verityw's review
3.0
****Copy from NetGalley in return for an honest review*****
Ok, so I liked this but didn't love it although I am intrigued enough by the series to have gone back and bought the first book to try and get more of a handle on it.
What I liked:
The details of Carol's life at the radio station - especially as it's really quite different to how things were at the (British) radio stations that I used to work at.
The reason why Carol is investigating things - ie that she's a news reporter and it's her job.
I liked the idea of the mystery
What I didn't like:
The mystery got really convoluted, with lots of side characters tangled up in it all of whom were being told/knew different things.
There are a few ethically dubious things going on - at the news organisation where I work I'd be getting in big trouble for repeatedly putting a caller on air who is essentially admitting to killing people - likewise giving airtime to an interviewee who is likely to say something slanderous and getting the station sued.
What I didn't understand:
I didn't get all of the relationships and friendships that Carol has going on - but this may be because I haven't read any of the rest of the series, and as I said, I liked the book enough that I've gone back and bought the first book so I can try and straighten things out in my head.
Once I've read more of the series I think I'll be able to get a handle on whether I like it or not - and why Carol is doing some of the things that I don't like.
Ok, so I liked this but didn't love it although I am intrigued enough by the series to have gone back and bought the first book to try and get more of a handle on it.
What I liked:
The details of Carol's life at the radio station - especially as it's really quite different to how things were at the (British) radio stations that I used to work at.
The reason why Carol is investigating things - ie that she's a news reporter and it's her job.
I liked the idea of the mystery
What I didn't like:
The mystery got really convoluted, with lots of side characters tangled up in it all of whom were being told/knew different things.
There are a few ethically dubious things going on - at the news organisation where I work I'd be getting in big trouble for repeatedly putting a caller on air who is essentially admitting to killing people - likewise giving airtime to an interviewee who is likely to say something slanderous and getting the station sued.
What I didn't understand:
I didn't get all of the relationships and friendships that Carol has going on - but this may be because I haven't read any of the rest of the series, and as I said, I liked the book enough that I've gone back and bought the first book so I can try and straighten things out in my head.
Once I've read more of the series I think I'll be able to get a handle on whether I like it or not - and why Carol is doing some of the things that I don't like.
thoughtsfromapage's review
4.0
Room for Doubt is the fourth book in the Carol Childs Mystery series, and it is the first book I have read in the series. I thoroughly enjoyed the story line and the characters. A string of deaths are occurring in Hollywood and neighboring areas, and the police keep ruling the somewhat suspicious deaths as suicides, but Carol Childs believes that the facts and evidence are not adding up to suicide. The plot and its resolution were very creative and thought-provoking, and the characters are highly entertaining. I have not stopped thinking about this book since I finished it. If you enjoy a good mystery with a clever and unique plot, Room for Doubt is the book for you. Thanks to Henery Press and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
dollycas's review
5.0
Dollycas’s Thoughts
The radio station where reporter Carol Childs works has a new format so she is now able to cover the edgier topics in the news like murder. She is sent to the Hollywood Hills early in the morning and finds a man hanging from the Hollywood sign. The police have ruled the death a suicide (yes, that trigger again) but Carol thinks there is more to the story. When “Mustang Sally” calls into Carol’s radio program she confirms Carol’s intuition by confessing on the air with the promise of future deaths Carol knows she may need some help but she is bound and determined to stop Mustang Sally.
Another great story from Nancy Cole Sillverman!
They author creates such wonderful characters. They are so well-developed and unique. We are introduced to Garhardt “Chase” Chasen in this story. A private investigator that knows the recent death at the sign is connected to previous murders/”suicides” and he wants to work with Carol to catch the killer. He thinks her radio broadcasts are a perfect way to lure the killer out in the open. Carol really wants to investigate on her own but Chase keeps calling and turning up everywhere. She doesn’t like the way she is drawn to this man but he is pretty determined they are going to work together. Carol also has to balance work and her life at home. Her son is turning sixteen and nothing is going to keep her away from his party.
This story takes an interesting look at abused women and what lengths they will go to, to get away from their abusers. An online support group that takes things to a very scary level. The police may even be complicit in the groups actions. It is an exciting story with several different tangents twisting the plot very intriguingly. The author handles this serious topic so well while keeping it cozy, not an easy job.
