Much Needed Rain

Brilliant book showing all sides of the story. Who has the motive ? Who has murdered and why ? A once suspect helps the detectives solve the plot.

This book really deserves four stars, but I can only give it three, for reasons I will explain shortly.

Here's the thing: the writing is clunky and quite flowery at times, and then at others, it tightens up and unexpectedly slaps you with everything that's right. The book see-saws between these two states, which is one reason why it took me two weeks (TWO WEEKS) to finish it, when I could have finished it in a day.

Another reason I took so long with it is because I shouldn't have any time to read: and yet, I found time, because Much Needed Rain, beneath all the flowers and twisty sentences and dubious character action, is good.

Look at that blurb. It's really attractive, and the book does deliver on the whole "lie hunter" thing. I was surprised that the author kept up the body language analyses, but he did, and I quite enjoyed that. It reminded me of Lie To Me.

The main thing I didn't like about the book - the reason it gets three stars, when I wanted to give it four - is the writing. As I said before, it is clunky. It felt like even the most normal things were a bit overdone. For example, in Chapter 1, there is a scene where Lewelyn is in a coffee shop, and he encounters a loud group of students:

"'Remember his face?!' a haughty joyous voice blared.

"A group of high-school students in varsity sports jackets laughed at the memory they all shared. Inhabiting a booth opposite the centred counter, the four of them went on with their loud freedom of speech. Lewelyn had chosen a squared booth right at one end to ward off any disturbing entities. The lighting was poor in comparison to the counter's mass festoon of lights. Lewelyn deliberated on whether they were out, ready for Christmas (which was six months away)."

I get antsy when so much is described, because to me, it just isn't necessary. I'm an action-geared reader, and I want the action. For me, the description bogged down the text.

But then again, I liked that part, too. Sure, it could do with some polishing, but at the same time, it feels like it fits Lewelyn, and I'm okay with that. That's why I kept reading: throughout, the writing kept giving me reasons to DNF, but at the same time, the core of the book shines through the writing.

"The open doorway revealed countless shapes - some with distinctive similarities to parts of a human body, a number of places offering hidden refuge. Staying withing the confines of the doorway as if it somehow protected her, she watched for any motion from the objects concealed in the darkness.

"They all knew her and she knew them: tables, chairs, drawers, shelves; so many potential hiding places."


This is an example of the kind of writing that hit you upside the head unexpectedly: in the context of the chapter, that was a really good passage.

The characters were pretty good, too, although I would have liked them to be smoother(?). Lewelyn was intriguing, and so were the various villains (including Baker lol). Sometimes, it was a bit difficult to feel for the characters, though. Lewelyn was distant to begin with, but I did like him, and I liked seeing him from Baker's perspective, too (another thing that worked pretty well for me were all the different POVs). Baker had a rough start with me - I did not buy into him and his "instinct" at all. It didn't strike real with me, that he should be so hostile with no evidence - with evidence against his view, too.

Those are the only problems I noted down; if I had any others, I didn't make a note of them. Overall, Much Needed Rain is not bad: it is pretty good, and I enjoyed it, but it could definitely do better with better writing.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Troubadour Publishing/Matador for a review copy of Much Needed Rain, a debut novel featuring L.A. based non verbal communication expert David Lewelyn.

When his business manager, Hannah Miller, is brutally murdered David initially comes under suspicion as the last person to see her alive but DNA and Detective Tom Forsythe's instinct clear him although his partner Detective Mark Baker doesn't agree and objects strenuously to David being allowed to help on the case.

I enjoyed the plotting in Much Needed Rain. Mr Oram has come up with an original spin on the murder genre and has obviously put a lot of thought into the detail. Unfortunately the writing style could do with some tightening up because as it stands it's not sharp enough and gets bogged down. As a result of this the novel did not really hold my attention.

I would be interested in reading the follow up, implied by the cliffhanger at the end, as I like the plotting and David Lewelyn as a character has much more to give. He's a bit of an oddity. He has secrets from his past which have yet to be revealed, lives alone, seems friendless and very rarely imparts any personal information and yet he has good values. He was a true friend to Hannah, caring and supportive when she needed it and has the sense not to interfere in Forsythe's investigation, he just follows orders and gives his impressions. I was a bit disappointed that his skills were not given a more prominent position in the novel.

