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Humber Boy B

Humber Boy B Book Cover Humber Boy B
Ruth Dugdall
Mystery
Legend Press
April 1, 2015
Digital
304

A child is killed after falling from the Humber Bridge. Despite fleeing the scene, two young brothers are found guilty and sent to prison. Upon their release they are granted one privilege only, their anonymity.
Probation officer Cate Austin is responsible for Humber Boy B’s reintegration into society. But the general public’s anger is steadily growing, and those around her are wondering if the
secret of his identity is one he actually deserves to keep. Cate’s loyalty is challenged when she begins to discover the truth of the crime. She must ask herself if a child is capable of premeditated murder. Or is there a greater evil at play?

 

Review:

As a lover of mystery, procedurals, and books that expose flaws in prison systems, I had quite a bit of hope for “Humber Boy B”.  Unfortunately, what was a promising premise fell completely flat.

The plot began decently enough, but became burdensome after a while.  I did enjoy the way flashbacks were intermingled, but they were the most interesting parts.  By the end, several subplots had been introduced that were rather large and important, only to be left unresolved.  I know this is how life works, but the author could have made them a less important part of the story and focused more on the main storyline, which most definitely needed expansion.  There will be a second book in the series, but as it is written there will be no opportunity to clear up most of the loose ends.  I think this bothered me the most because between the flashbacks, two different types of narration (first person and third person omnipotent), and a long length, there was no reason not to essentially finish the story being told.

Some of the characters are well-developed.  Other characters are basically caricatures of mystery tropes that you get the feeling you are supposed to like but are the exact opposite of likable.  On top of that, the two main characters have been developed through many perspectives and still make decisions that are completely out-of-character and unexplained.  I came to downright despise the female protagonist, and considering the series will revolve around her, I can only hope the author redeems her in a major way, because there really was potential.

In short, I can’t recommend “Humber Boy B”.  I wish the author the best and hope she finds her rhythm.

This review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

 

Content Warning:

This is an adult book, so there is no content warning.