While my stay was short and sweet, it was sweet. I went to visit a dear friend and celebrate her forth-coming marriage with her because, for many un-moveable reasons, I can't attend her wedding. Her mother said to when hearing that I was willing to drive that far for a bridal shower, "You must really think highly of Becky." She was right. I do.
It was wonderful to spend a short, but precious amount of time with my friend. Our time together made me think about relationships and the importance of maintaining them. Some people are always there for you. And those people I always try to be there for.
On the way back, I took a route that brought me not across rural interstates, but across rural back roads, allowing me to make a quick stop on the way back in the tiny town of Ringsted, Iowa, population 400. There, I visited another dear friend, who is a pastor at the Lutheran church in this tiny town. It was wonderful and uplifting to hear her tales of ministering to these people-- a ministry that is constant. To those who saw us come into the local bar and grill for a slice of pizza for dinner, she was simply, "Pastor" and several people stopped to chat with her.
Quick Review: "The Last Child" by John Hart
Here's the synopsis:
A year after 12-year-old Alyssa Merrimon disappeared on her way home from the library in an unnamed rural North Carolina town, her twin brother, Johnny, continues to search the town, street by street, even visiting the homes of known sex offenders, in this chilling novel from Edgar-winner Hart (Down River). Det. Clyde Hunt, the lead cop on Alyssa's case, keeps a watchful eye on Johnny and his mother, who has deteriorated since Alyssa's abduction and her husband's departure soon afterward. When a second girl is snatched, Johnny is even more determined to find his sister, convinced that the perpetrator is the same person who took Alyssa. But what he unearths is more sinister than anyone imagined, sending shock waves through the community and putting Johnny's own life in danger. Despite a tendency to dip into melodrama, Hart spins an impressively layered tale of broken families and secrets that can kill.
I am not quite yet done with it, but, will say, with only a bit left, I'm giving it a 2.5. It's a decent read, but fairly predictable and the characters, all are a bit flat. Had I not needed the company for my more than 14 hours in the car, I would have given up on it. But, now I'm nearly done and I suppose, I should learn what happens.
I'll also provide the caveat that as far as mystery-thrillers go, I tend to like something with a bit more "thrill" to them than "The Last Child" provides. It's more of a read for someone who likes a straight-up police investigation. Those who like that type of story may be more drawn to this particular book.
And my second caveat is that I've been listening to this on audio and the guy who is reading it is starting to get on my nerves... maybe that is making my score fall a bit lower, too. But really, I think it's not a bad book (not really bad), just not my kind of book.
None the less, it was a good companion and I'm glad for that. Does it seem silly that I'm already dreaming of a new road trip just so I can enjoy another quiet get away, even, for this extrovert, all alone? I might just love that idea.
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