Review: The Glass Butterfly by Louise Marley

Title: The Glass Butterfly
Author:Louise Marley
Release Date: August 28 2012
Publisher: Kensington Publishing Group
Rating: 5 Hoots
Reviewer: Lydia
Buy From: Amazon/ Barnes and Noble

Sum It Up!  The Glass Butterfly is an excellent read.

Victoria Lake discovers that it’s not difficult for a person to vanish without a trace–even if that person is herself. Tory and her son Jack are estranged, but the mystery that swallows Tory also draws Jack in, and forces him to face, though unwillingly, the strange and unreliable gift that runs in their family. (Author’s Website: http://www.louisemarley.com/as/louise-marley/the-glass-butterfly/ )

 

 

Review

A fey, or fé, is a gift bestowed upon a few and usually transferred through family lines. For Tory, an accomplished and competent therapist, this intuition – sixth sense – has guided her, although her Nonna Angela explained the perils of depending on such a gift. The Murano glass butterfly is a physical manifestation of Tory’s gift, one her son Jack rejected, as he distanced himself from her.

When Tory’s fey fails her in assessing the murderous nature of a female law enforcement client, the protection of her son is her only goal. She must appear to be dead, to adopt a new look, live in a new place far from her home – to disappear.

Louise Marley has skillfully portrayed a mother’s love for her son in connection with her need for self-preservation. Inherent in this story is the awakening of a woman who has been caught in a dampening maze of familiarity and habit, who now must fight for her own preservation as well as for the welfare of her son. Tory must face the fact that her client is willing to kill everyone she knows in order to keep her secret.

The Glass Butterfly is a well-crafted, engaging and entrancing novel. Louise Marley, an experienced novelist particularly interested in young adult fiction and supportive of young adult writings, shows her expertise in story-telling. The tension and suspense surrounds Tory, Jack and their friends, as well as the antagonist.

Each chapter begins with an operatic quote epitomizing not only the protagonist’s perspective but also that of the author’s background. While a reader often does not return to a chapter/title page heading, in this novel, the reader will find a certain excitement at the relevance of each quotation printed in Italian and English, properly referenced. These added notes contribute to a particular depth of meaning to each chapter.

Marley’s novel could easily be classified as a mystery; however such a limited perspective would minimize the intensity of the emotional elements. This is a story of developing self-awareness for Tory and her son, Jack. As Jack begins to accept the feeling of the fey within him, he commits himself to denying his mother’s death, persisting in trying to find her so he can repair their relationship. The supporting characters illustrate the meaning and depth of friendship and love.

Structurally, The Glass Butterfly is a superb example of writing. Marley excels at setting rich and colorful scenes. The characters are well-developed, enticing readers to connect and invest in each and every one of them. Although the pacing wanes a bit in the middle, readers will be unable to let go of their emotional ties, desirous of wanting to know the final outcome.

The Glass Butterfly is an excellent read. Readers should check Louise Marley’s Web site at http://www.louisemarley.com/ to find her other works.