From the TBR Pile: Cane and Abe by James Grippando

Author: James Grippando
Publisher: Harper
Date of publication: January 2015

In this spellbinding new novel of suspense fromNew York Times bestselling author James Grippando, Miami’s top prosecutor becomes a prime suspect in his wife’s disappearance, which may have a chilling connection to the woman he can’t forget.

Unbelievable was the word for her. Samantha Vine was unbelievably beautiful. It was unbelievable that she’d married me. Even more unbelievable that she was gone. . . .

Samantha died too soon. Abe Beckham’s new wife has helped him through the loss, but some say it was a step back for Abe to marry Angelina, a love from his past. Abe doesn’t want to hear it, and he’s even managed to remain a star prosecutor at the Miami State Attorney’s Office through his ups and downs.

Then everything goes wrong. A woman’s body is discovered dumped in the Everglades, and Abe is called upon to monitor the investigation. The FBI is tracking a killer in South Florida they call “Cutter” because his brutal methods hark back to Florida’s dark past, when machete-wielding men cut sugarcane by hand in the blazing sun.

When Angelina goes missing, the respected attorney finds himself under fire. Suspicion surrounds him. His closest friends, family, professional colleagues, and the media no longer trust his motives. Was Angelina right? Was their marriage not what they’d hoped for because he loved Samantha too much? Or was there another woman . . . and a husband with a dark side who simply wanted his new wife gone?

I'll be honest, I was a bit underwhelmed by this book. Cane and Abe is supposed to be a "spellbinding novel of suspense". Instead, I felt like it was a frustrating mess. The story involves Abe Beckham, a prosecutor for the state of Florida. He is called out the scene of a crime that may include a body left by a serial killer known as Cutter. It turns out that the body was a woman who he had a one night stand with years before. Soon, he is a suspect in the killing.

I had a few things I didn't like about the story. First, I didn't like that way it waffled between Abe's first person past tense POV and everyone else's third person POV. I found that disorienting. Second, I think I would have liked to read about either the serial killer or that murder of Tyla. The serial killer case is solved in a kind out of the blue way and I felt a bit cheated. As for the Tyla murder case, I found myself wanting to throw that book across the room. All of the characters and their decisions were frustrating and exhausting. I could only take so much of it in one sitting. There are a couple of twists in the end, but those didn't make me stop hating the ending. But then I'm not a fan of open-ended endings to begin with so a bit more closure would have been nice. I like my suspense wrapped up in a neat bow and I didn't get that.

The one thing that I did find interesting was the history of the sugar industry and the can cutters. I found myself actually wishing the author would have gone into it more in depth with that story line. Maybe if it had been more about the serial killer, he would have.

This is the first book I have read by this author. I'll probably give him another try. Maybe I'll try out one of his Jack Swyteck books for a Throwback Thursday post.

About the author:

James Grippando is a New York Times bestselling author whose novels are enjoyed worldwide in twenty-six languages. Black Horizon is his twentieth novel published by HarperCollins, the eleventh in the acclaimed series featuring Miami attorney Jack Swyteck. He is also the author of Leapholes for young adults. Grippando was a trial lawyer for twelve years before the publication of his first novel in 1994 (The Pardon), and he is now counsel at one of the nation’s leading law firms. He lives and writes in South Florida.

Find out more about James at his website, and connect with him on Facebook.

Purchase Links

Amazon | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble

James’s Tour Stops

Thursday, January 8th: Gspotsylvania: Musings from a Spotsylvania Dog and Bird Mom

Tuesday, January 13th: Vivacious Hobo

Tuesday, January 20th: Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Wednesday, January 21st: My Bookish Ways

Thursday, January 22nd: Built by Story

Monday, January 26th: From the TBR Pile