Susan Arnout Smith

THE TIMER GAME is decent popcorn entertainment. I didn't find much of the plotline particularly credible, but it does build suspense in the second half. The novel starts pretty slowly, and you have to read one hundred pages of setup before the plot really gets moving. Grace Descando is a likable enough protagonist, but I found much of the characterisation in this novel kind of flat. The writing is solid and clear, although not very stylistic. Overall, THE TIMER GAME is an entertaining enough diversion. If you like your books fast-paced and plot-driven, you might want to give this one a try.… (meer)

Out at Night by Susan Arnout Smith

This is the second book in the Grace Descanso series. Grace is a CSI technician which is not initially clear but becomes more so as the book progresses. The plot could be pulled out of national headlines. The detective work surrounds an agricultural conference focusing on gene altered food.

Frankenfood has moved into the common vernacular. Fear surrounding gene altered food and the possible environmental impact provides the motivation for the plot. The book is the second in a series and I feel a brief recap would have help ground the story. The book starts with a heinous crime and then jumps to a paranoid’s idyllic vacation. It is a good story but more initial background on what makes Grace tick would have been nice. The story sometimes is hard to follow but it is a solid mystery.

I recommend the book.… (meer)