Skip to main content

The Escape Artist by Dianne Chamberlain.

Publication Date: March 1st 1997
Genre: Adult Fiction, Mystery-Thriller
My Goodreads Rating: 4/5
Source: Own Copy

Susanna Miller has just lost custody of her beautiful eleven-month-old son, Tyler, but there is no way she is giving him away. Her ex-husband Jimmy and his new wife, Peggy, may be able to offer Tyler financial stability, but they will never be able to replace her motherly lvoe.

Susanna leaves Boulder, Colorado as a fugitive, who has defied the law to stay close to her son. She doesn't say goodbye to anyone, including the man she has always loved. 

Linc Sebastian has been her neighbor and confidante since she was a school-girl. She realized her love for him after her divorce. But confiding in him now poses too much of a threat to Tyler's safety. She hides herself in Annapolis, Maryland and finds herself drawn to a troubled artist.

When Susanna encounters evidence that could save lives, she debates approaching the police and revealing her identity over staying silent and watching people die. Sitting on the information doesn't seem to be an option, but should she give up her child for strangers?



 The intricacy of the plots in heist and escape novels has always been of interest to me. One can only imagine the amount of research the author would have had to conduct to make the plot sound at least semi-plausible! The novel certainly seems realistic and is quite enthralling throughout. The suspense usually found in books of these genres is more of an underlying concept, predominated by the emotions of all the characters.

 Apart from being just a great read, the book also poses an important moral dilemma-which makes it stay in your mind and heart for a lot longer after you've finished reading it. Should a mother with less resources be forced to give up her child to her former partner who is financially secure? This debate- like many others- is one that may not have a correct answer, but the book certainly helps bend  your thoughts in one direction. 

Along with the excellent capture of stress and love at the same time in the main character's mind, Chamberlain has managed to repeatedly assure the readers of Susanna's motherly tendencies. Her constant fussing, regular schedule and general display of affection for Tyler seems to convince the readers to be firmly on her side. She is a true anti-hero.

 This is my first Diane Chamberlain novel and it has definitely inspired me to pick up some more of her books. From what I've read in reviews this is definitely not her best book and I'm extremely excited to see how much better her writing can get!
Labels:

Comments

  1. Sue JacksonJune 22, 2017 at 2:14 AM

    Congratulations on your first Big Book of the Summer! Thanks for linking up your review!

    I've never read this author before but the book sounds intriguing & suspenseful. Great review!

    Sue

    2017 Big Book Summer Challenge

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Vedika @ Poems and PoetsJune 22, 2017 at 11:59 AM

      Thanks so much Sue!

      I highly recommend this author- seems like something you might enjoy!

      Delete
  2. Anne@HeadFullofBooksAugust 13, 2017 at 12:48 AM

    Hey, what a treasure. To find a book published several years ago that is so memorable. I finally got a Big Book read for the challenge, too. BIG BOOK CHALLENGE

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Hey guys! Thanks for stopping by! I'd love to hear your thoughts and suggestions, so be sure to leave a comment!

Popular posts from this blog

The Hero, by Rabindranath Tagore

 The narrative poem" The Hero" was written by Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore. Set in a young boy's imaginations this narrative has all the necessary elements and is rich in imagery. The characters, plot, setting, theme, climax and idea are all very clearly outlined.  The setting of the poem falls within the boy's imagination. It is described to have 'spiky grass' and a 'narrow broken path'. It is also mentioned that the country is 'strange and dangerous'. The rurality of the setting is further accentuated when Tagore talks of the 'cattle' and 'wide fields'.
14 comments
Read more

I cannot remember my mother by Rabindranath Tagore

 The poem has been titled " I cannot remember my mother". It attracted me for some reason, for I thought that surely, a poem couldn't be completely empty. There had to be some form of nostalgia, or memory in a poem about no remembrance.  I realized after reading it, that I was right. In fact, the poem's title can be considered an oxymoron. However, the extent to which this poem is nostalgic, the amount of tiny details in this poem, wow. But I don't suppose Tagore was a Literature Nobel Laureate for nothing. This poem has sensitized its audience to the poet's colossal loss, though the poet ,it seems,has made no effort to do so. There is nothing superfluous about his writing, and the poem seems like a true expression of his love for his mother. It talks about how his mother managed to leave her presence on everything before she passed away, and how those little memories of his,form an incomplete memory of his mother.
Post a Comment
Read more

One by Shawnee Kellie

  The poem "One" by Shawnee Kellie is a very interesting and thought-provoking piece of writing. The poem spreads the message that it is not only a large group of people that can make a change, but one idea, one thought, one human that can help make the world a better place. 
Post a Comment
Read more