Question C

[Jonetta]

Garrett Bowen emerges as a suspicious figure early on because all of those students were his patients. What did you make of him and was he ever on your suspect list?

[Melissa]

I didn't like him. He was using the kids for his own gain. He was on my radar for a bit, but it seemed too obvious.

[Jonetta]

I was creeped out by him at the onset. And, it’s unusual for a patient like Emily to be so disgusted with her therapist. And for him not to know she was raped and repeatedly molested by her stepfather told me everything I needed to know about him.

Yes, he was on my list for awhile but barely. Like you, Melissa, I thought he was too obvious.

[Karen ♐]

I agree with both of you. He gave me the creeps. He was just too obvious to be involved in this. I found it unbelievable that he didn't know about her being raped and molested so often by her stepfather either. That's when I really couldn't stand him.

I don't think I ever suspected him.

[Charlene]

I'm in the same boat with the rest of you here...

[Jonetta]

See, Brennan’s got to do a better job of masking these villains.

[Lauren]

While he was a terrible therapist and an all round creep, I didn't suspect him at all mainly due to the fact that Emily (and any other teen) would never have trusted him enough to be a groupie. It was clear from the killers' POVs that they were fascinated by the ringleader.

[Lauren]

Jonetta wrote: "See, Brennan’s got to do a better job of masking these villains."

I agree. Her red herrings are too red, lol!

[Sandra]

I agree with you all. I looked at Garrett, and thought he was a controlling creep, but not a serious suspect for me. Too obvious. And yes, the author needs to work on not being so obvious with possible suspects!

As a reader, I like for the author to trust me to figure things out on my own by following the hidden clues. And make it as tough on me as possible by setting up several viable suspects with motive/means/opportunity. All red herrings should be believable.

[Jonetta]

Lauren wrote: "I didn't suspect him at all mainly due to the fact that Emily (and any other teen) would never have trusted him enough to be a groupie. ..."

Great point!

[Jonetta]

Sandra ~ ♥ Cross My Heart ♥ wrote: "As a reader, I like for the author to trust me to figure things out on my own by following the hidden clues. And make it as tough on me as possible by setting up several viable suspects with motive/means/opportunity. All red herrings should be believable...."

Me, too, Sandra. It wasn’t that tough to rule him out and what was left was slim pickings.