Point Last Seen by Christina Dodd ©2022 is categorized as a thriller romance. That is an odd genre I had never experienced so I decided to give it a try. The suspense in the beginning of the book is strong, raising many questions, urging me to read on. One setting is near Big Sur, California along a sweeping picturesque portion of the California Pacific coastline in a small town called Gothic, City of Lost Souls. A second more minor setting is on board a scientist-laden exploration vessel out at sea. The two main characters, Adam a loner making a living as metal sculpture artist, and Elle, a yet to be described woman, meet in an extremely unconventional way. Her limp body washes up on the beach. She has strangulation marks on her throat, screams uncontrollable when the memory of how she got those bruises washes over her, yet has amnesia about the other circumstances of her life. The story takes off as how to assess and treat her injuries, mental and physical. The role, if any, that the ship and its crew play, is a niggling distraction in the background, but one the reader cannot dismiss as irrelevant.
Yes, this book has suspenseful portions, but I think the majority is more of a mystery, learning the background of both key characters. The romance portion of the book involves the budding relationship between the two of them. I liked the affect Elle had on Adam. She was strong and upbeat despite her travails; she was not a ditsy, clingy female like those portrayed in so many romance novels. Other supporting characters native to the town of Gothic, are plentiful but initially hard to follow and absorb – a local vet, a psychic, a psychologist, an actress and her entourage, a teenage girl, a garrulous old man, a wealthy town land-owner/landlord. All characters have their quirks that lend a bit of whimsy to the novel, especially the fortune-teller/palm-reader. Another oddly good aspect of this book is short chapters. Point Last Seen has 481 pages and 81 chapters which are conducive to an interrupted reading scenario. Per Wikipedia
Christina Dodd is the best-selling American author of suspense and regency historical romance. She is a recipient of the RITA Award.
Perusing the Amazon reviews of her works, many comments alluded to this novel as not being representative as the best of her works but still averaging a 4.4/5 rating.
I read Point Last Seen on two plane flights and during hours in airport terminals before and between flights. Just like with movies, I think reading in travel situations detracts stars from a book's rating. On the other hand, I did not regret having this book to help me while away the hours. Sometimes a book can be so bad, you rue your choice for travel, and you'd rather nap than read. This novel held my interest though it did seem rather long; but, to be fair, it was probably the flights and layovers that were rather long. This is the first of her books that I have read and I give it 3 stars. Fellow local library readers also gave it an average rating of 3 stars. Despite my mediocre rating, however, I am not deterred from giving this author another try.
★★★☆☆ Better than average; not a waste of time
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