Member Reviews
I enjoyed this book but I feel like I have read it before not literally of course just that it was similar to other books I have read. I did like the characters but just felt that some of the twists and turns were missing. Maybe it is just me!
Description
A high-profile murder becomes a life-and-death story for this reporter.
Disgraced crime reporter Aloa Snow is scrambling to get her life back on track by doing what she does best: investigating hard-to-solve cases. But the latest one is personal. The son of her friend Tick—aging anarchist, confidant, and unofficial colleague—has been accused of a high-profile murder. The victim is Corrine Daniels, ex-prosecutor and wife of a heroic but now-paralyzed FBI interrogator. Corrine had enemies, but she also had a secret lover in Tick’s son, who, without an alibi, is now directly in the cops’ crosshairs.
Luckily, Aloa’s got a lock on others who may have had a reason for murder—reasons that plunge her into a world of vigilante justice and a horrific, decades-old crime. It’s only when Aloa’s investigation turns threatening that she realizes she’s closing in on the killer faster than she imagined.
My Review
The Thin Edge is a fantastic detective novel that is brilliantly written. The characters are well written and the story-line keeps you interested until the very end.
I received this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. It's the kind of book you definitely want to read. Definitely recommend for anyone who enjoys a truly great detective story.
If your favoured reading material is a novel with a good sprinkling of mystery, infidelity, suspense and danger then feel at liberty to read The Thin Edge by Peggy Townsend.
This is the second mystery in the Aloa Snow series and it's a tremendous read brimming with thrills. Each book can be read as a standalone, as pertinent information is given to bring new readers up to speed and the bulk of the plot is contained to this novel.
The writing really flowed in this wonderfully crafted tale and I loved the author's readable and engaging style. Aloa and her quirky friends were terrific characters and the author really took me into the story, giving the characters enough weight and credibility that they really came to life. There was plenty of humour among her friends, known as the Brain Farm and I delighted in how they all interacted with each other. The story premise was a great: suspense that starts at the very first page, lasting to an exhilarating conclusion.
Overall, I'd say that this novel is a little gem and a book that I'm so pleased to have read.
I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from Thomas and Mercer via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
I LOVE Aloa Snow! After reading the first 2 books in this series, I am absolutely devoted to her and cannot wait for more!
Thank you Thomas & Mercer for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. I truly enjoyed reading this book, and read it right on the heels of "See her Run", the first in the series. I find Aloa to be very likeable, and the suspense level is perfect. There were lots of different things going on in this one, but I found that they came together very well in the end. As for the romance angles - I cannot wait to see who (if anyone) she ends up with. Loved it!
Well written and interesting story with a good plot.
But not my favorite book this year. I didn't really feel a connection with the characters and didn't really get into the story. Not a real page turner for me.
ARC received through NetGalley
Received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
To be honest I found this one hard to get into. I had trouble staying focused on it cause I found it somewhat boring. I had a feeling who the killer was from almost the beginning and I was right. I do feel like I’ve read this kind of story before and I’m missing a few twists and turns that haven’t been used before.
A well written mystery with excellent characters and a clear timeline. There is too much talk about the weather, but the story is flowing nicely and it's a very good read.
The Thin Edge is the second mystery in the Aloa Snow series, and it's a cracking read bristling with thrills and spills. Each book can easily be read as a standalone as pertinent information is given to get new readers up to speed and the bulk of the plot is contained to this novel. The tension builds from the first couple of pages and near the end, it is ratcheted up leading into an exhilarating conclusion. Although I predicted some of the twists in the tale there were some that caught me off guard and because this is written in such a readable and engaging style this didn't affect my enjoyment too much.
Aloa is a strong, fierce female lead who appears to have most of the issues that are stereotypical for protagonists in crime fiction. She's made a lot of mistakes in her life one of which led to her almost destroying her career as an investigative crime reporter. As faith and trust in her slowly returns, Aloa is desperate to keep up appearances and prove herself as she knows there are some who still doubt she can be trusted. This makes her a particularly dogged investigator who will stop at nothing to gain redemption, raise her status and get justice for victims. All in all, a pretty gripping mystery. Many thanks to Thomas & Mercer for an ARC.
Aloa Snow is an investigative reporter who made one mistake which sandbagged her career. Once highly respected, she's now blackballed and in debt. She's also a recovered anorexic, but she still plays the garbage in, garbage out game, although she makes sure to eat more times than not.
Since her last big story, she's reclaimed some of the respect she had lost. She's called on again to look into a case of murder ... but this time it is personal. The son of a close friend has been accused of murder.
