The Necklace

Full disclosure, I know the author. But that does not influence my enthusiasm for this masterfully crafted book. Susan Lentigo, a woman on a mission to close the book on her young daughter's heinous murder by witnessing the killer's execution, sets out on a journey to do that... only to be waylaid for various (clever!) reasons. Along the way, Susan discovers new evidence and new insights that reveal themselves in an increasingly chilling fashion. Matt Witten is a seasoned television writer and playwright, and he brings to this psychological suspense thriller a real urgency of pace but also an elegance of structure. It's like a stomach-dropping ride on a perfectly designed rollercoaster. Highly recommended.

Well this is definitely a fast paced read, and that’s about the only thing I liked from it. Everything else felt a little too chaotic and all over the place. The main character, Susan, really irked me and I found her terribly annoying. I was ready and waiting to be creeped out and scared, but it never happened. I wanted more from the story and I’m bummed it ended up falling short for me.

I've been following Witten's career for many years and have enjoyed all of his books. I love the mysteries of pervious books. This book is a bit different. Its a real Who Done It? Its very relatable and readable. His characters are described in such a deep way that you feel that you know them. Twists and turns and suspense are the best ingredients to a Can't Put it Down kind of book! I highly recommend!

What a captivating story! Not only could I not put it down, but I keep thinking about the story days later. It's so easy to visualize these characters and their journey, an example of truly incredible storytelling. I'm not normally one to pick up thrillers but I might start now.
Such a well written novel and can't wait to read more by Matt Witten.

The Necklace is a contemporary suspense novel based on a couple of real life cases, about a woman travelling to witness the execution of the man who killed her daughter twenty years earlier - or did he? I requested it after seeing an enthusiastic review in one of my NetGalley groups, but should have checked with my like-minded GoodReads buddies first, as I normally do. It is competently written, and I did want to get to the end to find out what happened, but several issues impaired my enjoyment and mean it’s firmly in the 3-star “okay not great” category.

Susan Lentigo is a middle-aged divorcée who works in a diner in a small town in New York State and is still grieving the loss of her only child, seven year old Amy, who was raped and murdered. Now the killer is scheduled to die, and Susan sets off on a cross-country pilgrimage to North Dakota, to witness the execution. Then a series of mishaps leads her to a piece of evidence which has her questioning everything, and a race against time to prevent a terrible miscarriage of justice.

The author is new to me and from the afterword, lives in the kind of community depicted here, so I have to assume that the attitudes, behaviours and language here are true to life, no matter how unbelievable they seem to someone who has never lived in a country with the death penalty in use. This opens with Susan attending a fund-raising party to allow her to travel there, with all her friends, family & colleagues cheerfully drinking, dancing and joking about the execution, and seemingly forgetting that a little girl died horribly. This almost medieval approach continues throughout the book, as various characters gleefully tell Susan to enjoy her trip as if it’s some kind of holiday - even including the prison staff organising the lethal injection, in a way I found highly distasteful. And the scene where Susan walks past the cells of other death row inmates close enough to be spat on? Seriously?

The flashback chapters were well done as we first meet Susan and Amy and see their closeness, then experience Susan’s rising panic from the moment her daughter is reported missing. Her grief and the subsequent demise of her marriage were believable, but her actions once she starts her journey much less so. I suppose she’s led a sheltered life but to set off alone in a battered old car with nothing but pocketfuls of cash, which she brings out in public, is asking for trouble. The way she yells and swears at, is rude to or even shoves anyone who doesn’t immediately agree with her made her very difficult to like, despite my initial sympathy.
About halfway through the plot takes a turn towards a disappointingly overused trope - I can’t say more without spoilers but from then on the outcome was rather predictable. The author is a TV writer and it very much shows in the down-to-the-wire denouement.

I think this book would appeal most to people who don’t read a lot of thrillers, so won’t see the twists coming. It’s a fairly quick read in spite of the cross country travel dragging things out. There are references to child abuse but we don’t “see” the murder happening. There’s a lot of swearing, in case that bothers you. I didn’t like the main character, who brought much of her misfortune after the murder upon herself - and don’t get me started on her promiscuous mother and her unforgivable selfishness. I wasn’t sure if she was supposed to be comic relief as she carts her oxygen cylinder from date to date. I did however like feisty teenager Kyra, and the cover, which shows the titular plastic necklace at the centre of the plot - it is at least different from all the generic images that currently adorn covers in this genre.

Thanks to NetGalley and Oceanview publishing for the ARC. I am posting this honest review voluntarily.

Wonderful! So fast-paced I literally couldn't put it down! Read the whole thing in one sitting on a Sunday. I love story structure and this is one of the most expertly-plotted novels I have ever read. Brilliant!

I was totally engaged. It’s a real page turner. I highly recommend it.

As the clock ticks down, a potentially innocent man's life hangs in the balance while Susan, the protagonist, tries to piece the past together. But can she trust her hunch when, if it's right, she's been wrong about so much else?

This is the kind of story you want to read in one sitting. The characters, relationships, and small towns come alive through Matt Witten's masterful depiction. This novel unfolds like a film and I appreciated the author's note about the inspiration for the story.

I was so gripped, I preordered Witten's Killer Story, due out in January. Can't wait for another immersive read.

Good beach book. Thought I figured it out then another twist.

📿 B O O K • R E V I E W 📿
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Title: The Necklace
Author: Matt Witten
Rating: 4/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Susan Lentigo’s daughter was murdered twenty years ago, and now, at long last, this small-town waitress sets out on a road trip all the way from Upstate New York to North Dakota to witness the killer’s execution. On her journey she discovers shocking new evidence that leads her to suspect the condemned man is innocent. Even worse, her prime suspect has a young daughter who’s at terrible risk. With no money and no time to spare, Susan sets out to uncover the truth before an innocent man gets executed and another little girl is killed. Will she win justice for the condemned man—and her daughter—at last?
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If you haven’t noticed yet, I am obsessed when there are alternating time lines in a story, and this one goes between the present time, where Susan is on her way to North Dakota for the execution and twenty years prior when her daughter was kidnapped and murdered. I really enjoyed the twists that were placed into the story, and I especially loved not really knowing who I could/could not trust throughout the story.
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The ending was jaw dropping and absolutely heart breaking, but the epilogue was my favorite part. It was the perfect closure for such a dark and twisted read. Also, I was pleasantly surprised when reading the authors note, explaining to us know that this story is actually loosely based on a combination of real life events and real people who are in the authors life.
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My only beef with this book is that I really wish that this story gave more insight as to why the killer chose to do what he did. What was going on in this person head.
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