No parent should ever have to bury their child. It’s unnatural and against the regular order of things. And as a parent, I can confirm this is our worst nightmare. All you want to do is keep your kids safe and watch them grow up to lead fruitful, successful lives. Well, The Necklace takes the unholy nightmare of losing your child and multiplies it by a factor of 10. Thanks a lot Matt Witten. How am I supposed to let my kids out of my sight ever again after reading this book?
The story follows Susan Lentigo in present day as she travels to North Dakota to witness the execution of the man convicted of raping and killing her seven-year-old daughter Amy. Throughout her travels, she flashes back to events 20 years ago surrounding this heinous crime that forever altered her reality. Along the way, she starts to question the convicted murderer’s guilt and suspects someone else is getting away with defiling and killing her daughter. Susan digs down deep to find the strength to seek the truth and will stop at nothing to ensure justice is properly done for Amy.
What makes The Necklace so powerful, beyond the nightmare fuel of losing your child, is how the emotions ooze off the page and burrow into your brain. You easily feel Susan’s depression, despair and desperation. She’s never fully recovered from Amy’s death and how her life has fallen apart since, nor can you blame her. She’s got no money to her name and clings to the hope that watching the execution will finally allow her to move on, though you doubt that’s going to do it. And when she starts to think things aren’t as they seem, she is willing to leave rational thought at the side of the road to do anything and everything, no matter how distasteful you might find her actions, to determine if the right person is on death row.
If you like character-driven stories that provide an emotional experience, The Necklace is for you. However, if you’re a parent be warned. You’ll be faced with the fear of losing your kids and thinking about what you would do in Susan’s situation. But then realize its fiction, give thanks that you’re not in that position and give your kids a huge hug.
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Purchase The Necklace
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Barrington Books
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Once Upon A Crime
The Book Dragon
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