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The Sins of Rachel Sims
Rachel Sims, a young Midwestern farm wife, disappears in 1952 under mysterious circumstances. Twenty-two years later, Laura Fielding, a young woman with a history of broken relationships, has vague dreams that are unconnected to anything she remembers from her early childhood experiences. With the help of eccentric psychiatrist Ned Finley, she attempts to solve the mystery of a past she can only vaguely remember in broken, fragmented memories.
222 pages, Paperback
Published May 19, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 27, 2022
Dennis M. Clausen has an unprecedented knack for writing midwestern thrillers and mystery novels that interconnect protagonists from two different timeframes and this book testifies to that. Through a succession of scattered and vague recollections, The Sins of Rachel Sims follows the link between two separate women torn between two different time frames that are 22 years apart.
Rachel Sims, a dark-haired woman from the Midwest, vanishes from the eerie riverbanks of Hodges Island in May of 1952. While gossip mongers stir rumors of immoral intentions behind her disappearance, the local graveyard keeper, known by the locals as "Crazy Charlie," believes something else entirely. The mystery behind this disappearance is then pursued through the life of Laura Fielding – a young graduate student – 20 years ahead in time. With the help of Ned Finley, an unorthodox psychiatrist, the two try to decipher the truth.
In my opinion, Clausen achieves an elegant mix between people and location through an intricate plot. The exhilarating events that ensue kept me hooked. It is a very well-written and thought-out book which I would surely recommend to all thrill and suspense lovers out there.
Rachel Sims, a dark-haired woman from the Midwest, vanishes from the eerie riverbanks of Hodges Island in May of 1952. While gossip mongers stir rumors of immoral intentions behind her disappearance, the local graveyard keeper, known by the locals as "Crazy Charlie," believes something else entirely. The mystery behind this disappearance is then pursued through the life of Laura Fielding – a young graduate student – 20 years ahead in time. With the help of Ned Finley, an unorthodox psychiatrist, the two try to decipher the truth.
In my opinion, Clausen achieves an elegant mix between people and location through an intricate plot. The exhilarating events that ensue kept me hooked. It is a very well-written and thought-out book which I would surely recommend to all thrill and suspense lovers out there.
March 27, 2022
The Sins of Rachel Sims takes us back to the old midwestern setting where a young and gorgeous farm wife – Rachel Sims – disappears without a trace in 1952. Her last known sighting appears to be in an Iowa-registered car with a handsomely dressed gentleman. While the townsfolk blame her disappearance on various sinister and immoral motivations, Charlie Flanigan, the graveyard worker known as "Crazy Charlie" by the locals, refuses to believe the unfounded rumors about Rachel Sims.
Jump twenty-two years ahead in time and we meet Laura Fielding, a graduate student with a past of broken relationships and a bonding disorder. She learns that her parents may have been living behind false identities. With the assistance of Ned Finley, an unorthodox psychiatrist, she attempts to unravel the mystery of a past she can only vaguely recall through broken, scattered visions.
The plot is incredibly exhilarating, and it had me riveted from start to finish. The characters are well-developed and blend perfectly with the flawless plot. Anyone interested in complicated layers of mystery and long-buried truths will enjoy this well-crafted, engrossing novel. This is a book that I definitely recommend.
Jump twenty-two years ahead in time and we meet Laura Fielding, a graduate student with a past of broken relationships and a bonding disorder. She learns that her parents may have been living behind false identities. With the assistance of Ned Finley, an unorthodox psychiatrist, she attempts to unravel the mystery of a past she can only vaguely recall through broken, scattered visions.
The plot is incredibly exhilarating, and it had me riveted from start to finish. The characters are well-developed and blend perfectly with the flawless plot. Anyone interested in complicated layers of mystery and long-buried truths will enjoy this well-crafted, engrossing novel. This is a book that I definitely recommend.
March 28, 2022
The Sins of Rachel Sims is an inspiring midwestern thriller that follows the interconnection of two different women living in two different eras that are 22 years apart, through a series of fractured and fragmented recollections.
Rachel Sims, a youthful farm wife from the Midwest, vanishes in 1952 for inexplicable reasons. Twenty-two years later, Laura Fielding, a young lady with a past of broken relationships, has strange dreams that are unrelated to anything she recalls from her childhood. She tries to explore the enigma of a history she can only barely recall in disjointed visions with the assistance of oddball doctor Ned Finley.
