Title: On Message
Author: Joyce Strand
Genre: mystery/thriller
Pages: 312
Publisher: McCloughan and Schmeltz
Summary: The first in a series of Jillian Hillcrest mysteries, Jillian is head of communications for a biotechnology company located in Silicon Valley. It is Jillian’s job to keep the public informed about the progress of drugs that are in stages of development: in this case for Lupus, a disease that challenges the immune system. In Phase two of the process of testing, ready to go forward into the final of the three phases, the results look promising . . . or are they? Corporate greed in this biotech company is the story behind On Message. When one of Jillian’s close friends is murdered after meeting Jillian, Jillian is asked to help track down the killer. But then, Jillian becomes the next target of the murderer in this mystery/thriller.
Opinion: I couldn’t wait to delve into this book. With a minor in college in biology, my first real career choice in life was to be a cytotechnologist. My parents disagreed and won: I became a teacher. So, we have a real life situation based on a true events, written by a woman who’s career is the same as Jillian Hillcrest, the head of communications for a biotechnology company, I’m on board!
It didn’t take long before I went off board and became just plain ‘bored.’ Were the commas in the right places? They appeared to be. Were there any grammatical errors? Not that I noticed. It was the long, executed passages, with page after page of nothing that moved the story forward made reading On Message a chore. To write a full-blown novel is painful, it’s hair-pulled out by the roots time, it’s twelve hours at a time re-writing the same chapter. It’s also adding an editor and a book doc to tell an author what does, or doesn't, work. No amount of education or writing classes will help cut down on the process.
On Message had a message, just one that wasn’t ‘on’ for this reader.
Rating: Two out of five stars.
Find it on Amazon.com
Author: Joyce Strand
Genre: mystery/thriller
Pages: 312
Publisher: McCloughan and Schmeltz
Summary: The first in a series of Jillian Hillcrest mysteries, Jillian is head of communications for a biotechnology company located in Silicon Valley. It is Jillian’s job to keep the public informed about the progress of drugs that are in stages of development: in this case for Lupus, a disease that challenges the immune system. In Phase two of the process of testing, ready to go forward into the final of the three phases, the results look promising . . . or are they? Corporate greed in this biotech company is the story behind On Message. When one of Jillian’s close friends is murdered after meeting Jillian, Jillian is asked to help track down the killer. But then, Jillian becomes the next target of the murderer in this mystery/thriller.
Opinion: I couldn’t wait to delve into this book. With a minor in college in biology, my first real career choice in life was to be a cytotechnologist. My parents disagreed and won: I became a teacher. So, we have a real life situation based on a true events, written by a woman who’s career is the same as Jillian Hillcrest, the head of communications for a biotechnology company, I’m on board!
It didn’t take long before I went off board and became just plain ‘bored.’ Were the commas in the right places? They appeared to be. Were there any grammatical errors? Not that I noticed. It was the long, executed passages, with page after page of nothing that moved the story forward made reading On Message a chore. To write a full-blown novel is painful, it’s hair-pulled out by the roots time, it’s twelve hours at a time re-writing the same chapter. It’s also adding an editor and a book doc to tell an author what does, or doesn't, work. No amount of education or writing classes will help cut down on the process.
On Message had a message, just one that wasn’t ‘on’ for this reader.
Rating: Two out of five stars.
Find it on Amazon.com
