amberunmasked's review
5.0
This review is courtesy of NetGalley.
New Jersey novelist and journalist, Wallace Stroby, is perhaps most well-known for his Crissa Stone series which is presently four books and a short story; plus there are an additional four books to his name. In HEAVEN'S A LIE, Stroby introduces readers to a new female protagonist.
Joette Harper is a down to earth woman making ends meet at the Jersey Shore area working in a crappy motel. She keeps her social circle small: a dying mother in hospice; a cop who is sweet on her; a friendly tennant of the motel and her daughter; and a best friend from an old job where she was downsized.
Stroby keeps his prose lean with the nostalgic meter of gumshoe noir. The first sentence immediately throws Joette and the readers: she's bored at work, watching a car out on the highway take a curve way too fast. She predicts the crash, but not the cause.
The conundrum for Joette is one, I think, most of us that are not financially well off think about. What if…
Money fell from the sky.
I win the lottery -- or --
A car crashes and there's a big bag of dirty drug money which no one can claim just sitting there for the taking.
There were no witnesses, but small time drug dealer Travis Clay figures out what happened to the bag of money which should be in his possession. Stroby alternates his present tense storytelling between Joette and Travis.
The COVID crisis is hinted at in only one line about people worrying if their colds are "the virus" again. It's a small detail that creates a link to the real world even if we'll never have to decide whether or not we would take a bag of money from an accident scene. Similarly, Stroby also wove in real Jersey situations about Superstorm Sandy and how property owners like the motel's owner getting relief funds but didn't use them to repair anything. Readers will get a thorough sense of the economy and how the people are suffering in Stroby's Jersey Shore.
Who among us doesn't know what it's like to have all your options sitting on hold because of the economy? Joette wants to take action in her familial life -- getting her mother's bills at the nursing home paid on top of the bills from her deceased husband's care already piled up and weighing on her.
Halfway through, Joette has to think twice about her plans and the money she swiped from the accident scene. Her character evolves from a broke motel clerk worried about bills and her grief to this new Joette she couldn't have expected: a thief and nearly a murderer.
As for the story arc of Travis Clay, he also goes through changes. He has one plan with his partner Cosmo, but he doesn't stick to it. Travis only cares about himself and his own survival. There's a perfect moment of a crime trope where the bad guys are talking about this deal being the last one and then they'll retire -- go straight or take some other path. You know what Travis is thinking. You know he's the kind of character with no loyalty. Two-thirds of the way through the book, Travis is firm in who he really is and that there won't be a "retirement" for him and Cosmo.
The stakes are raised in a series of moves that take readers to the final act. The characters go through hoops, driving around to get all the money from Joette's hiding places, all the while with a gun set on them. The reversal of fortune for Joette comes at a thrilling, intense, stressful climax.
Minor Flaws:
There were a couple of times when I questioned why characters did things that were clearly not going to pan out. Joette finally ends up with a weapon and she tosses it at a questionable time. It's obvious she should have held on to it and there's even a spot where she could have lost it more logically.
Out of the characters, Joette's old friend Helen from her past job at a bank, is the only one without a lot of depth. She's there to ground Joette in talking heads scenes, but I didn't feel a connection to her. There was more emotion felt with the nursing home staff.
Rating: 5 stars
New Jersey novelist and journalist, Wallace Stroby, is perhaps most well-known for his Crissa Stone series which is presently four books and a short story; plus there are an additional four books to his name. In HEAVEN'S A LIE, Stroby introduces readers to a new female protagonist.
Joette Harper is a down to earth woman making ends meet at the Jersey Shore area working in a crappy motel. She keeps her social circle small: a dying mother in hospice; a cop who is sweet on her; a friendly tennant of the motel and her daughter; and a best friend from an old job where she was downsized.
Stroby keeps his prose lean with the nostalgic meter of gumshoe noir. The first sentence immediately throws Joette and the readers: she's bored at work, watching a car out on the highway take a curve way too fast. She predicts the crash, but not the cause.
