Review: Exhume

Exhume by Danielle Girard
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Got this cheap, less than half the normal price, cannot remember why, and had this for a few months on my virtual bought-TBR-pile of ebooks.
Needed a break from Not Alone (although I should gritt my teeth and read the last 45min. or so to end that finally), this was updated on my Kindle January 21st, 2017 so I started it that day.
Most of the story is suspenseful and interesting idea - the heroine, Anna, is separated from her abusive husband, named Spencer, for 7 years now, he is not signing the divorce papers. Instead he stalks her.
The story of her having no proof for the abuse and how she lived a few years in that kind of marriage, her own mother standing by his side and not knowing what happened to her own daughter, is entirely belivable and rings of a sad truth. The situation supported by laws and society where they live, making divorce difficult without proof of abuse, playing in his hands.

This part gets 4 solid stars from me, others later would get 3 stars, with an uncertain ending, so I settle for 3.5 stars, for a good first one in a series rounded up to 4.

Main reason for maybe getting 3 stars is the plan to get him convicted, steering clear into illegal ideas, and at least one time thinking about killing Spencer. At the time this plan is hatched, there is no proof he directly killed anyone, and even if he ordered it, others might get free because of that plan.
Description of places, animals, plants where good, and not too much, a plus for me, as remember a few books which lost steam because of the descriptions (Dark Places comes to mind). Then Anna has a medical problem, which gets a bit much, but is very well integrated in the plot, leaving it open how it plays out and wether somehow Spencer was responsible.
Medical things where also very well done, this is for me (I am no expert, though!) on par with Kathy Reichs and others. This info from the blurb was what probably got me into buying that book, as I have no notes of a recommendation or review (if someone did, sorry).

Also, while the case itself is not entirely solved, he had people doing things for him and that situation is open in the end - this may all be solved in the next book, meaning this is not to be read as a standalone. As the second is yet to be published Excise on August 22nd 2017 as per Goodreads, I will reserve judgement until then - but am not too sure that I will buy that book and read it.

Thinking about it, there where entirely to many threads unsolved, so I would advise to read this with the second book available or near its publishing date, to read them back to back.
Wether this really warrants the 4 stars I gave it, remains to be seen. If and when I read the second the book, I will add a comment here and review the second book accordingly.

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