Title: Connected
Author: David Random
Publisher: LitFire Publishing
ISBN: 1635248345
Pages: 284
Genre: Crime
Reviewed by: Megan Russell
Hollywood Book Review
It is increasingly difficult in the information age to tell a crime story which is both original and captivating. David Random has pulled off such a daunting task with great success in his work Connected. What seems to be a typical detective story turns into a complicated narration of ethics and survival. The plot is anything but overused or tired. There’s been a murder and the main suspect is in custody and has confessed to the killing. It seems like a cut-and-dry legal case. The problem? He is a conjoined twin and the other brother has claimed innocence. Facing a moral dilemma, Random takes the reader deep into the legal system and exposes some harsh truths of true bodily autonomy.
Fast-paced, smart, and thrilling Connected gives the reader enough knowledge of detective work and the legal system without bogging down the writing with stale information. Dynamic and powerful, this is a story that somehow finds the balance between literary craftsmanship and the feeling of watching a high-stakes television drama. The reader will never question Random’s knowledge of the genre as it is clear he has done his research. The twists of the plot are unexpected but not totally out of the blue. Skillful readers will applaud themselves for catching the clues throughout the story. Still, even with the foreshadowing and excellent narrative the story still surprises and shocks even the most enthusiastic reader.
Those interested in detective narratives will eat this story up with no problem. In fact, I had my own inklings about the ending but I kept reading because the story was so thrilling I just had to find out if I was right. This is the mark of a truly great crime novel. I was able to push through the beginning to get to the juicy parts. I would love to see a little more variation in Cassie’s character as she was one of my favorites. In the end, this is an excellent in-depth crime novel featuring sympathetic characters and a lot of open-ended questions.
For a genre that desperately needs refreshing stories, Random succeeded in delivering a work of fiction that aims to push the genre of crime-writing into the future. The plot expressed in this book is impeccable and every potential pitfall is expertly avoided. If Random decides to write more crime stories in the future he should do so with great certainty of his skills.