kbranfield's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars.
The Day I Died by Lori Rader-Day is an intriguing mystery about a missing young boy.
Anna Winger is a handwriting analyst who assists federal and local law enforcement with a variety of cases. When two year old Aidan Ransey goes missing, she is asked to aid Sheriff Russ Keller with the investigation. Keller reluctantly turns documents relevant to kidnapping over to Anna but the two continue to clash over his lack of cooperation with her requests. Anna is also growing increasingly concerned over her thirteen year old son Joshua's increasingly troubling behavior. When Joshua begins asking difficult questions that she is reluctant to answer, Anna eventually has no choice but to face the past she has been running from for over thirteen years.
Anna was forced to make a rather decision years earlier which has resulted in an itinerant, solitary lifestyle for her and Joshua. Having recently relocated to Parks, Indiana, Anna is already second guessing whether or not she made the right choice to settle in the small town. Seriously lacking the anonymity she desperately needs to feel safe, the missing person's case attracts far more attention that she desires. She is also rather troubled by the parallels between herself and Aidan's mom, Leila Ransey. She is already struggling to maintain her objectivity as she examines the documents associated with the disappearance when she meets Aidan's father, Bo. Their encounters bring back unpleasant memories of her own past and Anna continues to worry about whether or not she can remain impartial during the investigation.
Adding to Anna's discomfort is Sheriff Keller's skepticism about the veracity of handwriting analysis. His office is on the periphery of the investigation but he continues to follow leads in an effort to locate the missing boy. A shocking murder adds another complication to the case and Keller reluctantly continues to seek assistance from Anna as they recover documents that are pertinent to the investigation. Their interactions continue to be a little adversarial as Anna offers her expert opinion on the evidence he provides for her analysis.
The pacing of the novel is somewhat slow as Anna becomes increasingly introspective during the investigation. Her self-confidence is gradually undetermined as she juggles her professional duties with the increasingly tense situation with Joshua. Completely out of her depth as she deals with her suddenly tumultuous relationship with Joshua, Anna is stunned when he takes matters into his own hands after she fails to give him the answers he desperately needs. With nowhere else to turn, Anna is forced to return to the place where her life went so tragically wrong but will she find what she is searching for?
With an unusual premise and a unique lead protagonist, The Day I Died is a compelling mystery with plenty of twists and turns. Despite the suspense surrounding Aidan's disappearance, the storyline quickly becomes bogged down in the secrets of Anna's past. However, the various story arcs finally come together in a rather unexpected (and far too coincidental) manner. Lori Rader-Day brings the novel to an action-filled conclusion that neatly ties up all of the loose ends.
The Day I Died by Lori Rader-Day is an intriguing mystery about a missing young boy.
Anna Winger is a handwriting analyst who assists federal and local law enforcement with a variety of cases. When two year old Aidan Ransey goes missing, she is asked to aid Sheriff Russ Keller with the investigation. Keller reluctantly turns documents relevant to kidnapping over to Anna but the two continue to clash over his lack of cooperation with her requests. Anna is also growing increasingly concerned over her thirteen year old son Joshua's increasingly troubling behavior. When Joshua begins asking difficult questions that she is reluctant to answer, Anna eventually has no choice but to face the past she has been running from for over thirteen years.
Anna was forced to make a rather decision years earlier which has resulted in an itinerant, solitary lifestyle for her and Joshua. Having recently relocated to Parks, Indiana, Anna is already second guessing whether or not she made the right choice to settle in the small town. Seriously lacking the anonymity she desperately needs to feel safe, the missing person's case attracts far more attention that she desires. She is also rather troubled by the parallels between herself and Aidan's mom, Leila Ransey. She is already struggling to maintain her objectivity as she examines the documents associated with the disappearance when she meets Aidan's father, Bo. Their encounters bring back unpleasant memories of her own past and Anna continues to worry about whether or not she can remain impartial during the investigation.
Adding to Anna's discomfort is Sheriff Keller's skepticism about the veracity of handwriting analysis. His office is on the periphery of the investigation but he continues to follow leads in an effort to locate the missing boy. A shocking murder adds another complication to the case and Keller reluctantly continues to seek assistance from Anna as they recover documents that are pertinent to the investigation. Their interactions continue to be a little adversarial as Anna offers her expert opinion on the evidence he provides for her analysis.
The pacing of the novel is somewhat slow as Anna becomes increasingly introspective during the investigation. Her self-confidence is gradually undetermined as she juggles her professional duties with the increasingly tense situation with Joshua. Completely out of her depth as she deals with her suddenly tumultuous relationship with Joshua, Anna is stunned when he takes matters into his own hands after she fails to give him the answers he desperately needs. With nowhere else to turn, Anna is forced to return to the place where her life went so tragically wrong but will she find what she is searching for?
With an unusual premise and a unique lead protagonist, The Day I Died is a compelling mystery with plenty of twists and turns. Despite the suspense surrounding Aidan's disappearance, the storyline quickly becomes bogged down in the secrets of Anna's past. However, the various story arcs finally come together in a rather unexpected (and far too coincidental) manner. Lori Rader-Day brings the novel to an action-filled conclusion that neatly ties up all of the loose ends.
cook_memorial_public_library's review against another edition
5.0
A 2017 staff favorite recommended by Jo. Check our catalog: https://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore/search/C__Sday%20i%20died%20rader-day__Orightresult__U?lang=eng&suite=gold
tbsims's review against another edition
4.0
a thriller with a great story behind and beside it.
There was a scene where the protagonist visits her childhood and refers to it as Stations of the Cross. Which was very apt.
And there was a discussion of fear - not the spine tingling kind...the lost opportunity, wrong path, not saying something, or saying something when you shouldn't....
There was a scene where the protagonist visits her childhood and refers to it as Stations of the Cross. Which was very apt.
And there was a discussion of fear - not the spine tingling kind...the lost opportunity, wrong path, not saying something, or saying something when you shouldn't....
wolfalex's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
alexblackreads's review against another edition
3.0
This book started better than it ended. The handwriting analysis aspect was different and interesting, but as the case unfolded it got less and less interesting to me. The twist at the end was incredibly anticlimactic and this book left very little impact on me. But it was pretty okay and a quick read. I liked her son's character a lot more than her own. I can't really recommend this book as there are so many better thrillers out there and it's something I'll forget I read about two days after finishing it.
mamasin's review against another edition
3.0
It was entertaining but so long in places. I could not get to know a character as they jumped around too much. Anna, the main character, ran hot and cold.
dannb's review against another edition
3.0
really good first half... gets a little tedious, but the last 1/3 was very up and down
ampersand148d8's review against another edition
5.0
Flashbacking her dark past pulled me in until the end, with plenty of present day red herrings tossed in to keep me guessing on every page.
sarah_86's review against another edition
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
lindseycstraub's review against another edition
2.0
A young child is missing, his teenage babysitter is found murdered. It's assumed he was abducted by his mother. A handwriting expert (Anna) is tasked with assisting the small town police force to find the child. Then Anna's own son disappears. The first half of the book was slow and I didn't really care about Anna. Details about her past and motivations are vague and I realize that is to build the suspense, but it was totally unnecessary. [There is no shocking reveal, she was running from an abusive relationship, as you will suspect from the beginning].