The Synopsis
What Hurts the Most by Willow Rose is the first novel in a “7th Street Crew” series. The Crew is a set of characters from the past which has come together in the present to solve a mystery involving one or more of them. Early on we meet Blake Mills, an appealing free-lance artist, a bit of a rogue and a bit stupid. Doing whatever one wants as one bounces carelessly through life is appealing to a reader such as myself but having a girlfriend who is married to a general, a power in the local community with hints of connections to a dark force is stupid. Something will go wrong and that central thing forms the theme of this novel. Blake is arrested early in the novel for a crime that we readers suspect he probably did not commit. It might be a revenge thing and a frame constructed by the evil general.
Next, in our setup, we meet Mary. She is a successful journalist but possibly pushes boundaries too much in terms of verification of sources. Shades of Fake News. Punishment is termination of employment. She will go back to Cocoa Beach, Florida at the invitation of her father. Her brother, Blake has been arrested for murder. Maybe her journalistic investigative skills can uncover what really happened. Perhaps her financial condition just got better as she can stay with her father. If only she didn’t hate her stepmother, Laura, so much. Laura helpfully returns the hatred in full measure. Good times for Mary’s Dad. And where is Mary’s biological mother? We quickly find out that she is dead but the cause of her death is another mystery. A single mother with a son, Salter, Mary is concerned about financial stability once her severance package is exhausted. Cocoa Beach is where the “crew” will be reunited.
On to Liz. Watch out for Liz. It seems there is something pathological about her. One clue is the way she and her “posse” threaten to physically emasculate a male pickup in a bar. Forcing him to drink Drano was an added painful touch, one not agreed to by every gang member who followed Liz. Does the fact that Liz is a combat veteran still serving in the Army cause her viciousness? Or is it genetics?
There is a backstory of Penelope, Peter, and a couple of kids. This story involves spousal abuse and a strange medical condition. Does one (spousal abuse) cause the other (medical condition)? Add this mystery to the Blake Mills murder mystery.
Mary reunites with her gang, the 7th Street Crew. There is Sandra, her best friend. There is Chloe, a computer hacker. Computer hackers are an annoying necessity in mystery novels. Startling revelations without much evidentiary base have to come from somewhere. And there is a most important character, Mary’s ex-husband and Salter’s Dad, Joey. He appears in a low-key help mode. He doesn’t want to push any reconciliation with Mary, a goal much desired by Salter. It is good that Joey is there with a place to stay for Mary when Laura, the evil stepmother throws Mary out of her father’s house.
And that is the setup for the novel. Nothing more needs to be said at the risk of injecting spoilers. The following line, not a spoiler, is my pick for my favorite line of the novel.
“Am I pretty?” (recurs many times in the novel so I won’t cite a location).
The Author
Willow Rose is a prolific author; I would get exhausted (and probably confused) just trying to count the numbers of books, short stories, novels in a series, and boxed sets that she has published. I just accept her figures in the “About the Author” section that there are more than 50 novels to her credit. She writes Mystery, Paranormal, Romance, Suspense, Horror, Supernatural thrillers, and Fantasy. Good enough. I will continue to just be a selfish reader and enjoy her works as I discover them.
My Opinion
Published in 2013, the novel has 95 chapters. Each chapter has a title that is a combination of a month and year. Chapters range from February 1977 to October 2015 with stops in 1978, 1979, 1984, 1986, and 1992. Months in each of the years vary. This is not a minor point and readers should pay attention. Characters may change names due to either marriage or attempts at deception. I found this to be a feature of Willow Rose novels. It gives her the opportunity to weave backstories with present action, something I believe she does skillfully.
The novel moves fast and, as mentioned, crosses several timelines. It is good but all the Willow Rose novels I have read are good. She is one of my “Go To’ authors for a guaranteed good read. And, so far, her endings have surprised me every time. It should not be surprising that I gave this novel five Amazon stars. At 454 pages for USD 0.99, this is a good deal. To read for free through Kindle Unlimited is also a good deal. This novel takes up to 92% of the 454 pages; the rest is an excerpt from what follows next. After all, this is Book One of the series.
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About the author
Customers say
Customers find this thriller book engaging and fast-paced, with a riveting storyline that keeps them on their toes throughout. The writing style receives positive feedback, with one customer noting it's tighter than the author's other series, while the characters are well-developed and the plot is full of twists and turns. Customers appreciate the book's readability, though some mention it can be hard to keep up with multiple characters.
