Deadly Ties

by Maggie Thom

[Nadz@Totally Addicted to Reading]

Deadly Ties by Maggie Thom is one of those books that will engage you from start to finish and have you clamouring for more even after it has ended. What initially grabbed my attention was this line

‘She went to jail for the right reason, but the wrong murder’.

I knew from that moment I had to read this book. This is my first experience with this author so I knew nothing about her style of writing. However, based on that single line I was expecting this to be an engaging read, and I was not disappointed.

There are times you may read a book and wonder how the title fits in with the story. Well, ‘Deadly Ties’ left no room for questions. I thought the title was perfect for the story. I honestly don’t believe the ties in this story could get any deadlier. This is a story of a family fighting against each other in their bid for power, and the lengths they would go through to achieve it. There were enough secrets, backstabbing, scheming and blackmail to make your head spin. The secrets will have you guessing at every page turn. I believe I have said this earlier, but I will reiterate it. I believe the hallmark of a good mystery is one that keeps you guessing until the end. ‘Deadly Ties’ did just that. I was aware of who the players were, but what I was not sure of, was the role each played in this deadly game.

The story started out fine, but then it slowed down significantly. This was probably due to the fact, that the author went into a lot of details about the town and the 30-year history of secrets and lies. It was not until about 75% of the story that the pace picked up. From that moment I was literally on the edge of my seat. When the truths were revealed I was dumbfounded.

There were a few points in the story where I was a bit confused. There was a point when there was a mix up in the characters, and I was not sure who was being referred to. There were also instances where sentences did not flow due to either an omission of a word or words being placed where they should not be. I found this to be rather distracting. There were times I had to re-read a particular paragraph as a result.

I found the characters to be complex. Even though they are fictional characters, they had a realistic feel to them. This made it easy for me to understand their actions. There were some who were twisted, some who were smart and feisty, and some who were pathetic. They evoked a variety of emotions within me. There were moments of laughter, anger, and exasperation.

This story was a perfect demonstration how the love of power and money can lead to one’s destruction. If you love suspense/mysteries, then you will enjoy this title. Overall, it was a good read and I would definitely recommend it.