Saturday 28 September 2019

Book Review: The Two Lila Bennetts by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke


Book Review: The Two Lila Bennetts

Authors: Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke

Pages: 307

Read on: Kindle

Read in: 3 hours

Plot Summary: Lila Bennett’s bad choices have finally caught up with her. And one of those decisions has split her life in two. Literally.

In one life, she’s taken hostage by someone who appears to be a stranger but knows too much. As she’s trapped in a concrete cell, her kidnapper forces her to face what she’s done or be killed. In an alternate life, she eludes her captor but is hunted by someone who is dismantling her happiness, exposing one secret at a time.

Lila’s decorated career as a criminal defense attorney, her marriage, and her life are on the line. She must make a list of those she’s wronged—both in and out of the courtroom—to determine who is out to get her before it’s too late. 

But even if she can pinpoint her assailant, will she survive? And if she does, which parts of her life are worth saving, and which parts must die? 

Because one thing’s for certain—life as Lila Bennett knew it is over.

Things I Liked:

1. This is very differently structured crime thriller and that is what made it interesting for me. I know, this book may not be for everyone. I enjoy the split time narrative. Like in the movie Sliding Doors. If your life split into two paths and you had the chance to go down both, what would happen in each? This is a question that has always fascinated me and this book uses this plot structure to delve into the life of our protagonist- Lila Bennett- a woman, who is not the nicest of people and has made many mistakes in her life. 

2. I liked both the paths taken by Lila's character. She realises pretty quickly in each that her sins have come home to roost. So, on the one hand, we see a kidnapped Lila trying to figure out who her captors could be, whilst trying to make amends for her mistakes and on the other hand, in the version where Lila is a free woman, we see how she gets disillusioned with the way her life is and how that leads her to make some changes in her life. 

3. The book also gives us a detailed look into Lila's backstory- the mistakes she has made, the callousness she has shown towards those who love her- which makes the redemption arc of the book interesting. 

4. There are several interesting characters in this book starting with Lila. She is a grey character- not very likeable but somehow the reader does root for her to save herself- body and soul. She is saved from being unlikeable by being self-aware. I also liked Chase- Lila's Assistant and friend, who is witty and fun- and Lila's mother, who is really supportive. Even her boss- Sam- is well written as an alpha, control-freak with a vindictive streak. 

5. This book is really fast-paced and interesting. A great read during a flight or a road trip. 

Things I Didn't Like:

1. I wish a little more time was spent on red herrings in this book. The authors had built up an alternative set of perpetrators, but it was pretty indirect and weak. The real perpetrators become obvious due to a simple process of elimination, which is pretty blah. 

Rating: 4/5 

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