Trashed by Diana Morgan

This mystery story is the first novel for a woman from New Hampshire.  Having spent years of my childhood playing around Lake Winnepausakee, I enjoyed the references to the New Hampshire lifestyle.  The mystery itself was good.  The story is interesting, fast, and creative.  I figured it out a bit earlier than I liked, but I enjoyed the ride nonetheless.

The characters in this novel were great.  I really liked (and related to) Will and Vic.  I appreciated the fresh take on the cliche mystery characters this author provided.  She was not afraid to break that mystery mold and I admire her choices.

The only nuances I found, probably due to the fact that this is a first novel, were the difficulties in dialogue.  At a few points in the story I had trouble tracking who was speaking in a conversation.  There are little or no indications (ie "he said") to help you follow.  Occasionally there is even a direction (ie "Will shrugged") that will follow a different character speaking and confuses the reader.  It is a small criticism and it honestly didn't ruin the book at all.

Overall, great story and a remarkable first novel.  Kudos Ms. Morgan.

4 smiles