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THE MISTAKE I MADE
by Paula Daly
Grove Atlantic, September 2015
368 pages
$25.00
ISBN: 0802124097


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Paula Daly has written a thriller about a woman's relationship with a psychopathic stalker and somehow managed to make it lighthearted and uplifting. As THE MISTAKE I MADE opens, Roz is a divorced mother trying to care for her son with inadequate income and no prospects. Her sister is awestruck by a wealthy couple she's become friends with, and invites Scott and Nadine Elias to a casual party along with Roz. After they've met, Scott shows up at the clinic where Roz is a physiotherapist, claiming a bad elbow. What he really has is a desire to sleep with Roz. When Roz demurs, Scott offers to pay her a very healthy sum for sex, providing her with an escape from her financial woes. Roz accepts, thus making "the mistake" referred to in the title.

As one mistake leads to another, and Roz's life spirals out of control, her son George's life follows a similar trajectory. Nadine sets Roz up with her brother, and when their natural attraction catches Scott's attention, Scott starts showing his true nature. Roz's boss, who was harassing her, goes missing, causing the police to get involved in Roz's life and further threaten her safety. A tracking device is found under Roz's car. And then Roz is invited to Scott and Nadine's anniversary party and the resulting explosion means the end to life as she once knew it.

Throughout it all, Roz manages to stay spunky and to stand up to Scott. A little suspension of disbelief goes a long way when reading this book, and it is especially wise for the reader not to look too deeply into the characterization. It is not hard to imagine that the story line could have been written in a much darker, more brooding manner, producing chills and thrills. However, Daly writes with a light touch and allows the likeable Roz to prevail. THE MISTAKE I MADE is an enjoyable read, and it will especially appeal to those who like their stalker thrillers with an upbeat ending.

§ Sharon Mensing is the Head of School of Emerald Mountain School, an independent school in the mountains of Colorado, where she lives, reads, and enjoys the outdoors.

Reviewed by Sharon Mensing, December 2015

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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)


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