THE TIME TO BE MOST AFRAID IS WHEN THINGS START GOING WELL. Paul Barrett is a successful author. So are brothers Randy and Donnie Camron. Along with the rest of the gang from Reichold Street, they think their lives have finally settled down...but in this provocative new thriller they discover new disasters determined to find them, wherever they go. In DEAD END STREET the characters discover the past isn't always as far behind them as they imagine.
Assessment:
Plot: The tension in Dead End Street operates at a slow sizzle, and the author writes with a capable command of the storyline and a structurally sound narrative. The novel relies on readers' familiarity with the previous books in the series; as a result, the story arc comes across as largely incomplete, leaving readers without a deeper understanding of the previous circumstances that have impacted present ones.
Prose: Herron's prose is readable and solidly crafted yet too often offers summary in place of illuminating detail and description. Shifts in perspective between chapters can be jarring.
Originality: Herron's story has a handle on the suspense genre and brings to it a distinctive focus by centering on a particular group of friends and the circumstances that have both connected and divided them.
Character Development: While allusions are made to the characters' individual histories, they would benefit from further detail as well as meaningful interactions that would lead to a greater understanding of their identities both independently and in relation to one another.
Date Submitted: June 07, 2017
5 Stars! R.L. Herron’s coming of age thriller for young and new adult readers, Dead End Street, is a poignant and moving look at the Reichold Street friends whose lives would be forever changed by the Vietnam War. Herron’s characters are complex and complicated, and it’s hard not to share in Paul’s psychic trauma which is heightened by the sudden violence that happens during Janice and Randy’s wedding reception back in Brickdale. Dead End Street is introspective and moody at times, echoing Paul’s mental state, and the growing disparity between his professional success and his happiness. This well-written tale is a stirring continuation of the family saga begun in Reichold Street, and it’s most highly recommended.
~ Readers' Favorite