The conundrum for Joette is one, I think, most of us that are not financially well off think about. What if…
Money fell from the sky.
I win the lottery -- or --
A car crashes and there's a big bag of dirty drug money which no one can claim just sitting there for the taking.
There were no witnesses, but small time drug dealer Travis Clay figures out what happened to the bag of money which should be in his possession. Stroby alternates his present tense storytelling between Joette and Travis.
The COVID crisis is hinted at in only one line about people worrying if their colds are "the virus" again. It's a small detail that creates a link to the real world even if we'll never have to decide whether or not we would take a bag of money from an accident scene. Similarly, Stroby also wove in real Jersey situations about Superstorm Sandy and how property owners like the motel's owner getting relief funds but didn't use them to repair anything. Readers will get a thorough sense of the economy and how the people are suffering in Stroby's Jersey Shore.
Who among us doesn't know what it's like to have all your options sitting on hold because of the economy? Joette wants to take action in her familial life -- getting her mother's bills at the nursing home paid on top of the bills from her deceased husband's care already piled up and weighing on her.
Halfway through, Joette has to think twice about her plans and the money she swiped from the accident scene. Her character evolves from a broke motel clerk worried about bills and her grief to this new Joette she couldn't have expected: a thief and nearly a murderer.
As for the story arc of Travis Clay, he also goes through changes. He has one plan with his partner Cosmo, but he doesn't stick to it. Travis only cares about himself and his own survival. There's a perfect moment of a crime trope where the bad guys are talking about this deal being the last one and then they'll retire -- go straight or take some other path. You know what Travis is thinking. You know he's the kind of character with no loyalty. Two-thirds of the way through the book, Travis is firm in who he really is and that there won't be a "retirement" for him and Cosmo.
The stakes are raised in a series of moves that take readers to the final act. The characters go through hoops, driving around to get all the money from Joette's hiding places, all the while with a gun set on them. The reversal of fortune for Joette comes at a thrilling, intense, stressful climax.
Minor Flaws:
There were a couple of times when I questioned why characters did things that were clearly not going to pan out. Joette finally ends up with a weapon and she tosses it at a questionable time. It's obvious she should have held on to it and there's even a spot where she could have lost it more logically.
Out of the characters, Joette's old friend Helen from her past job at a bank, is the only one without a lot of depth. She's there to ground Joette in talking heads scenes, but I didn't feel a connection to her. There was more emotion felt with the nursing home staff.
Rating: 5 stars
screamdogreads's review
3.0
Heaven's a Lie is told with a dual POV narrative, one half follows a strong down on her luck protagonist, and the other half follows a criminal overlord that's chasing her. This novel is a quick, action packed read that delves deep into the relationship shared between these two characters. Between its unrelenting pace, brilliant dialogue and action packed scenes, this book turned out to be quite the entertaining read.
Although the plot of this novel is almost entirely a trope that's commonplace in the crime genre, it never once felt boring or overdone. Here, it feels just right, proving that Stroby knows exactly how to write this kind of novel. Despite all the great things about this book, I still settled on a 3-star rating. Now, of course, 3 stars is still a great rating. For me, there just wasn't anything mind-blowing here.
Although the plot of this novel is almost entirely a trope that's commonplace in the crime genre, it never once felt boring or overdone. Here, it feels just right, proving that Stroby knows exactly how to write this kind of novel. Despite all the great things about this book, I still settled on a 3-star rating. Now, of course, 3 stars is still a great rating. For me, there just wasn't anything mind-blowing here.
jakewritesbooks's review
4.0
Clearly, I need to read more Wallace Stroby. This was a smoothly written crime thriller that meditates on the morals of the choices we make. Would’ve liked a little less redundancy and a little more background on the protagonist to make me care deeper but still. This is a good work from a good writer.
killerlouise's review
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
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