Review: Set the Pace

Set the Pace by Kim Karr
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

With plenty of mystery and intrigue, this story sets the scene for the series’ conclusion with book 2, Turn It Up.

You know that old adage, don't judge a book by its cover? Well I totally ignored that with this story and the result left me feeling a little flat. I loved the cover and it's what drew me to the book, that and the fact that I thought it was about a racing driver; a big old plus for me!

For some reason though I just couldn't get to grips with this story. It started slow and then plodded along before suddenly picking up pace. Jasper added to the momentum somewhat but it took a death before I felt gripped by the story. For some reason , I just couldn’t connect with the characters. I felt that I didn’t get to experience them deeply enough on an emotional level to become fully invested in them, their past or what they were facing together in the present.

That said, this book had it all going on with mystery by the bucket load. Right from the start, there was an event which may or may not have been linked to a tragedy which affected Jasper, his family and everyone else in their town some years before. Time moved on though and it’s only when Jasper tries to return his home town to its old engineering heritage that events outside of his control start to thwart his plans.

With the story told in the past and present, as we get to know Jasper and Charlie/Charlotte, it’s clear that these two were destined to be together but with Charlotte’s father at the forefront of the investigations into the tragedy in the town’s past, she must clear his name before she can clear her own but in doing so puts herself into danger. Annnnnd, that’s where the story ends, on an inevitable cliffie.

I really should read the conclusion to this story but after struggling through part 1 and nearly DNF’ing it a few times, I’m just not sure the pull is strong enough. But hey, that’s just me and I’m sure lots of other people will love this book and its characters to the moon and back.

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