Life Sentences

by: Alice Blanchard

Published by: Bantam

Reviewed by Kim Reis

Daisy Hubbard is a driven scientist who is just about to make a breakthrough in her search for a cure for the rare neurological disease that killed her little brother years ago.

When she gets the news that her schizophrenic sister, Anna, is missing in Los Angeles, she flies there to aid in the investigation. Working with Detective Jack Makowski, they are led to a serial killer who was seen with Anna and seems to enjoy tormenting Daisy with his knowledge of her life.

What a great book. Blanchard maintained the suspenseful tone from the very first page evenly through to the last. The characters become people you care about and really get to know, thanks to realistic dialog and personal memories.

There is a bit of romance mixed in with the suspense, which is a plus for me. The plot pulls together nicely in the end with a few unexpected twists and turns along the way. We also get to learn a bit about rare diseases, genetics, and medical research. I got really caught up in the story and found myself inventing excuses to stay home and read. It was that good.

Armchair Interviews says: Sounds like a very timely subject.