‘Kiss’ A Disappointing Read

I’d never read one of J.A. Jance’s books before, but I’d heard they were good. “Kiss of the Bees” was a sore disappointment.

Although the front cover describes the book as a “novel of suspense,” there was no suspense involved. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out the plot. The book wasn’t much of a mystery, and in fact it was a poorly told tale.

On the positive side, “Kiss of the Bees” has some fairly interesting characters whose descriptions are pleasing although incomplete. There isn’t one protagonist, but a family. Sometimes the cast of characters gets confusing, and some subplots don’t seem to connect with the main story.

The Walkers were a happy family until Diana Walker was attacked by Andrew Carlise, Diana’s former teacher. Carlise is sent to prison, where his desire for revenge ruins the Walker family’s dreams. The novel is set in the Southwest desert, and the winding canyons make for confusing territory.

The narrative doesn’t hook like it should. In fact, nothing does until the climactic final scene, which was reminiscent of “Tom Sawyer.”

Grade: D