Saturday 14 June 2014

Review: I Love you More by Jennifer Murphy


One man, three wives, the perfect murder. A scintillating novel of betrayal and conspiracy.

Picasso Lane is twelve years old when her father, Oliver, is murdered at their summer beach house. Her mother, Diana, is the primary suspect—until the police discover his second wife, and then his third. The women say they have never met—but Picasso knows otherwise. Picasso remembers the morning beautiful Jewels showed up at their house, carrying the same purse as her mother, and a family portrait featuring her father with two strange boys. Picasso remembers lifting the phone, listening to late night calls with Bert, a woman heavily pregnant with Oliver's fourth child. As the police circle and a detective named Kyle Kennedy becomes a regular fixture in their home, Picasso tries to make sense of her father's death, the depth of his deceit, and the secrets that bind these three women. Cunningly paced and plotted, I Love You More is a riveting novel of misplaced loyalty, jealousy, and revenge.



Hardcover, 304 pages
Expected publication: June 17th 2014 by Doubleday
Terri's Thoughts

I received an advanced readers copy of this book from the publisher Doubleday via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.  The expected publication date is June 17, 2014.

This story is a little different from the ones I normally read however I quite enjoyed it.  Filled with lies, betrayal, murder and secrets it had just enough to keep you interested.  Told from three perspectives Picasso's (the daughter), the wives and the detective in charge of the murder investigation it gave you multiple angles to look at the story.

I preferred the perspective of Picasso as it was interesting looking at this messed up story from the perspective of an eleven year old child.  Although young, her personality and intellect lent to a much older child.  I also liked that her story mixed everyday life in with the situation at hand.  The perspective from the detective held the least interest for me as I simply did not find him a compelling enough character.

I will admit to figuring out the twists and turns of the plot however I was still interested in seeing how it would unfold.  Also, the beginning and the end of the story held a lot more interest for me and at times throughout the middle I found my attention drifting and feeling like the book was longer than it actually was.

At the end of the day this was an entertaining read for those who like a good murder mystery with a couple of twists.  It was an enjoyable afternoon curled up with the book.

About the Author
JENNIFER MURPHY has studied writing with Joyce Maynard, Ann Hood, Ursula Hegi, Lynn Freed, Helena Maria Viramontes, Stacey d'Erasmo, Helen Schulman, Karen Shepard, Whitney Otto, and Ron Rash. She is a regular attendee of the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference as well as the Tin House conference. Jennifer holds a BFA, MA, and MFA in visual art and architecture and is the founder and president of Citi Arts, a public art and urban planning firm. She is currently pursuing her MFA in Creative Writing at the  University of Washington in Seattle, Washington.


 

1 comment:

  1. I've seen the cover of the book a few times and was always intrigued but the plot sounds like it may be just as intriguing. I'll definitely have to give this a try. Thanks for sharing!

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