Carol is a smart, strong protagonist and has grown in each story. She keeps me coming back for more. I have enjoyed the entire series and am anxious to see what she gets herself into next.
The radio station where reporter Carol Childs works has a new format so she is now able to cover the edgier topics in the news like murder. She is sent to the Hollywood Hills early in the morning and finds a man hanging from the Hollywood sign. The police have ruled the death a suicide (yes, that trigger again) but Carol thinks there is more to the story. When “Mustang Sally” calls into Carol’s radio program she confirms Carol’s intuition by confessing on the air with the promise of future deaths Carol knows she may need some help but she is bound and determined to stop Mustang Sally.
Another great story from Nancy Cole Sillverman!
They author creates such wonderful characters. They are so well-developed and unique. We are introduced to Garhardt “Chase” Chasen in this story. A private investigator that knows the recent death at the sign is connected to previous murders/”suicides” and he wants to work with Carol to catch the killer. He thinks her radio broadcasts are a perfect way to lure the killer out in the open. Carol really wants to investigate on her own but Chase keeps calling and turning up everywhere. She doesn’t like the way she is drawn to this man but he is pretty determined they are going to work together. Carol also has to balance work and her life at home. Her son is turning sixteen and nothing is going to keep her away from his party.
This story takes an interesting look at abused women and what lengths they will go to, to get away from their abusers. An online support group that takes things to a very scary level. The police may even be complicit in the groups actions. It is an exciting story with several different tangents twisting the plot very intriguingly. The author handles this serious topic so well while keeping it cozy, not an easy job.
Carol is a smart, strong protagonist and has grown in each story. She keeps me coming back for more. I have enjoyed the entire series and am anxious to see what she gets herself into next.
3no7's review
3.0
“Room for Doubt” by Nancy Cole Silverman is book five in the Carol Childs Mystery series. It is not necessary to have read the previous books to enjoy this new one. The author drops in background information that is relevant to the current plot, but does not spend pages and pages needlessly summarizing events from the previous books.
The main character, Carol Childs, works as a reporter for a talk radio station in Los Angeles. Carol’s character is mult-faceted and well developed, and the supporting cast of characters is equally interesting and detailed.
The book is written in first person so we follow Carol’s thoughts and actions as she struggles to balance work, her personal life, and family conflicts. We also tag along as she wonders “What happens when one day a creepy guy tries to hit on you in the grocery store and the next day his body is hanging from the Hollywood Sign?” As the body count around town rises and more and more people become entangled in the murders, she has to sort out the facts from the “Fake News. Written by bloggers with questionable facts I felt sure hadn’t been substantiated.” All the while, the action is being driven by her feeling “that somebody – out in radioland – knew something, and might be listening.”
Readers should note this novel deals with a complex social problem and resolves it in a controversial manner. The book’s solution is not one that will please every reader, but it is a solution that might be all too real. If you are a “by the book, no exceptions” person, you might not like this novel. If you can balance the good against the bad and accept that someone else’s reality is not your own, you will end reading with some interesting issues to consider.
I have read and enjoyed the previous books in this series, and I enjoyed this one as well. Thanks to NetGalley for giving me a copy of “Room for Doubt” in exchange for my impartial review.
The main character, Carol Childs, works as a reporter for a talk radio station in Los Angeles. Carol’s character is mult-faceted and well developed, and the supporting cast of characters is equally interesting and detailed.
The book is written in first person so we follow Carol’s thoughts and actions as she struggles to balance work, her personal life, and family conflicts. We also tag along as she wonders “What happens when one day a creepy guy tries to hit on you in the grocery store and the next day his body is hanging from the Hollywood Sign?” As the body count around town rises and more and more people become entangled in the murders, she has to sort out the facts from the “Fake News. Written by bloggers with questionable facts I felt sure hadn’t been substantiated.” All the while, the action is being driven by her feeling “that somebody – out in radioland – knew something, and might be listening.”
Readers should note this novel deals with a complex social problem and resolves it in a controversial manner. The book’s solution is not one that will please every reader, but it is a solution that might be all too real. If you are a “by the book, no exceptions” person, you might not like this novel. If you can balance the good against the bad and accept that someone else’s reality is not your own, you will end reading with some interesting issues to consider.
I have read and enjoyed the previous books in this series, and I enjoyed this one as well. Thanks to NetGalley for giving me a copy of “Room for Doubt” in exchange for my impartial review.
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