves a love story through lines of anguish though at some times it is difficult to figure out what is really taking place as opposed to what the main character, Clara, is imagining. Overall, though, a really good summer read.