Book Review: "The Queensford Family"

I have created a rule for myself when it comes to literature; if the author is able to weave such a tale that I am unable to figure out the ending for most of the novel, I am a very happy reader. I enjoy being kept in suspense, and I do not take spoilers lightly. Even if the writing is absolutely horrible, I will still enjoy what I am reading if I cannot figure out the direction in which the story is heading.

It is with great disappointment that I report that I figured out the entire ‘twist’ to Shelley M. Hollenbeck’s “The Queensford Family” around page 26, long before any surprise ending was even hinted at. If it weren't for the fact that I agreed to read and review this book, I would have put it down and moved on with something else immediately.

With characters that have no substance whatsoever, Hollenbeck promises a story that may even rival those of Agatha Christie. However, Hollenbeck falls incredibly short of fulfilling her promise as she delivers a sad and failed attempt at creating what I am sure she hoped would be the ‘next big thing.’ Right from the start I began to question the integrity of this story as it was so reminiscent of every other ‘murder at a fancy house’ story line where a number of selected people are invited to gather and then all mysteriously die. Hollenbeck’s style of writing was enjoyable to read, but the actual story was incredibly difficult to get through.

Littered with grammatical errors, I was left questioning whether or not this book was actually edited before print. The characters have no substance, the dialogue is forced, and the flow is terrible. We move from scene to scene with no transition; I had to reread many parts of this book to even figure out where I was as far as the book’s setting is concerned.

It is my recommendation that Hollenbeck look at her ‘final’ manuscript and completely overhaul it. It does have potential to be an excellent read, but its current execution is less than poor. As is, I cannot recommend this book to any of my family or friends; their time would be better spent with another book. I would say, however, that if the book were to be rewritten, I WOULD read it again. It was not completely terrible. If anything, it is grossly unfinished.

This book was published by Dorrance Publishing. Please note that I received a complimentary copy of “The Queensford Family” as a member of the Dorrance Publishing Book Review Team. Visit dorrancebookstore.com to learn how you can become a member of the Book Review Team.

Should you desire to try this book for yourself, you can find it for purchase by clicking here.