Through this captivating page-turner, I believe Dennis M. Clausen effectively delivers to his readers nuances of tension that serve to heighten the drama and keep us glued to the page, from ominous messages telling characters to "stay away" to the warm glow of a lit cigarette in the dark. The plot flows smoothly back and forth between the two timeframes, both of which are packed with palpable action and suspense. Lastly, I would like to add that the novel is well-crafted and a gripping read for anyone intrigued by multiple facets of mystery.
Rachel Sims, a youthful farm wife from the Midwest, vanishes in 1952 for inexplicable reasons. Twenty-two years later, Laura Fielding, a young lady with a past of broken relationships, has strange dreams that are unrelated to anything she recalls from her childhood. She tries to explore the enigma of a history she can only barely recall in disjointed visions with the assistance of oddball doctor Ned Finley.
Through this captivating page-turner, I believe Dennis M. Clausen effectively delivers to his readers nuances of tension that serve to heighten the drama and keep us glued to the page, from ominous messages telling characters to "stay away" to the warm glow of a lit cigarette in the dark. The plot flows smoothly back and forth between the two timeframes, both of which are packed with palpable action and suspense. Lastly, I would like to add that the novel is well-crafted and a gripping read for anyone intrigued by multiple facets of mystery.
April 16, 2022
Rachel Sims, a young farm wife from the Midwest, vanishes without a trace in 1952. Twenty-two years later, a young graduate student with a history of broken relationships – Laura Fielding – begins to have strange dreams that are unrelated to anything she recalls from her early childhood. She tries to explore the enigma of a history she can only barely recall through broken, fragmented recollections with the help of Ned Finley – an eccentric psychiatrist.
This page-turner set partly in rural Minnesota and Minneapolis is marked by a complex search for identity. The plot moves at a steady pace, with action going back and forth between the past and present. The series of recurring dreams from Laura’s unrecalled childhood serves as the vital link between these two timeframes.
The storyline is breathtakingly thrilling and kept me engrossed from beginning to end. All the characters are well-written and perfectly complement the plot. It's a gripping read for anyone intrigued by the mystery and long-buried secrets. This is a book that I would strongly recommend.
This page-turner set partly in rural Minnesota and Minneapolis is marked by a complex search for identity. The plot moves at a steady pace, with action going back and forth between the past and present. The series of recurring dreams from Laura’s unrecalled childhood serves as the vital link between these two timeframes.
The storyline is breathtakingly thrilling and kept me engrossed from beginning to end. All the characters are well-written and perfectly complement the plot. It's a gripping read for anyone intrigued by the mystery and long-buried secrets. This is a book that I would strongly recommend.
August 2, 2023
This novel is built on a really interesting premise. After the death of her parents, Laura Fielding discovers that they were not who she thought they were, and it fact, she may not even be their biological daughter. She sleuths around a bit and ends up in a small town that is home (or was) to a strict religious sect who had a young woman disappear under mysterious circumstances around the time of Laura's birth. Determined to uncover if this woman was actually her mother and to unravel how she came to be with her parents, Laura sets up camp and starts fraternizing with the locals to see what she can find out. This should have been a winner, but for me, it was a really slow read, and I found I did not connect with the characters or the style of writing. For others, all these things may work (and do, based on reviews), but I found myself struggling to finish. I should add that the conclusion was satisfying (although somewhat expected). Thank you NetGalley and publishers for providing a digital ARC for review.
August 2, 2023
This novel is built on a really interesting premise. After the death of her parents, Laura Fielding discovers that they were not who she thought they were, and it fact, she may not even be their biological daughter. She sleuths around a bit and ends up in a small town that is home (or was) to a strict religious sect who had a young woman disappear under mysterious circumstances around the time of Laura's birth. Determined to uncover if this woman was actually her mother and to unravel how she came to be with her parents, Laura sets up camp and starts fraternizing with the locals to see what she can find out. This should have been a winner, but for me, it was a really slow read, and I found I did not connect with the characters or the style of writing. For others, all these things may work (and do, based on reviews), but I found myself struggling to finish. I should add that the conclusion was satisfying (although somewhat expected). Thank you NetGalley and publishers for providing a digital ARC for review.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews