Melski Woodbury

I have read The Housemaid (book #1, blue cover) followed by The housemaid's Secret's (book #2, red cover), The Locked Door (book #3) and this latest one, The Coworker. The Coworker was not well written at all, surprisingly even to myself. Storyline all over the place. The first 1-45 pages I was bored but kept reading up to page 92, put it down. Reading this far, wasn't exciting nor thrilling in the least. What's bothersome is amount of turtle talk throughout up to page 92, lack substance in whole. Wasn't edge/thrilling-suspenseful as her other books. Reader able to predict, guess some of twists in this book. The turtles were in actuality the 'Main' character, focused entirely too much, Dawn Schiff (new accountant) obsessed with turtles, turtle figurines, sea turtles, land turtles, her life is about turtles. The subject became overwhelming as if Dawn is a 5 year old in the story. I, along with other readers based on reviews is as though the author, Freida McFadden may have rushed into writing and finishing this book to get it published. Even though I read up to page 92, it's clear this book is about 2 women (Dawn Schiff & Natalie, top sales rep) how they tangled into a web. The one area that's very annoying, can't help not to notice (is that pages after pages, too many dialogue of 'emails' written by Dawn to her one/only friend who lives out of state. To (field), From (field), Subject (field) as if it's written/to be read as a diary message to her friend, Mia, very boring. Characterization is weak, story has no substance, not real ingredients in the story. Absence of coherence in personality-real motives of the story. In short, The Coworker was a sloppy script with no real character development/interesting plot. This book just kept dragging on and on, without much happening, another page, another chapter. Like many of Freida McFadden's books, it's predictable of the characters (long blonde hair, blue eyes, beautiful young gals 20's, under or just about 30's, the other support characters in the book in his-her early 40's). The story and characters as if this author couldn't level up some to other age groups. By now (on book 4, The Coworker) her writing styles have little growth. The Coworker is the least of my favorite, very childishly written to the point it felt very fictional. I love many of the author's books, but not this book at all. It's weak, slow moving-boring. A great disappointment, as many readers on Amazon has stated, including my mine. I am waiting for The Wife Upstairs to arrive today, Wed 3/27. I will continue to buy her other books (Perfect Son, The Teacher, Never Lie, The Boyfriend). However, once I am done reading these books later in the weeks, I will then decide if to continue to support her books, or not. A good, consistent author writes well, each story has a twist, unpredictable, thrilling, suspenseful...... I will see if McFadden has more juice to write stories that you can't put the book down, or not.

I've read up to page 223 as of yet. More than half way through and am starting to get tired of the story, at times, predictable. The story pretty much lay out the scene of a 49 year old defense attorney/episcopal priest who has no life whatsoever outside of the Guardian ministry, a non-profit office, where he works. He has 5-6 people working with him to exonerate who they believe are innocent, deserve a second chance. The defense attorney, Cullen Post, really doesn't have a life in this book. He sleeps, thinks, eats, engages, and totally absorbs in helping prisoners to be set free 24/7. His entire life is work, dig up helpful information, investigate🔎, interview convicts, former prosecutors, former judges, and witnesses from 22 years ago. He has associates who are within the organizations of court circuits, appellate courts, etc., but nothing more outside of his work. He is a lonely almost 50 old defense attorney/episcopal priest that has no life outside of his work; devotes and dedicates his whole life at 100% to the small Guardian non-profit defense make-do rundown office. I'm beginning to get bored reading this book. Cullen Post, is trying his hardest and damnest to get a black inmate who's on death row to be free, knowing very well he could be the target dealing with the dark life of crooks and criminals. He will do anything and to any extent to exonerate Quincy Miller, whom he's trying to prove the man is innocent to get him free. In the book, there is an extensive list of characters. After you've read xx amount of pages, put it down, pick it up again when you've time, it's hard to remember whose who, and what roles they play in the book. There should be an index listing all characters in the beginning to follow as the readers read the book and retrace who is who. On page 223, I am beginning to get bored of The Guardian, with 147 more pages to go. This guy has no life outside of work. No girlfriend, no wife, no partner, no friends, no sports engagements, no children, no friends, no interest in anything. He lives and breathes his involvement to exonerate jailbirds. That's all he does is to get as many convicts he sees and deems they were done wrong, to prove their innocence. Their small office relies on donation funding to keep operating. My view and rating of The Guardian: 3 star I'm unsure if I would buy another book of John Grisham. I'm aware Grisham was a former high-profile defense attorney. I don't know if I'm all that interested in reading his stories of assisting convicts to regain their innocence and freedom. If the story was written in a way Cullen Post actually has a life, iitside his work, that may have lighten up the story to balance life and work. This particular book is boring.