The victim is Corinne Daniels, the wide of a now-paralyzed FBI Agent. She had been having an affair with a teacher who is the son of Aloa's friend. Evidently she wanted to end the affair .... a reason for murder? The victim was also an ex-prosecutor, so maybe someone in her past wanted her dead. And there's also Kyle, the young man hired to take care of her disabled husband. The wife didn't like him and wanted him fired? Cause for murder?
It’s only when Aloa’s investigation turns threatening that she realizes she’s closing in on the killer faster than she imagined.
This is a follow-up to SEE HER RUN, and is easily read as a stand alone. There is just a smidgen of a cliff hanger that leads me to happily think there is another book in the near future.
Aloa and her quirky friends, as well as the detective who doesn't know whether she can be trusted, are terrific characters. There's' humor among her friends known as the Brain Farm. I love how they all interact with each other. The story premise is a good one ... suspense that starts with the very first page lasting to the surprising ending.
Many thanks to the author / Thomas & Mercer / Netgalley for the digital copy of THE THIN EDGE. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
This is my first novel by this author.
I had some difficulties to engage in the story, especially at the beginning.
The characters did not change a lot along the book and remained with the same tonality; they seemed gloomy and dull from the beginning to the end of the book.
Determined crime reporter Aloa Snow is investigating a hard-to-solve murder whose the son of her friend has been accused. The victim is Corrine Daniels, ex-prosecutor and wife of a heroic but now-paralyzed FBI interrogator. The investigation of this main case led Aloa Snow to consider a succession of other crimes that are perpetrated by a serial killer, member of a scary and heretic sect.
What was not easy to perceive and understood was how she has been involved in that second situation and what was the link between these two separate events. We also guess early in the book the end of the story.
My rating is actually 2,5*.
I received this from Netgalley.com for a review.
Second book in the series, Aloa Snow is getting beyond her disgraceful past and get her life back on track by doing what she does best: investigating hard-to-solve cases along with her team of trusty sidekicks.
Nice continuation of Aloa and company. Pleasant read.
3☆
Fans of twisty murder mysteries will enjoy this one. Aloa is a feisty crusading crime reporter with a diverse and entertaining group of pals in San Francisco. She finds herself looking into a murder at the request of one of her good friends and, as these things go, finds theres much more to the story- the dead woman had more than a few people who, to put it politely, did not like her. This is classic territory but Townsend has done a specially good job with her characters (including the city). Thanks to negtalley for the ARC. A good fast read.
I enjoyed this book, a spunky heroine, a cast of intriguing characters, a location I am familiar with and a mystery to be solved
The Thin Edge is by a new-to-me author Peggy Townsend and it held me riveted to my seat from beginning to end! What a surprise and a treat!
Aloe Snow is a fallen from grace crime reporter in Bay area who is attempting to pick up the pieces and begin writing again as an independent reporter. She has acquired a rather interesting group of friends, a gay couple who own a bar and a trio of former (?) anarchists who gather around to discuss their glory days and guide young minds toward higher intellectual thinking. When of the trio’s son is found to be the likely suspect in a murder case, he asks Aloe to investigate further to prove his son’s innocence. What Aloe discovers could prove far more dangerous than any story she has followed before.
There are multiple story lines within The Thin Edge. There is the primary case of the murder itself which should prove straight forward but is anything but. The victim was married to a quadriplegic who was a former interrogator for US Special Intelligence Services. His care giver has a somewhat surprising past of his own and the victim has a myriad of secrets that are uncovered in layers. In addition, through her work, Corrine, the victim, came in contact with some of the city’s worst criminals and any one of them could have been her killer. As Aloe traces some of them down, she stumbles across a vigilante cult that is a dangerous as it is fascinating. To say that there is a ton of action and thrills in this book is a vast understatement. However, Townsend does a remarkable job at keeping everyone straight, fleshing out the characters, even the secondary ones, so that the reader never gets lost or confused. You will be invested in each one throughout and the conclusion will stun you. While I might have figured out the who, the how and why was astounding!! This was a top-notch psychological murder thriller with heavy emphasis on the psychology! I absolutely loved it!! I also should add that, while this is the second in the Aloe Snow series, I had no idea that it was a follow up until the end. It works very well as a stand alone. Of course, I adored this one so much that I’ve already got my hands on Townsend’s first book, See Her Run, and will have a review for you on that one soon. Have a marvelous week everyone!
So much thanks to #Netgalley, @peggytownsend and #Thomas&Mercer for my advanced copy of #TheThinEdge.
