Book Review - Virtually Lace by Uvi Poznansky
Over the years, I have enjoyed reading Uvi Poznansky's novels. She weaves the ins and outs of human nature and emotions with romance, set in a variety of historical settings. This is her first venture into the world of virtual reality, combined with mystery, in which a murder must be solved. It's a good start but contains a few flaws.
As the story opens, dusk is creeping upon the city of Laguna Beach, California. Michael, a computer software genius, is strolling on a walkway near the city's shoreline. He spots a young woman darting ahead of him. Out of curiosity, he decides to follow, only to lose sight of her in the falling darkness. Soon, he stumbles upon her dead body, among the rocks, near the sandy beach. Fearing he would be accused and arrested for murder, he leaves the scene of the crime before the police arrive.
Later, Michael, with the help of his girl-friend, Ash, a computer genius who has her own major issues to deal with, assists Michael to computer generate a simulation of the shoreline where the victim was found. The two experiment with different scenarios in a effort to discover the murder suspect. They don't have any training in police investigative procedures, so they can only speculate if they are on the right track in discovering who the killer might be.
Unfortunately, this is also part of the problem. When the police enter the story, to investigate the murder, I shook my head. The way it unfolded was something out of a Hollywood movie script. As a retired police detective sergeant, I was appalled by the way it was handled. The two investigating officers appear to be morons with little training. Officers like this would never be tolerated on any police department. From the beginning of the crime investigation, through Michael's arrest and transported to the station, the procedures were wrong. I won't go into details, it would take too long. As far as the shooting, which would have violated departmental policies, that has been discussed by another reviewer.
Except for the police procedural errors (the author should have contacted the community relations department of the Laguna Beach Police Department for advice), Uvi Poznansky did a wonderful job in combining genres, new and old, in developing this suspenseful mystery filled with emotion and a touch of romance.
As the story opens, dusk is creeping upon the city of Laguna Beach, California. Michael, a computer software genius, is strolling on a walkway near the city's shoreline. He spots a young woman darting ahead of him. Out of curiosity, he decides to follow, only to lose sight of her in the falling darkness. Soon, he stumbles upon her dead body, among the rocks, near the sandy beach. Fearing he would be accused and arrested for murder, he leaves the scene of the crime before the police arrive.
Later, Michael, with the help of his girl-friend, Ash, a computer genius who has her own major issues to deal with, assists Michael to computer generate a simulation of the shoreline where the victim was found. The two experiment with different scenarios in a effort to discover the murder suspect. They don't have any training in police investigative procedures, so they can only speculate if they are on the right track in discovering who the killer might be.
Unfortunately, this is also part of the problem. When the police enter the story, to investigate the murder, I shook my head. The way it unfolded was something out of a Hollywood movie script. As a retired police detective sergeant, I was appalled by the way it was handled. The two investigating officers appear to be morons with little training. Officers like this would never be tolerated on any police department. From the beginning of the crime investigation, through Michael's arrest and transported to the station, the procedures were wrong. I won't go into details, it would take too long. As far as the shooting, which would have violated departmental policies, that has been discussed by another reviewer.
Except for the police procedural errors (the author should have contacted the community relations department of the Laguna Beach Police Department for advice), Uvi Poznansky did a wonderful job in combining genres, new and old, in developing this suspenseful mystery filled with emotion and a touch of romance.
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