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Where\u2019s My Son?<\/a><\/i> by John C. Dalglish is a police procedural<\/strong> with a terrific premise. It also has the virtue of being (judging from a few hints in the text) a Christian novel that doesn\u2019t preach. Unfortunately, it also exhibits a number of first novel weaknesses. I think the author may be capable of much better stuff.<\/p>\n The story starts well (from one perspective), balancing three horrifying plot strands. An amoral operation in false adoptions retains a felon to find and steal a baby for them. A childless couple suffers the heartbreak of multiple miscarriages. And a pair of loving new parents do not know they are being watched, and their lives are about to be torn apart.<\/p>\n It\u2019s only once the kidnapping has been committed that the book\u2019s hero is actually introduced (this, by the way, is in most cases a mistake. Authors are usually well advised to bring the main character in as early as possible). Here the hero is Detective Jason Strong who, sadly, does not live up to his surname. He\u2019s hard-working and compassionate, but he comes off pretty stiff. No back story, no private life. Some readers don\u2019t care about such matters in a good puzzle mystery, but this isn\u2019t a puzzle mystery. It\u2019s a police procedural in which we know whodunit before the detective does. Another problem is that Detective Strong doesn\u2019t actually do much detecting. He follows leads, but his big breaks come from luck. That may be true to life, but it weakens a novel. The fact that he prays for guidance at one point is what tipped me off that this is a book by a Christian.<\/p>\n There are also a number of stylistic problems. At one point, two characters meet and just waste time: \u201cHi, Wade. How ya doing?\u201d Tip for authors: Unless some major clue is going to be dropped in the course of two characters greeting each other, just say, \u201cThey said hello and shook hands,\u201d or something like that. Or skip the greeting altogether. The reader will know they went through the pleasantries. It just slows your story down.<\/p>\n At another point, a character is thinking about his wife, and in the next paragraph we\u2019re told the same character \u201clet his mind wander\u201d to her. It doesn\u2019t need to wander that way if he\u2019s already thinking of her.<\/p>\n Most disappointing is the ending. Sudden and spare, it reads more like a synopsis point than a fiction passage. This relates to the weakness of Det. Strong\u2019s character. If he had a life and friends, he\u2019d have someone to bounce his decision off, and the scene would have a lot more resonance.<\/p>\n All in all, a good try. I wish the author the best as he improves his craft. Caution for a few passages of strong language. Where\u2019s My Son? by John C. Dalglish is a police procedural with a terrific premise. It also has the virtue of being (judging from a few hints in the text) a Christian novel that doesn\u2019t preach. Unfortunately, it also exhibits a number of first novel weaknesses. I think the author may be capable of much … Continue reading Where’s My Son? by John C. Dalglish<\/span>
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\u201cGood, you?\u201d
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They shook hands.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
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