Patchwork

by Carolyn Banks

Book by Carolyn Banks

Genres: Horror

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

Reviews

[Deborah Schultz · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading this book, I am very surprised to find it has so few ratings and reviews. I am also surprised that the book is rated at a 3. I really, really enjoyed this book. I am partial to female writers and books that develop characters. I also enjoy thrillers. I found the main character likable and empathized with her. I was a single mom raising a son alone until he was nine. I was lucky that he didn’t resent me when I couldn’t afford something. But, what if my son had been a sociopath or a psychopath? What if, instead of struggling to get him to clean his room or stop playing video games all night after I fell asleep, and instead I struggled to get him to do his schoolwork in spite of his brilliance and he failed all his classes? What if I couldn’t get him to stop drinking or doing drugs? What if I suspected him of harming animals? What if he kept yelling at me? What if he hated me? What if he threatened to kill me? What if he killed a few people? What if no one believed me? Would I protect him? Defend him? Turn him in? Lock him up? Run for my life? Hate him back? What if I was wrong? The main character’s struggle with love, anger, fear, confusion, doubt are all real. I was engrossed. I read this in spurts where I couldn’t put it down and spent more time than I had with my nose in the book, interspersed with periods where I couldn’t or didn’t read. Don’t pick it up, don’t pick it up - you’ve got x to do... Imagine if I could crochet and sell enough on Etsy that I could support myself off my earnings. This character quilts. The negative side of this book is the hideous cover. The Kindle cover is much better.

#thebookonyourtbrlistwiththeugliestcover

[Feliks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm generally a very tough critic on women authors even though I've read scads and scads of them. I've read feminist literature; chick lit; historical romances; poetry; war reporting..everything. Usually with no complaint.

But the one area where I insist they fall short is in the writing of thrillers. There's a knack to writing a thriller which male authors just seem to 'nail'. Thrillers are not supposed to spend time analyzing inward feelings or character relationships; and this is the invariable tendency of the female writer. And why not? Its what they excel at. Meanwhile a writer like Frederick Forsythe or an Alistair MaClean just shoves the story along; with the requisite 'coldness' that thrillers need.

So --all the above being stated--when I DO come across a thriller written by a woman which turns out well, I leap to praise and compliment it; as I would like to do here, for 'Patchwork'.

Its a damn nifty read. Nimble, deft plotting and succinct conflict. Briskly paced; and the woman (lead character)'s inner reflections don't get in the way of the story. I'm giving it three stars. There should be more works like this. Mighty spry little page-turner!

[Cindy Wall · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another good murder mystery, but I just could not get "into" it. Will try it again later.