Much Needed Rain is a solid début.

A detective style suspense novel. David Llelwyn works with the local Southern California police to solve the murder of his young sweet secretary. A bit confusing at times on whose point of view but interesting enough to keep reading. I myself did not care for the ending at all though-left me wondering and it was depressing.

I was given this book to review by netgalley for an honest review.

It started off really well and I was very intrigued as to why the victims was murdered. The language expert who had been her boss, was first arrested as the murderer and then asked to help the police. About two thirds of the way through the book, it seems to lose its impetuous and goes off at what seems to be a complete tangent.
The end of the book doesn’t seem to belong to the rest of the story and as an introduction to the next book in a series,it didn’t work either in my opinion.
It was not a book I would read again.

3 stars

In Los Angeles Detective Mark Baker is woken in the middle of the night by his partner, Tom Forsythe. A young woman has been viciously murdered in her apartment. Forsythe insists that he attend the scene. Baker reluctantly complies.

Answering the telephone at his place of business, DL Nonverbal, David Lewelyn speaks to Detective Thomas Forsythe. The police want to talk to him. Going to the police department, he is ushered into an interview room where a hostile Mark Baker sits. Playing bad cop to Forsythe’s good cop, Baker accuses him of the murder of his secretary, Hannah Miller. He shows him a horrifying photograph.

The thoroughly unlikeable Detective Baker gets suspended after going off in a huff when he learns that Lewelyn is going to be part of the investigation. He talks to a reporter and this gets him in very hot water after his boss sees it on the internet.

Together they investigate the murder of Hannah Miller. Following many leads and getting almost nowhere, it is a frustrating and time consuming task. More investigating takes place, interviewing countless people and getting a slight glimmer of a lead, they follow it. More people die.

This book is fairly well written. The plot does, however, tend to wander at times. It is a pretty good debut. I hope that R.G. Oram further develops his character David Lewelyn in the future, for he is a little flat and uncertain in this novel.

I want to thank NetGalley and Troubador Publishing Ltd/Matador for forwarding to me a copy of this book to read.

3.5/5

That fact that this book casts a body language expert as the main character was already so interesting, I was in it completely for the character. David has set up a new business where he 'reads' people and is experienced enough to have had worked with reputed investigation agencies. Hi secretary is found dead one day and David becomes the prime suspect, though he's soon crossed off the list. A detective, Thomas, gets hold of the murder investigation and asks David to help him in this. The rest of the story is a crime suspense that is crafted quite well and the writing definitely uplifts an almost predictable revelation.

While the inspection aspects of the story are good, I felt the characters lagging behind in terms of development. While I wanted to know how it would all end, I wasn't feeling anything for David or Thomas, and definitely not for Sara ( David's wife) who suddenly shows up toward the end. Also, though I like open endings, this one felt a tad bit too randomly fast, leaving the readers in dark about the future of the characters. I'm not aware if there are any future projects to bring them back but as of now, I ain't very happy with it. Having said that, I would still recommend it to those looking for an intriguing enough mystery with appreciable writing to get your through it all.

David Lewelyn, the 'lie catcher' in this who-done-it, was not as flashy as I had expected. As with most good research, he is careful and methodical and gets the job done. There are no magical results from his ability to 'read' people by their face and body reactions. But he and policemen Mark Baker and Thomas Forsythe do their best and burn a lot of shoe leather as they try to solve this crime. This was an outrageous violation - against David Lewelyn's secretary, Hannah Miller, at his successful research firm DL Nonverbal in LA. Hannah quickly becomes that sweet, helpful young woman, always with a smile and an offer of help, that you need to see live a protected, happy life. Not happening, poor thing. Once he is cleared as a suspect Lewelyn talks himself onto the investigative crew as they scour Southern CA in an attempt to find this murderer before he can strike again. We go through a full cast of possibilities, nutjobs and the not so crazy, before anything near to what they are looking for pops up. And when it does, it may be more than they can handle....

I received a free electronic copy of this police procedural from Netgalley, R. G. Oram, and Troubador Publishing Limited in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.