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Phillip Margolin has been boldly shouldering his way into the membership of 'A' List suspense authors since the publication of his classic novel GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN. Arriving, of course, is only part of the job. The rest is running as hard as you can to stay there. Margolin takes another step toward firmly ensconcing himself on that "must read" list with his latest novel, SLEEPING BEAUTY.
SLEEPING BEAUTY begins with a brutal home invasion that brings unspeakable tragedy into the life of Ashley Spencer, a teenager whose idyllic life is shattered when, while her mother is away on business, her father and her best friend are murdered by a fiend who leaves no clues as to his identity. When her mother is subsequently murdered, in an attack that also leaves Casey Van Meter, the headmistress of Ashley's school, in a coma, everything points to Joshua Maxfield, a charismatic teacher and bestselling author, as the killer. Maxfield is taken into custody, but when he escapes, Ashley suddenly finds herself in terrible danger.
She goes on the run for years, only to return when a stunning secret is revealed that brings Maxfield out of hiding and back into the arms of the police. Casey, meanwhile, awakens from her coma and is able at trial to identify Maxfield as her attacker and the killer of Ashley's mother. After a riveting trial Maxfield is convicted of murder.
Miles Van Meter, brother of Casey, writes SLEEPING BEAUTY, a true crime book about the events as a tribute to Casey and her ordeal. That, however, is not the end of Margolin's tale. It is, in fact, only the beginning! Margolin takes several structural chances in SLEEPING BEAUTY, and his success in doing so without so much as one misstep demonstrates the quality of his workmanship. This is a complex tale, yet Margolin explains things so well that the narrative never falters. It is worth noting that Margolin's style is such that he is able to lead the reader through a complicated plot shifting between the book's present and past without slowing the pace of his novel one bit, making it possible to devour the tale in one sitting.
Margolin, with SLEEPING BEAUTY, continues to challenge himself and others in his field with a tightly written tale that twists and turns through the narrative to a surprising but satisfying conclusion. This is yet another Margolin novel that is not to be missed.
--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
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