A good book takes the reader into the story, giving the characters enough backstory that they come to life. Peggy Townsend has written a good book. The cover and the jacket description are enough to pique a reader's interest, but the characters make this book. As I read, I got lost in the story and refused to quit until the end. It's rare to find an author that you know will make your reading time worth while. I just found another.
Such an amazing story! Don't miss any of the books in the series. Very well written. Scarey and tense, characters so likable and real. Hard to tell who the killer is..
A high-profile murder becomes a life-and-death story for this reporter.
Disgraced crime reporter Aloa Snow is scrambling to get her life back on track by doing what she does best: investigating hard-to-solve cases. But the latest one is personal. The son of her friend Tick—aging anarchist, confidant, and unofficial colleague—has been accused of a high-profile murder. The victim is Corrine Daniels, ex-prosecutor and wife of a heroic but now-paralyzed FBI interrogator. Corrine had enemies, but she also had a secret lover in Tick’s son, who, without an alibi, is now directly in the cops’ crosshairs.
Luckily, Aloa’s got a lock on others who may have had a reason for murder—reasons that plunge her into a world of vigilante justice and a horrific, decades-old crime. It’s only when Aloa’s investigation turns threatening that she realizes she’s closing in on the killer faster than she imagined.
Now that she’s being pushed toward the edge, Aloa fears that there’s nowhere to go but down.
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This was the first book I've read by this author, and even though this is the second book in a series, I didn't feel like I was missing any important back story or details by not having read the first book. The plot was good, intriguing, lots of twist and turns build ups. The last hour of the book was by far the best, with the resolution of who killed Corrine, in a twist I never saw coming.
I enjoyed reading this book. It had a good story to it. I liked the variety of characters in it. It is my first book read by this author. I hope to read more books by this author.
This is the second book in the Aloa Snow Mystery series. Before reading this one, I purchased the first book in the series. Each book has its own story line, so it isn't a MUST to read them in order. But I like to follow the personal stories of the main characters which do develop and build from one book to the other. This was a thoroughly enjoyable read and I would never have guessed who the guilty party was in the end. It was a pleasant murder mystery with great character stories and engagement and definitely a twist in the end. I look forward to reading #3!
The Thin Edge Peggy Townsend
Right from the off, I am going to say I loved this book.
I loved the main character, a journalist, Aloa Snow.
I loved the little bunch of old men she hangs out with, Tic, Doc and P-Mac, collectively known as the Brain Farm.
I loved the plot.
Right, so what got me so impressed with this book.
The story is based around the murder of a woman, a woman who lives a good life style with her husband, a paraplegic ex FBI Interrogator.
A man has been accused, a University Professor who is a poet. A bit of a strange bod which ever piece of the investigation points at as being guilty. But he has one person on his side, a man he’d rather not be there at all, his father.
His father just happens to be Tic from the Brain Farm.
Tic and his friends decide to ask the unofficial forth member of the Farm to help them, Ink, aka Aloa Snow.
She is an investigative journalist and has worked with the Farm before.
This time the investigation takes her around San Francisco, where she is drawn into the world of drug users, that leads her into The Jungle, an area under the freeway where homeless addicts live in a tented village.
She becomes involved with a strange Christian cult The Church of the Sacrificial Lamb.
The Police are convinced that Tic’s son is guilty and are busily building a case against him. Aloa is not immediately convinced of his innocence but because of a feeling of duty to the Brain Farm she starts digging.
The deeper she digs the more convinced she is that the Poetry Professor is innocent. Not a nice man, but innocent.
This book is set in San Francisco during an unusual winter fog. The fog makes the city drab and unfriendly, and best of all, the ideal backdrop for the story.
Aloa is a great character, a bit off-the-wall in her methods, she takes chances and makes leaps of faith that would scare a cop, but she isn’t tied by staying on the right side of any procedures.
I think that’s what I liked about the book. Whilst Aloa does think outside the box, it is done in a way that I would like to think I would have. Yes she puts herself in danger at times, but it’s never an anticipated danger, it’s just the next logical step, and she’s in trouble before she knows it.
I’m not sure how well known Peggy Townsend is in the UK, I have to admit this is the first book of hers I’ve read, and it’s the second in a series, but it won’t be the last. In fact I’ve just uploaded the first book, See Her Run, to my Kindle and it will be my next read.
If she isn’t that well known yet I have a feeling that once people start on this series she’s going to become one of our must read crime fiction authors.
Pages: 237
Publishers: Thomas Mercer
Publishing Date UK: 14th May 2019