Saving Ben by Ashley Farley
Publication date: January 31st 2013
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Mystery
Synopsis:
Life is sweet for Katherine Langley. A freshman at the University of Virginia, she is free from the drama of her parents’ dysfunctional marriage and ready to focus on studying to become a nurse. Her brother, Ben, belongs to the hottest fraternity on campus, and her new roommate, Emma, is beautiful and charming, a party girl whose answer for a hangover is happy hour. She is also a psychopath.
When Katherine’s obsessive-compulsive overprotective brother succumbs to Emma’s charms and falls dangerously off-track, Katherine must save Ben from himself. Lives are threatened and someone disappears on New Year’s Day. The only evidence left: a single set of footprints in the snow.
From the university campus to a cozy cottage on Carter’s Creek, Virginia, Saving Ben is a haunting tale of love and loyalty, anger management, substance abuse, and betrayal.
When Katherine’s obsessive-compulsive overprotective brother succumbs to Emma’s charms and falls dangerously off-track, Katherine must save Ben from himself. Lives are threatened and someone disappears on New Year’s Day. The only evidence left: a single set of footprints in the snow.
From the university campus to a cozy cottage on Carter’s Creek, Virginia, Saving Ben is a haunting tale of love and loyalty, anger management, substance abuse, and betrayal.
Purchase:
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AUTHOR BIO
I wrote a novel, SAVING BEN, in honor of my brother, the boy I worshipped, the man I could not save. It’s not a memoir, but a story about the special bond between siblings.
I'm a wife and mother of two teenagers. I have lived in Richmond, Virginia, for seventeen years, a city I love for its history and traditions. Personal experience with my brother inspired me to become involved with the leadership symposium in my son’s school where I’ve helped bring in speakers to raise parents’ awareness of the alcohol and drug problems children face. When I’m not steering volunteer committees or working on my next novel, I can be found swimming laps or playing tennis.
Links:
Website: http://ashleyfarley.net/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashleywfarley
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AshleyWFarleyMy Review:
This book reminded me of movies like “Poison Ivy” and
“Single White Female.” It was easy to see from the beginning how cray cray
Katherine’s roommate Emma was going to be and that their friendship would end
up wreaking havoc on the life of her and her brother Ben.
I think the author did a fantastic job of transporting
readers to the Southern setting of the book. I especially loved the scenes at
the cabin where the siblings and their friends would hang out and have oysters
on the grill. I also liked the cover a lot and felt it really worked for the
book.
The beginning was a little slow, but it did provide a nice
setup for future events. Emma slowly worms her way into the lives of Katherine
and Ben without giving any real indication at first of how much trouble she
will end up causing. The story begins when Emma goes missing and then told in
flashbacks from the day Katherine and Ben meet her.
I enjoyed the mystery aspect of trying to figure out what
exactly had happened to Emma. There was a lot of tragedy and heartache leading
up to the chilling conclusion of the story. The Turners were intriguing
secondary characters and my heart especially broke for Abby. I was glad Ben and
Katherine was able to maintain their tight bond through everything. I think
that was my favorite part of the book: the touching relationship between an
over protective brother and his younger sister.
Overall, an intense book that deals with a lot of hot-button
issues such as anorexia, drug use and cheating. It was a quick read and I’d be
interested in checking out more from the author.
Rating: 4/5 Stars
I received the book as part of the blog tour from Xpresso
Book Tours
The mystery sounds really well done, and glad that even a bit slow in the beginning it sets up the world.
ReplyDeleteGreat review, Heather! I love it when a book really gets the setting right I always find I get brought right into the story when that happens. Sounds like a really great book with a good mystery! :)
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