The Necklace by Matt Witten

Susan Lentigo is setting out on a journey from the Adirondacks to North Dakota to witness the execution of the man who raped and murdered Amy, her young daughter, twenty years ago.

Susan and Amy made a necklace with colorful beads just days before the murder. Amy loved the necklace and wore it constantly, vowing to never take it off. The convicted murderer, a man Susan calls The Monster, had confessed to the crime. While there was an admission of guilt Amy's necklace was never found.

Susan’s trip starts badly. She abandons plans of driving her old car and must take a bus. She meets some friendly people, others not so. Money is lost, hope nearly is. Susan is focused on one goal, and that is to get to North Dakota in time for the execution.

With little else to do on her bus ride, Susan thinks about the days surrounding the murder. Conversations with police and FBI investigators, neighbors, family, and friends are revisited. The missing necklace is always on her mind.

Despite herself, Susan begins to wonder if The Monster is truly responsible for Amy’s murder. The closer she gets to North Dakota and the execution, the more doubt she has.

I enjoyed the book, and the latter half was simply unputdownable. Several times I felt as if I were watching a slow-motion crash. I couldn’t look away, even though the suspense in a couple spots was palpable.

3.5 stars - As a parent, this book was very hard to read. My heart shattered for Susan (the main character)!! The cover is absolutely brilliant, and fits the book perfectly. I think the only thing that could be improved upon would be an explanation on how Susan forgave her mother's voicemail.

The whole 'travelling to the execution' was stressful!! (Why didn't Susan have an emergency credit card or something?)

All in all, a good read, I think the book was the perfect length! ( )

I love that the story alternates between the present and the past. It keeps you engaged throughout the story as you learn tidbits from each timeline to help you piece together what happened. I liked the cover before I read this book and I absolutely love it now that I have finished the book. The cover becomes much more sinister once you know the whole story. I thought the a-ha moment that Susan had was written really well. You can see Susan making the connections and putting the pieces together. Looking forward to reading more of Matt's books in the future. ( )

Loved, Loved, Loved this book! I didn't read the blurb or any reviews about it prior to starting it so I had no idea what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised at the depth of this super natural world. I LOVE the authors depiction of all the different creatures so to speak, especially her vampires. Just how I would imagine vampires to be in they were real. The storyline was well layout and gave the right amount of suspense for me. My only complaint is that Diana was a little too accomplished education/career wise for it to be believable for me I guess, but it could be wound that that some of it came from subconscious witchcraft within her. Not holding it against the overall book, just stood out while reading. Can't wait to read the next in the series. ( )

This book had a slow build, but once it took off, I did not want to put it down—intense, suspenseful, heart-pounding. I was holding my breath at times.

Susan Lentigo’s seven-year-old daughter Amy was raped and murdered twenty years ago., and now she is on her way from upstate New York to North Dakota to witness the convicted killer’s execution. Her road trip does not go smoothly., as along the way, her car breaks down and her money is stolen. I thought the road trip portion of the book was really interesting as it revealed what a courageous, determined woman Susan was. I was emotionally invested in this character.

While on this journey, Susan discovers something that makes her seriously doubt the guilt of the convicted man. And if her hunch is right, another little girl may be in danger. But the clock is ticking. The execution is only hours away. And this would mean that the real killer is free. Limited in funds and time, can she stop the execution?

There are amazing secondary characters that help Susan in her quest – a sarcastic teenager and the retired FBI agent that worked the initial case.

The book goes inside the prison, inside the death chamber. The final words of the convicted killer (who has always maintained that he is innocent) and the emotions of his sister are heartfelt. What could have been very dark is expressed in a realistic manner.

The ending of the book is shocking and satisfying. Overall, an extremely well-written book. I highly recommend it.

Thank you to Oceanview Publishing for the review copy. All opinions expressed here are my own. ( )