Trap Lane

by Stella Cameron

I’m disappointed. I was sure that Trap Lane by Stella Cameron would be another puzzling, exciting mystery in the Alex Duggins Series. It was indeed puzzling all the way through. I felt like I was missing the backstory, but that was not the case. In fact the characters, including the investigators and the reader are clueless all the way through. Even at the conclusion of the tale, not all of the ends are tied up; and the status of most of the characters (those who are not dead, of course) is unknown.

Setting, mood, and dialogue are all well executed, but the characters fumble around trying to protect each other from various unknown dangers. Secrets obviously abound, but they are vague enough to be uncompelling. The characters don’t seem to understand “obstruction of justice” to the point that they obfuscate the many murder investigations with the end result being more harm than good to those they are trying to protect.

The main characters, Alex and Tony, are likable, but I wished I could alternately shake them into reality or plop them in a new setting. The elderly sisters who run a tea shop have the potential to be interesting characters, but serve more as background. Annie, who is supposed to garner sympathy, is never fully explained and appears a wimp. I like her even less than the stereotyped villainess Neve. Even the thread of the forensic pathologist could have been developed to be interesting. Instead, her potential problems and relationships are mentioned and dropped. 

Although disappointed, I will continue to read the Alex Duggins Series, hopeful that the next book will restore my confidence in this series.

I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Severn House for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 3/5

Category: Mystery

Notes: #6 in the Alex Duggins Series

Publication:   October 1, 2019—Severn House

Memorable Lines:

Accepting that there was nothing she could do to change whatever inner battles he was fighting did nothing to soothe her jumpiness.

So true that love and hate are close neighbors.

What Alex felt for him wasn’t pity, it was closer to grief for the loss of his youthful optimism.