Parman Reynolds

Two trials flip flopped in every other chapter took a bit of getting used to. Both defendants’ stories sharing some of the same characters confused me at times. Taking each story separately, where one murder defendant is convicted and his crime was truly accidental. The other alleged murderer is freed after helping to uncover the town’s corrupt officials and ultimately never learns who took his daughter’s life. I enjoyed the thrill of mystery and suspense and giving it to the bad guys in the end. Overall, it was okay.… (mais)

“All for Summer” follows two murder trials, separated by three years. Carl was accused of murdering his wife and the son of a local automobile dealer. The police and prosecuting attorney claimed he found them having sex and murdered them in a fit of rage. Three years later, Luther is on trial for murdering Mark Reinhardt, the Mayor’s son. Luther’s young daughter was abducted, raped, and killed earlier. Luther accused Mark of the crime and said he would deal with Mark himself when the police argued there was no evidence supporting Luther’s suspicion. Things look grim because the victim was shot with Luther’s pistol.

This intriguing premise, and the author’s skillful use of metaphors, are undercut by the structure adopted by the author. Luther’s situation parallels Carl’s, and the book alternates chapters focusing on the two trials and the events leading up to them. One result of the multi foci is the first one hundred pages are primarily devoted to introducing characters, many of whom seem like secondary characters. It is unclear who will become the protagonist nor what will eventually become the main story. More troublesome, the outcome of Carl’s trial is revealed in the prologue. That eliminated any sense of suspense, and I experienced the chapters focusing on Carl’s trial as annoying interruptions to get through before returning to Luther’s story.

I seriously considered discarding the book in the early going, but in the end, the story turned out to be interesting. The outcome was not in doubt, but the clever strategy employed was a surprise. In a last bit of disappointment, readers do not witness the conclusion of the trial. Instead, the story sets the scene for the final confrontation and then jumps to the aftermath of the trial. I deducted half a star for the slow beginning and disappointing ending, and I still wonder if my rating is too generous.… (mais)