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Book Review of Final Scream

Final Scream
Final Scream
Author: Lisa Jackson
Genres: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Romance
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
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At 16, Cassidy Buchanan fell hard for her father's new ranch hand, Brig McKenzie, who had been hired to break Cassidy's new colt. The 19-year-old bad boy had had his share of trouble with both the law and women. Cassidy's older sister Angie had eyes for him as well but for different reasons. Then a mysterious deadly fire at the Buchanan sawmill was blamed on Brig and he had to run.

Now, 17 years later, another mysterious fire at the same location severely injures Cassidy's husband and an unidentified man is dead. Everyone believes the fire is related to the first. Cassidy has to find out the truth. Who really set the original fire? Could Brig have returned?

Jackson has a great ear for dialogue and is adept at creating characters that come to life and stay with you long after the book is finished. Even her secondary characters are rich and full. There were many possible suspects and I wasn't certain who was guilty until just before Jackson made the revelation. She delved into all the emotions that an extremely dysfunctional family can experience. This book, at a hefty 530 pages, was probably 200 pages longer than it needed to be. Perhaps I would have been happier with the original.

Final Scream is an updated version of Intimacies, originally published in 1995.

I can't believe how quickly I went through the 500 pages of this book. Unbelievably, undeniably, one of the best books I've ever read, and I read a lot of books.