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174 customers mention content, 159 positive, 15 negative
...past to present and from character to character, but overall was a good read. Not one of my favorite series that she writes.Read more
Very happy I came across this book it was a great read lots of twists and turns can't wait to get to the next look and see what happens next with...Read more
This is a great book. A new series I am looking forward to reading. All these high school characters came to life immediately....Read more
This was the first in the series with Mary Mills. It was a good book and everything was tied together for the great ending....Read more
141 customers mention story, 120 positive, 21 negative
...So, if you're looking to find a book with a great story, great character development and twists and turns at every corner read this one....Read more
Interesting story line. Variety of characters each with a story you can feel coming together. Family unity and strangers are the sameRead more
Excellent writing and plot. It kept my interest until 2am. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series. Thank you.Read more
Another good read. I enjoyed reading this book. Such a great ending. I recommend this book to anyone that loved a myster.yRead more
91 customers mention engaging, 84 positive, 7 negative
What Hurts the Most is an interesting, entertaining and fun story set in a classic beach city, with characters and histories that go way back....Read more
...I was completely blown away by the storyline. It was definitely an engrossing, heart-stopping thriller that had so many twists and turns that left...Read more
I found this story to be intriguing. A lot of characters that you have to keep straight but each one seems to have an important part of the mystery....Read more
Engaging and Entertaining...Read more
83 customers mention character development, 65 positive, 18 negative
Fantastic story 😊 Great characters and lots of twists and turns in the plot . Definitely a must read for fans of good suspense ....Read more
Love the characters…so many twists and turns. I was on the edge of my seat thru the entire book with an ending I never seen coming!!!Read more
...Lots of surprises, with interesting characters that played unique roles.Read more
...There are too many characters from at least three different time periods....Read more
52 customers mention plot twists, 50 positive, 2 negative
Fast paced, lots of twists and turns. A really great read. I would recommend, especially if you live in Brevard County!Read more
So many twists and turns and surprises keep you on edge and not wanting to stop turning pages - great book.Read more
Very happy I came across this book it was a great read lots of twists and turns can't wait to get to the next look and see what happens next with...Read more
...Nope. Not good. Awesome. Omg! So many twists. I anticipated a few, but those that I didn’t were like a smack in the face.Read more
37 customers mention writing style, 31 positive, 6 negative
Never saw the end coming! What an awesome writer; a breathtaking, non-stop read. Highly recommend this author....Read more
A new series by Willow Rose that goes 0-60 immediately. Her characters are well written with depth and detail, interweaving the groups’ long history...Read more
...Brilliantly written as always by a lovely lady with a devilish imagination. My favorite author. JohnRead more
Excellent writing and plot. It kept my interest until 2am. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series. Thank you.Read more
29 customers mention pacing, 24 positive, 5 negative
The book was certainly a fast paced and interesting the way to integrate iAlmost with interns at the end of the book kept me on my edge of my chairRead more
While this is an engrossing, fast-paced story, some of it is just soooo far-fetched as to be distracting from what could have a much better plot....Read more
I enjoyed reading this fast-paced thriller about an investigating reporter who is back in her hometown and a serial killer who is killing people who...Read more
...??? What Hurts the Most is a chilling, fast-paced story of murder and revenge. What did I think: five stars all the way...Read more
33 customers mention readability, 23 positive, 10 negative
Fast paced story which is hard to put down. I liked the characters and storyline. Have read several of Rose's books and would recommend.Read more
...I can't wait to read more of her books!!! Very fast paced and an easy read, this was one that I didn't want to put down.Read more
Read up to change 7 but could not get into the book. Not a book I woul recommend to read.Read more
...Sub plot after sub plot amazes and keeps you reading, and wanting to find out how this all fits together....Read more
You will never guess the ending!! Twists and turns galore!!
Most of us remember high school with it's groups. There were the very popular people, the not so popular people, the nerds and the really bad ones that most of us tried to stay away from. Well Cocoa Beach High has them all!! Mary Mills had left Cocoa Beach but when she received a phone call from her father that her brother was arrested and was being charged with murder--she had no choice--back she went! Now something horrendous had happened back in her high school days (you will have to read this novel to find out what)--but her crowd was still there and they eventually all get together to try to exonerate her brother. Meanwhile there is a killer on the loose---everyone thinks that they have figured out who it is--they are wrong. And as for her brother--she got him out of jail---but---- The twists and turns in this one will have your head spinning and some of it will have your skin crawling as if spiders were walking all over you! One thing for certain--you will never guess the ending!!
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Top reviews from other countries
- Kindle CustomerReviewed in India on July 4, 2016
Intriguing and innovative premise
Format: KindleVerified Purchase - Jane GiddingsReviewed in Australia on December 7, 2020
What hurts the most...
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
