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"Terrific descriptions, great character development and several clever lines keep the story moving along at a brisk pace. By page 24 I was well and truly hooked into the story, and I did not put the book down until it was done."
Reviewed in Canada on February 1, 2021
Throwaways is a new thriller by Elliott Light that takes place in the elusive world of obscenely rich, powerful men where they take advantage of marginalized women and girls, who, for all intents and purposes, have been discarded by family, community, and society. Jake Savage is a research volunteer, who, after turning down a job offer to look after his adoptive mother Ethy after she has a stroke, spends parts of each day counting and photographing the invasive lionfish in the Gulf water off Key West. He is doing just that when a shadow floats above him. The shadow is cast by a young, dead girl, scantily dressed and floating face down. He wants to let her go, but knows that he can’t, and he is quickly thrown into a world of trouble, along with a cast of complicated and interesting characters. Terrific descriptions, great character development and several clever lines keep the story moving along at a brisk pace. By page 24 I was well and truly hooked into the story, and I did not put the book down until it was done. The introduction of Detective Murphy, the description of his presence and personality, were so well-written that I had to (wanted to) re-read that page several times. I had my favorite line in the book before reaching Chapter 2. OK, I hoped for more great lines and personalities, and I was not disappointed, but my favorite line is still on page 24. To quote the author “Impressions are what happen when information is filtered through lenses of experience, bias and, to some extent, wishful thinking.” My favorite line is in the next paragraph. Check it out and see if you feel the same way, or if you like some of the other terrific lines. Four out of five stars for me because I enjoyed the story, the pace and the characters. Many thanks to the author, Bancroft Press, and NetGalley for the digital copy of this book. The opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own. Read and reviewed voluntarily.
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"The author took headlines and made a story that was well worth reading."
Worth reading January 31, 2021
The subject of child trafficking is not something I normally read. However it is really straight from the headlines isn't it. I actually picked this up as a thriller action book. It is truly a suspense action. Evil rich men, naïve young girls and several do gooders make the story one you won't forget. My stomach twists at how badly the girls are treated. The rich that misuse their good fortune is sad and wrong. The author took headlines and made a story that was well worth reading.
I was hooked from the moment I picked up the book...
Hooked. January 21, 2021
Elliot Light once again weaves a fantastic, fast paced tale with a sympathetic, relatable cast of characters that is impossible to put down. I was hooked from the moment I picked up the book and felt truly invested in what happened to the characters through the twisted path they were set on in the gorgeous backdrop of Key West
The descriptions are beautiful and give us a peek into the character and history of Jake. I found myself caring not only for him but also for Detective Trent, for Ethy, so oblique with her affection, for Tess, who is equally twisted in terms of past baggage, and even for Jake’s adoptive father, Maurice Savage, who is dead when the book begins.
Reviewed in India on 8 January 2021
Throwaways is a great thriller about the world of the rich and powerful and the crass manner in which they indulge their basest desires, at the expense of helpless and unfortunate throwaways, youngster who have run away from home and are unwanted. A portion of the book relating to the crime is deeply distressing and may act as a trigger for sensitive persons. Jake is a research volunteer with an organisation called ClearSeas. He is looking to photograph an invasive species called lionfish when the corpse of a teenage girl drifts into view. Against the backdrop of his own mother’s unsolved murder 23 years ago when he was only 4, Jake is troubled by the police’s dismissal of the case as an accident. Detective Trent Murphy has good intentions, but he’s close to retirement and fears losing his pension in the quest to solve the mystery of the death of a throwaway, a child no one wants. At first Jake wants to give the dead Jane Doe the dignity of an identification, but soon he gets caught up in the need to save Alicia, another runaway who might have been the friend of the dead girl and who has run away with a crucial bit of evidence: a laptop. Jake’s investigations point him towards Giles Horan, a filthy rich sexual pervert who may know a lot about the death of Megan Jones, the dead Jane Doe, and is after Alicia to silence her. The effort signs his death warrant for Horan is a vindictive man. Meanwhile Andre Mitchell is working on behalf of his client who is also interested in calling a halt to the investigation. Andre tells Jake to get the laptop that Alicia stole and give it to him in exchange for protection from Giles but to forget about Megan’s death. For Jake, caught between two antagonists, as well as for Ethy, his adoptive mother, and Tess, the girl hired to look after Ethy, and Detective Murphy, this can only end badly. The story is written in the past tense PoV of Jake Savage. One feels the pain of a young man who, as a child, found the dead body of the only parent he knew. The descriptions are beautiful and give us a peek into the character and history of Jake. I found myself caring not only for him but also for Detective Trent, for Ethy, so oblique with her affection, for Tess, who is equally twisted in terms of past baggage, and even for Jake’s adoptive father, Maurice Savage, who is dead when the book begins. The setting comes alive with the simplest of words. Despite knowing zilch about the geography of the place, I could picture it based on the details provided and I liked the picture my mind built up. I was impressed by the research around oceanography, the currents, tides etc. The details of the boats and the building and renovation feel intuitive and real. The entire story takes place over 8 days, from Sunday, October 18, to Saturday, October 24. The author, in the person of Giles and Andre, kept pushing Jake into one predicament after another. It was well done, and it kept the pace going fast and smooth. I’d first opted to read this book after reading the description and seeing the cover. I was touched by the incongruence of the cover image, the dead girl floating ethereally in the great blue with the lionfish surrounding her. Having suffered at the hands of humans while she was alive, it seems that she is now fodder for another invasive species below. I loved the ending. It felt right, without seeming unbelievable or hurried or even forced. I only wish the author had given Jake, and us, some closure on the one mystery relating to his life. Perhaps a second book could throw more ‘light’ on Jake’s past..
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