A.R. O'Brien

Truth Hurts is a good read. The main characters, Sylvia Dunlap, an Assistant DA in North Carolina and Duncan Jamison, a rancher in Idaho grew up together in Idaho. After Sylvie’s sister died she left to go to college. Now she’s back in Idaho 8 years later to put out a memorial for her sister. Sylvia was a hard character for me to like at first, very argumentative. Someone tries to kill her, so with the help of Duncan they set out to find who is doing this. They find they need to look back into early deaths in the area, including her sister and his mother. This was a good mystery, didn’t figure out who the murdered was. Enjoyed reading this book.… (mais)

When I first opened this book, I had my doubts. And they lasted for a chapter or two. But THEN….I was caught up in this story of love, murders and redemption. It seems that a young girl saw something she shouldn’t have and has violent headache whenever the thought of it comes up.

She goes home to leave memorial on the mountain where her sister was killed and reconnects with her two best friends from high school who never left the area and one of whom never stopped caring for her. A series of murders (her father included) set them off on a hunt for the killer and puts her in line to be his next victim.

The book runs from romantic to violence to two people trying to find their way in an increasingly overwhelming life story. When the murderer is found, it destroys all the hope of one and increases the determination of the other. All in all, we find that Truth does indeed Hurt.… (mais)

Thanks to The Library Thing and the author, A. R. O'Brien for this copy of Truth Hurts. The opinions expressed are all my own.

Sylvie Dunlap has returned home to place a monument at the top of the mountain where her sister died. Her old flame, Duncan Jamison offers his help, but soon after being chased down the mountain by a storm, Sylvie is shot. Now the race is on to figure out who might be targeting Sylvie, either someone through her job as a DA that has held a grudge or one of the many men she has slept with and discarded.

I found the protagonists in Truth Hurts to be very unlikable. Neither of them shows much emotion over tragic events that occur in the story. Also, Sylvie is a serial dater and Duncan has secrets that come out of nowhere and have little to do with the main plot. Many of the things that occur in the story seem implausible, and the book itself needs lots of physical clean up in spacing and editing. Dialogue that doesn't move the story along and lots of telling vs. showing make this a tough read. While the premise had potential, overall, Truth Hurts lacks entertainment value.… (mais)