Oh. My. Goodness! I was immediately pulled into the story by the excellent writing – which is crisp and No Holds Barred. When I realized the age and circumstances of the death of the child in the story, frankly I almost put the book down. I have a seven-year-old daughter, and there were times when reading this book was incredibly difficult. But I am so glad I persevered…
Witten has done a phenomenal job with this novel. He raises issues of guilt and innocence and trust and loss in a way that is thought-provoking and bald-faced without ever feeling voyeuristic or antagonistic. I found the story arc to be well-paced and plotted and his characters to be fully human – for good and for ill.
Despite the horrific nature of the crime underlying the story, I found this to be a thoroughly engaging novel that I simply couldn’t put down – I read it in a day!
Thanks to NetGalley for my obligation-free review copy.
Hi Jill-Elizabeth,
Thank you so much for your review. I’m glad you liked The Necklace! When writing the novel, I kept focusing on: this isn’t a novel about the crime exactly, it’s a novel about one mother’s bravery and heroic journey. I’m so glad – and relieved! – that this comes through.
Good luck with your writing!
Best,
Matt Witten
It did indeed, and it was a marvelous story! Thanks for taking the time to comment – and for the encouragement!