INSIDIOUS
By
Catherine Coulter
Insidious runs two parallel plots. One is about a serial killer
in LA who targets starlets. The other takes place in D. C. when a wealthy woman
who is a family friend of Savich is poisoned, and every member of her immediate
family becomes a suspect. The plot of the latter is so clichéd that we've all
read something similar over and over again, beginning with Agatha Christie. I
found myself skipping through those sections to get to the other plot, which
was more interesting.
Overall, the book was disappointing. Coulter’s books should be described as romantic suspense since nearly
everyone in the story ends up connected with someone else or is already in an
idyllic relationship.
Coulter’s fans are loyal, and she definitely
has a huge market following, based on how frequently her books hit the top ten
on the NYT bestseller list. Insidious,
however, drew a lot of unhappy reviews from her fans.
What authors can learn from Insidious:
1. Be true to
your genre. Don’t describe your book as something it is not.
2. A dash of
romance is enjoyable to most readers. If your book is not advertised as
romance/thriller or romantic suspense, then keep it to a minimum.
3. If you’re
going to use a plot that’s been used a LOT, be sure you have a creative twist
to it. You may not be accused of plagiarism but you will bore your readers to
death with a hackneyed plot.
Dear Readers,
I hope you are enjoying a lovely autumn. Here in the
upper Midwest we are having warmer-than-normal weather and mostly sunny days.
Make time for reading, and remember to leave a review for every book that you
read, even if you didn’t enjoy it. Authors appreciate each review!
Till next time,
Marla
