Mark McGinn’s Home Truths
Description
The aftermath of a cop being arrested and then jumping bail, makes a year of aftershocks from a devastating earthquake seem easy.
Detective Sargent Jonah Solomon already navigates icy waters at his station, having to re-apprehend a former cop is not going to make things easier. When a credible tip comes in on the ex-cop’s plans to leave the city, Solomon is obligated to respond and make the arrest. The tip leads to more than just the ex-cop, opening questions on all sorts of things – from trusted co-workers, to national companies, and even to Solomon’s own past.
Everyone has their secrets, but some home truths are trickier than others.
Disclosure
I received this book/ ARC for free from Story Grid Publishing with the agreement that, in exchange, I would post a review. This does not affect my opinion of the book, or the content of my review; the following review is unbiased, and all opinions are my own.
Note: this review is based on my reading of an Advance Reader Copy (ARC), therefore some content of the book may change between my reading it and its publication. Any quotes taken from an ARC may not match publication.
Review – Spoiler Free
I don’t usually read crime stories, or detective novels, so when Story Grid Publishing offered an ARC to their email subscribers, I was interested to check this out. I follow Story Grid pretty closely, have read one of their published books so far (read my review of The Sand Sea here), and was curious to see how the Story Grid method played out with this book. I had some mixed opinions by the end.
I really enjoyed the second half of the book, the pace seemed to pick up a bit and the story really started to show its spiderweb of story lines. I like when a book has different lines woven in ways you didn’t expect, but can also pick up faint hints of, and so aren’t completely destroyed by their reveal. In that fun story weave, Home Truths definitely delivered.
It was also interesting to read the character descriptions as Solomon would explain them. Looking at them through a detective’s eyes told a lot about the characters he interacted with, in an interesting way that I don’t usually read.
I did have a hard time getting through some parts in this book though. I have no brain for names and numbers, and so had to flip back and forth to make sure I was thinking along the right timeline, or of the right character. There were local understandings, and career expressions that were lost on me, making me feel like there were some layers to the story that I missed. Also, the book’s description hinted that racism played into the story but it was heavier than expected, and I felt a little like it, along with other social/ political conflict, was added in to make readers sympathetic to Solomon.
Along those lines, there were a few scenes that I felt were just there to check off boxes in the Story Grid method, which definitely pulled me out of the story and probably contributed to my indifference to Solomon’s character. I had a hard time rooting for him in the beginning of the book, not because he’s portrayed negatively, but because it took me a while to feel for him and want to see him win, rather than just follow him for the story. I can’t remember an exact scene where this turned and I did start to root for him, but it was somewhere in the second half where we’re shown more of his history and who he is, rather than just what he does.
Overall, this was a pretty good read. I want to rate this book higher because of the fun ending (I read much of the second half in one sitting), but I also can’t deny the rough beginning that squashed it a bit for me. It’s a great story, you just gotta read past a few road bumps.
Quote
Despite being on the phone, Mick Coman calls me in. He’s eating a salad, a dietary change he makes a month before his medical rolls around. His struggle with weight and the police physical exam is legendary throughout the station, perhaps beyond.
Home Truths, Mark McGinn
Ratings
- Quality of Writing – 3
- Plot – 4
- World Building – 3
- Characters – 3
- Ease of Reading – 3
- Overall Enjoyment – 3
- Final Rating – 3 (Actual: 3.2) – Liked It
Want to learn more about the numbers I use for rating, and the qualities I’m thinking about when writing a book review? Check out my post How I Rate and Review.