Angry

     I got an advance reading copy of a book called Angry Enough to Kill by S. J. Dunn.  It came along with some other books at a professional conference. The copy asked for a review. It shouldn't have.

     The book is about three women who seek revenge against pedophiles. You would think they would be sympathetic characters.  You would be wrong.

     The characters aren't drawn strongly enough to get an idea of why they act the way they do.  They have their reasons, but the way the plot and character development are intertwined, those motives become muddled. "Who is the vet avenging?" "Exactly what happened to the car dealer?" It's hard to keep straight. Add to that the fact whatever happened to them hasn't prevented them from becoming incredibly successful and you get a contradiction that just doesn't work. The supporting characters are equally poorly drawn and some seem to exist strictly to advance a plot point.

    Add to all that an overly complicated plot to do in a particular pedophile that involves too many actors and too much luck and the book simply doesn't work.

     Dunn seems to forget that just because someone is a victim that doesn't justify all out revenge, ignoring laws and morality. Something deeper has to be going on to make these characters sympathetic.

     The book is billed as a thriller.  It doesn't thrill.