SUMMARY
What Lies Beneath tells the story of:
Viola West, an internal writer at Slander Studios. She hopes to make it in the television industry, but with a sociopath for a fiancée, and a stalker dogging her doorsteps, her dream may never materialize.
FBI Special Agent Greyso Cain made it his mission to unearth the identity of Violet’s stalker before he escalates beyond stalking. However, his need to find her stalker slowly became an obsession, and he soon crosses a line that could end his career.
The characters, though interesting, frustrated me with their actions. Viola is aware of her stalker, but she has no clue regarding his identity. The police can not help, so she moves to Los Angeles, where she started dating Jack.
Jack is a business owner with a dark side. Definitely someone you should avoid crossing paths with. Now Viola dated him, hoping he could protect her from her stalker. Oh, by the way they have moved on from dating, they’re now engaged. Even though she’s aware of his sociopathic tendencies, she takes serious risks which, if were discovered by him, would put her six feet under. One such risk is her relationship with FBI Agent Greyson Cain.
Viola came on Grayson’s radar when her picture, accompanied by a note from a suspected serial killer, landed on his desk. Throughout the course of his investigations, he made several career ending decisions. He took obsession to another level.
What Lies Beneath began on an interesting note, which had me eager to learn how the story would unfold. However, after a few pages in, I floundered to get through the first half of the story. The slow pacing and the frustrating actions of the protagonists contributed to my struggle. Thankfully the story picked up in the second half.
Delivered primarily from the POVs of Viola and Greyson, with one chapter dedicated to the stalker’s POV, the story gave an inside look into each of their minds. With Greyson’s POV, one sees how issues from his past cases while undercover affect his judgment in this current situation. Viola’s POV revealed her insecurities, fears and uncertainties. It would have been good to have more of the stalker’s POV.
Viola’s relationship with Jack was toxic, and I did not feel the chemistry between her and Grayson. Mind you, their intimate moments with Greyson sizzled, but I never felt the connection they supposedly share. Grayson’s obsession and Viola’s insecurities overshadowed it all.
Story Evaluation | |
---|---|
Plot |
4 |
Characters |
3 |
World Building |
3 |
Writing Style |
4 |
Pacing |
3 |
Cover |
3 |
Enjoyment |
3 |
Ending |
3 |
Overall: |
GIVEAWAY!
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