Murder at the theme park (Dreamworld - Jane Goldman)

Member Name: Clayeree

Product:	Dreamworld - Jane Goldman
Date:	06/09/09 (42 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Gripping and fast-paced

Disadvantages: Could be so much better

This debut novel by Jane Goldman (Jonathan Ross' wife for anyone who's interested, not that it should make any difference in your enjoyment of this story) is a gripping but ultimately shallow read.

The story is set in a Florida theme park called Dreamworld which is similar to the Disney parks. The main character is Sylvia Avery, a female park detective who is sent to investigate the death of two employees in an apparent murder-suicide. A further death in the Orlando area occurs shortly after and Avery soon ends up discovering more than she bargained for.

The book starts fairly slowly but soon gathers pace and there are some really excellent plot twists. Parts of the story are full of nail-biting suspense and you can't wait to find out what will happen, but even the least exciting parts are fast-paced and push the story forward at a rate of knots.

Whilst the main twist in the story was fairly predictable, for most of the book the reader is kept guessing as the truth is revealed bit by bit. I did feel that the motives of the villain were set up to be really elaborate but ultimately ended up being disappointingly simplistic.

The character of Sylvia Avery is complex but likeable and the supporting characters are all interesting. I did feel, however, that more could be made of the hints of painful events in Avery's childhood. It felt like the author had dropped these in with the intention of making them into a bigger part of the story but then decided against it, in a similar way to her treatment of the motives of the villain.

I especially enjoyed the descriptions of the inner workings of the theme park which seemed well researched. Throughout Avery's investigation she is charged with keeping the crimes secret so as not to disturb the family-friendly image of Dreamworld. I haven't ever visited any of the Disney theme parks but have always, perhaps irrationally, been slightly suspicious of them so this element of the story caught my interest.

This is an exciting and totally gripping book and I really enjoyed reading it. However, I felt it could have been improved if the author had done more to flesh out her heroine and villain in the manner she perhaps originally intended.

Summary: Enjoyable if you disconnect your brain before reading