Review: See Isabelle Run

When she was left at the altar by her fiancé, Isabelle Leonard still went to her wedding reception and made a name for herself by dancing on the tables. Spotted by a wealthy lifestyle guru, Becky Belden, she gets a job in her magazine. All seems rosy, until she realises that there are many unexplained deaths within the company, including her predecessor in her post and her supervisor. Is Isabelle going to end up on the list as well?

'See Isabelle Run' is a pleasant novel. It is very short, so therefore easy to read. The eponymous heroine is captivating, as she is brave and interesting, if a little naïve at times. The main problem is that the plot and its twists are too obvious. We are given a suspect, but any established mystery reader will know to expect a twist before the novel reaches its conclusion.

Other than this, there is not an enormous amount to say about the novel. It concentrates almost entirely on Isabelle, with the story being told in the third person. This does mean that the reader does not learn a lot about other characters, but Isabelle's larger than life personality makes up for this. Other characters who have the potential to be interesting, such as Isabelle's supervisor, are killed off rather too quickly. It seems that Bloom was looking to have as brief a novel as possible, whilst still maintaining a tight, cohesive plot. Verbosity for verbosity's sake is never a good idea, and Bloom certainly seems to have realised this.

'See Isabelle Run' is a summer read, to be absorbed in the sun on the beach. Not too complicated, just enjoyable. It is one of those novels that you are not likely to remember after a couple of years, but someone looking for a quick read that does not require a lot of concentration is sure to find 'See Isabelle Run' as suitable.

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Luke Croll - RAM

Please Note: Books reviewed are usually provided by the publisher, author, or an agent. Reviewers usually get to keep the book.

Book Review: See Isabelle Run

Please Note: Books reviewed are usually provided by the publisher, author, or an agent. Reviewers usually get to keep the book.