Collision of Lies
Collision of Lies by Tom Theadgill
Back cover description:
Three years ago, a collision between a fast-moving freight train and a school bus full of kids led to devastation and grief on an unimaginable scale. But a fresh clue leads San Antonio police detective Amara Alvarez to the unlikely conclusion that one of the children may still be alive. If she's correct, everything law enforcement believes about the accident is a lie.
With time running out, Amara must convince others--and herself--that despite all evidence to the contrary, the boy lives. And she will do everything in her power to bring him home.
A fresh voice in suspense, Tom Threadgill will have you questioning everything as you fly through the pages of this enthralling story.
Lee’s Preview: A sprawling investigation leads a likable detective on a path from skepticism to cold, hard determination.
What I liked:
This book, more than others I’ve read, feels better as a multi-episode miniseries. I don’t want anything to be left out as the investigation deepens and the clues are revealed. Three years after the fact, the previously open and shut case of a train-school bus collusion slowly falls apart as Alvarez and others look into the case. I loved the mystery aspect of this novel, and many of the reveals and twists as the investigation deepened.
By far the best part is Almara Alvarez, who is very compassionate, even when she initially doesn’t even believe the mother who is sure her son is still alive. Alvarez, who starts out as a property crimes investigator, has a chance meeting with the parents of a young boy who supposedly died 3 years ago in a bus accident. The mother received a bewildering text from her son a few days ago and is convinced her son is still alive. From there, Alvarez, though very skeptical, begins an off-books investigation, just to put the parents' fears to rest. She won’t stop until the truth is revealed, won’t back down from obstacles, and becomes singularly committed to her goal once it is revealed that the school bus crash was much more than a mere accident.
There are some great support characters. None greater than the homicide detective nicknamed Starsky. He is brilliant at his job, but is always going off on rabbit trails and must be reminded constantly to stay on subject, and provides some great levity on what could otherwise be some dark scenes. Sara, an extremely smart Texas Ranger, is paired up with Alvarez and provides a great alternative point of view as the investigation deepens. While the parents of the missing boy are only really characters in the first third of the novel, Marisa Reyes is an excellent mom character who won’t give up on believing her son might still be alive.
What I didn’t like (Spoilers):
When we finally get to the reason provided as to why the children were taken, the explanation given is something you’d find more at home in a Lost or Strangers Things episode than a realistic investigative novel. Maybe people who have read a bunch of thriller investigation novels find this explanation fits with the genre, but it didn't fit for me. I loved the novel up to that point, but the somewhat out-there backstory about why the kids were taken was a little too much for my personal preference.
The climax, for me, didn’t give Alvarez enough action moments. You want your hero to make a big splash when taking down the bad guys, and while she certainly has a part, I guess I wanted her part in it to be a little bigger. Nevertheless, the wrap-up scenes were effectively emotional.
Overall review: A fantastic sprawling detective story, even with some questionable elements, makes this book a gripping and exciting read. I really liked it! 4 out of 5 stars
Rated PG-13: for action violence, depictions of murder investigations, and discussion of child murder and child endangerment.
