DEAD TIME by Anne Cassidy

Dead Time

By: Anne Cassidy

Rating: C-
Release Date: 05/22/12
Synopsis from goodreads.com:
When Rose was twelve, her mother and stepfather went out for dinner and never came back. Now seventeen, she lives with her grandmother and goes to school in London. She’s always wondered about her stepbrother, Joshua, whom she only lived with briefly and who was also relocated after their parents’ disappearance. When Rose and Joshua meet again, they find they have much in common, including a desire to uncover the mystery surrounding their parents’ disappearance . . . and a mutual attraction to each other. But when Rose witnesses the murders of not one but two of her classmates, she must uncover who is behind these violent crimes. And when she and Joshua discover that a much larger conspiracy is underway, both of their lives will be in danger. From international bestseller Anne Cassidy, this first in a fastpaced and romantic new mystery series will keep readers guessing.


My thoughts on the book:
This book was another Mara Dyer for me. I read the whole thing, and at the end, I didn't feel like a single question had been answered. I know this is the start of a series, but when authors do this, it makes me not want to continue a series. The main plot didn't seem to advance at all. I felt like I ran in a giant circle for a few hours. Not fun. At least answer the major question posed by the book, you know? It's frustrating, and it turns readers off. It turned this reader off, anyway. Also, the use of British colloquial phrases threw me since I'm not British. It's best to keep the colloquialisms to a minimum when writing a novel if you plan on having an international audience. Furthermore, I really didn't like Rose. She just wasn't that bright, and that bothered me. It's hard for me to get into a book when I don't like the main character. 


There were things I liked about this book, however. First off, the characters were well-developed, even if some of them weren't likable *coughRosecough*. Furthermore, the mystery kept me intrigued even if the plot didn't really advance. It was a suspenseful read, and I couldn't put the book down until I finished. The pacing was pretty spot on, and the book didn't drag in many places. The idea is a bit unique and intriguing. I feel that this series has a lot of potential, and I *may* check out the next book from the library just to see what happens next, if I get over my bitterness about the inconclusive ending by then. Also, there were two sub-plots, and the author did an excellent job of keeping everything straight. But I don't feel like we advanced any with Josh and Rose's relationship, either. 


Basically, I feel that there is a lot of room for improvement in this book, but the series does have potential. As I stated, I may check the next installment out from the library first to see how I feel about it. Overall, I'd recommend this book to lovers of mystery. I'd also recommend checking it out from the library first to make sure this book is for you. If you don't mind really open-ended cliffhangers for endings, then you should like this book just fine. 


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