Review: Tethered

Tethered
by Amy MacKinnon

Clara is a reclusive undertaker who knows the pain the world has to offer. She rarely speaks and she never lets anyone touch her. She is deeply scarred but working in the mortuary brings her peace. But then she finds Trecie, the young girl that wanders the funeral home grounds. Trecie is a girl who understands as much about pain and survival as Clara does, and she has some kind of connection to Precious Doe, a little girl found dead in the woods, a mystery never solved.

Isn't that cover just stunning? I love the colors and the grace of the woman floating in the water. I had to know about Clara and Trecie. But the book was not what I expected. I thought it would be a quiet, contemplative story. That's how it starts but it soon becomes anxious and then menacing. When the action kicks in it doesn't stop. It becomes a crescendo of danger and fear. This was definitely not contemplative. It was suspenseful. And I enjoyed every minute of it.

There were several mysteries to discover throughout. MacKinnon gave several possibilities for each one to keep the reader guessing. You're never sure who can be trusted and what will happen next. It was a little predictable but it wasn't always the storyline that kept me reading. I really liked Clara and I had to know what happened to her that made her so withdrawn and what she would do with the circumstances she found herself in. I also wanted to follow along as the mystery surrounding Trecie was brought to light. A book with great characters and a gripping story always make for a great book.

By way of warning: there are many gross issues laid out in the book. Clara is an undertaker so there is some little details about what that entails. There is also a connection with kiddie p*rn so if you are sensitive to that you may want to avoid reading this one. It's not detailed but enough information to give the reader some discomfort. I felt it was not out of line for the character of the book.

One word review:
Worthy

I chose this book as my Judge a Book By Its Cover choice for the Take a Chance Challenge. I have been led astray by cover art in the past but I am so glad that this one was not in that category. If you want to get in on this fun challenge go to Find Your Next Book Here for all the details.