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A review by livres_de_bloss
The Catch by T.M. Logan
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I decided to reread this. In 2020, when I first read it, I found it gripping. It’s melodramatic and entertaining for a rainy afternoon but it’s also got a lot of problems. Now, with more thrillers under my belt, and years of being disappointed by Logan’s subsequent books, I can see the patterns emerging in this book that would go on to form what I disliked about subsequent books:
The Obsessive Parent:
The obsessive, interfering parent schtick got tedious pretty quickly. The Dad is a bumbling food! It’s exhausting spending time with him. His inquiries are about as subtle as a fog horn (conspiring to kidnap with his BFF, using his real name, following the guy in his car, using his job’s accounts, not accounting for retaliation or technology). Are we supposed to sympathize with this guy’s actions or mindset? I didn’t love how the ends justified the ridiculous means.
The Annoying Offspring:
The daughter isn’t super sympathetic either. She comes across as incredibly naïve and one dimensional. Why is everyone so obsessed with her?
The Implausibility:
• No one apart from the loony dad is questioning the shotgun wedding? Surely even the venue would have checks in place for this type of thing? It could point to coercion.
• Vet not investigating Tilly’s injuries further after it was apparent she’d not been in a traffic accident.
• The dad not considering the dumb daughter had given the boyfriend keys to the parents’ house or that his vehicle might be tagged too
• The investigator was so cautious, there’s no way he’d have sleepwalked into Ryan’s trap.
• “Text messages saved in the drafts folder”. PARDON? One of the things that annoyed me in Logan’s subsequent books is that he inserts all sorts of inaccurate and nonsensical technobabble. I think he means “email”. When did text messages last have draft functions, the 00s?
• The mom showing up on the moors.
• Ryan genuinely being able to obfuscate any of what he did. You expect me to believe he’s not known to police?!
The Pregnancy:
Give me strength! At this stage, it’s just an OTT comedy.
Worth a re-read, if only to confirm I’m glad I gave up on Logan as an author.
The Obsessive Parent:
The obsessive, interfering parent schtick got tedious pretty quickly. The Dad is a bumbling food! It’s exhausting spending time with him. His inquiries are about as subtle as a fog horn (conspiring to kidnap with his BFF, using his real name, following the guy in his car, using his job’s accounts, not accounting for retaliation or technology). Are we supposed to sympathize with this guy’s actions or mindset? I didn’t love how the ends justified the ridiculous means.
The Annoying Offspring:
The daughter isn’t super sympathetic either. She comes across as incredibly naïve and one dimensional. Why is everyone so obsessed with her?
The Implausibility:
• No one apart from the loony dad is questioning the shotgun wedding? Surely even the venue would have checks in place for this type of thing? It could point to coercion.
• Vet not investigating Tilly’s injuries further after it was apparent she’d not been in a traffic accident.
• The dad not considering the dumb daughter had given the boyfriend keys to the parents’ house or that his vehicle might be tagged too
• The investigator was so cautious, there’s no way he’d have sleepwalked into Ryan’s trap.
• “Text messages saved in the drafts folder”. PARDON? One of the things that annoyed me in Logan’s subsequent books is that he inserts all sorts of inaccurate and nonsensical technobabble. I think he means “email”. When did text messages last have draft functions, the 00s?
• The mom showing up on the moors.
• Ryan genuinely being able to obfuscate any of what he did. You expect me to believe he’s not known to police?!
The Pregnancy:
Give me strength! At this stage, it’s just an OTT comedy.
Worth a re-read, if only to confirm I’m glad I gave up on Logan as an author.