- Published on
- Shalini
- in Book Posts, Book Reviews, Digital Reads Media, Digital Reads PR, Digital Reads Reviews, Fiction
Publication Date: June 2022
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Blurb
The Honorable Alice D. McKerrity is no stranger to violence.
From the bench at Manhattan Supreme, she has seen the most hardened killers pass through her courtroom.
But there’s something about this trial—a defendant charged with the murder of a pregnant woman—that affects her as no other case ever has.
She’s also harboring a secret that if exposed could have far-reaching ramifications both personally and professionally.
And now, unbeknownst to Alice, her daughter has begun a search for her biological father.
As the trial progresses, Alice’s life starts to unravel.
Nightmares she suffered as a girl return with a vengeance.
Phantom sightings torment her.
Is she being paranoid? Or are the specters real?
Almost at the breaking point, she begins to doubt her own sanity.
Then she makes a shocking discovery that sends her on a collision course with her past and a terror-filled night in the woods in Upstate New York.
Confronted with the unspeakable, she must face a decades-buried truth that forces her to question everything she ever believed about herself . . . and tests her limits as a woman, a judge, and a mother.
My Review
What was it all about
The First Victim was thriller debut by author Debbie Babbit.
An accused who had fired all his lawyers decided to fight his own rape-murder case in front of Honorable Alice McKerrity.
Looking at his smugness, the past came flaring up for Alice.
Told in dual timelines, the story had secrets and lies embedded into a tale that was both sad and shocking.
How it made me feel - The Good
The story intrigued me with its premise. I liked how Alice was etched with her guilt, her fears, insomnia and nightmares. She was a woman possessed by her past.
Added to her characterization was a husband with Alzheimer’s and a daughter who had own devils to face.
The courtroom scenes that Alice faced and the way they pulled into her past were great.
The suspense in the plot line and the thrill it elucidated felt apt for the title.
The Bad
The writing was a bit staccato. The last few chapters were rushed. I liked some of the mystery in this story, but the subplots at the end didn’t fall into place naturally. Some things made no sense.
The plot line veered into the realms of unbelievable as the story came to its conclusion. My interest too dipped in the book.
I didn’t understand why I needed to know the thoughts of the husband with Alzheimer’s because he had no role to play in the book.
The Conclusion
For a debut, it was great. The atmosphere of claustrophobia and fear had all shades of darkness and was well written. The subplots could have been much better linked. Overall, a good read.
I downloaded the digital version of the book from an online retail, and this is my journey down its pages, straight from the heart. STRICTLY HONEST and UNBIASED.
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One Response
Great review Shalini. I have the feeling that this is on my tbr mountain, or maybe it’s just the cover is very similar to one I know is in my stack. If I do have it, I won’t be rushing to read it. Thanks for your honesty. ❤📚