Book Reviews

The Opinion Page

By David Ackley

The Opinion Page  

 

Pages: 296

ISBN: 9781950631100

Publisher: Rain and Breeze Books

Date Reviewed: November 20, 2020

Release Date: June 30, 2020

 

 

Available at:

 

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The Opinion Page by author David Ackley is a suspenseful mystery that will leave readers guessing until the end. The book is not your normal detective novel. It's filled with twists and turns, and amazing insight into the characters' motivations.

Portland, Oregon police detective Galen Young is trying to solve two mysterious disappearances while dealing with his family drama at home. His eldest daughter was convicted of drug trafficking, leaving Detective Young and his wife to raise their grandsons.

As Galen Young's family is taking up his time and attention, he's also trying to learn what happened to Melissa Davidson. The four-year-old disappeared from the mall during a shopping trip with her mother, and detective Young is finding it difficult to develop any leads on the case.

Melissa Davidson's disappearance heats up when the editor of the Oregon Sentinel's Opinion Page, Robert Armin turns up missing. His wife, worried when her editor husband didn't come home after work, contacts the police. Galen Young also ends up with this case and his desk, and during his investigation into Armin's disappearance, he finds a clue to the Davidson case.

The editor's abandoned car is found, and the crime scene technicians discover a blond hair in the vehicle. DNA testing proves that it belonged to Melissa Davidson, leading Detective Young to theorize the editor kidnapped the small child. As Galen Young goes over the editorials looking for a reason why Armin would abduct the little girl, more puzzles emerge.

Ackley draws readers into the story with his crisp, clear writing. Its format is similar to many of the police dramas that are popular on broadcast TV. There is the perfect amount of mystery and suspense, mixed with drama. Readers are not only familiar and invested in solving the two missing person cases, but in Detective Young's life as well.

Ackley proves that he can write compelling and entertaining mysteries. The author of The Patent Clerk's Violin has created a story filled with identifiable characters. Their lives are as complex as many readers, and even experienced police detectives can have disappointments and drama within their families.

Readers that don't want to know the outcome of a mystery by the end of the first couple of chapters will love the many plot twists and turns in The Opinion Page. Just when you think you've solved the two crimes, another clue comes along. Anyone that wants a challenging and exciting mystery to solve will find that The Opinion Page has this and much more.

 

"I'm sure she'll turn up soon," said Galen, although he knew that if her missing status stretched into a week with no clues or leads as to her whereabouts, the odds were increasingly unlikely.

About the Author - David Ackley

 

David Ackley

 

David Ackley grew up in Fairbanks, Alaska and raised a family in Juneau. His professional career in Alaska included both fisheries biometrics and management positions with the state and federal governments. David is now retired and living in northern Idaho, where he began a small business in lutherie – building guitars, Irish bouzoukis, and ukuleles. While his wife was conducting research during a recent stint in India, he devoted time to trying to improve his Tamil and writing fiction to escape the heat of mid-day. Finding himself unable to multi-task easily, the lutherie business has flagged somewhat while he gets some stories onto paper. Please visit the Rain and Breeze Books website for more information about David and his books.

 

 

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