In the Summer of 1975, 24 year old Mo Lumen left his home in Virginia for a job at Bryant College in Rhode Island. Mo's parents are both dead, he has a developmental disability that has left him with the intellect of an eleven year old and his brother is being adopted by a foster family that has exiled him. A family friend set up Mo with the landscaping position to make sure he would be well taken care of. Mo sets off on his journey with an open mind, but without completely understanding the events that led to his departure. Once he gets to Bryant College, Mo finds solace in his job outdoors, he finds friends among his colleagues and housemates. However, soon after Mo's arrival, a series of missing girls and young women found murdered set the campus on alert. Mo is aware of the killings, but much more focused on the Red Sox games. FBI Chief Investigator Francis Palmer has just come off tracking Ted Bundy when he is altered to the string of murders in Rhode Island. Palmer's investigation places him directly in the path of Mo, but something seems off.
A Disturbing Nature is a slow burning historical mystery. The writing is detailed, but not boring, I didn't lose interest at any point within the story. Carefully crafted hints are dropped throughout the narrative. With shorter chapters that alternate between Mo and Palmer, the pace of the story is kept up and details are divulged in slivers, a bit at a time. Through the viewpoints of Mo and Palmer there is an intense character development and understanding. I was pulled into Mo's narrative by his gentle nature and keen observations of the world around him. As Mo's story unfolded, the sense of place and time intensified as Mo became aware of his father's racism, the school that said he wouldn't progress any further and the children and adults that belittled him. Despite Mo's limitations, his ability to overcome and appreciate what he has is apparent. Palmer's point of view took me a little more time to get into as he moved from the Ted Bundy case to the Pastoral Predator in Rhode Island. I do wish Mo and Palmer's stories would have connected a little earlier as this is when the suspense really picked up. The ending has several twists, turns and surprises and left me wanting more.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
A Disturbing Nature is a slow burning historical mystery. The writing is detailed, but not boring, I didn't lose interest at any point within the story. Carefully crafted hints are dropped throughout the narrative. With shorter chapters that alternate between Mo and Palmer, the pace of the story is kept up and details are divulged in slivers, a bit at a time. Through the viewpoints of Mo and Palmer there is an intense character development and understanding. I was pulled into Mo's narrative by his gentle nature and keen observations of the world around him. As Mo's story unfolded, the sense of place and time intensified as Mo became aware of his father's racism, the school that said he wouldn't progress any further and the children and adults that belittled him. Despite Mo's limitations, his ability to overcome and appreciate what he has is apparent. Palmer's point of view took me a little more time to get into as he moved from the Ted Bundy case to the Pastoral Predator in Rhode Island. I do wish Mo and Palmer's stories would have connected a little earlier as this is when the suspense really picked up. The ending has several twists, turns and surprises and left me wanting more.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
