TRANSLATED BY KARINA LOZA
STORY-LINE THE STEPS BY IVETA REDLIHA:
The Steps, begins with a prologue in which a boy, ease-dropping hears his name and the word surrogacy. Raised in an orphanage and determined to find his mother, he hears just enough to know he must find out more. Fast forward to a grown man, Lucas, who can seem cold and menacing in an instance. He is on a mission; one which will either be successful or lead to destruction.
Reyna inherited Bradbury Mansion, in need of much repair, holds secrets which will affect many lives. Unaware her mother purchased the mansion just before her suspicious death, Reyna needs to decide what to do with this falling down master piece. Arriving to see her inheritance, Reyna quietly contemplates the grounds and mansion when a stranger suddenly appears. Lucas introduces himself to Reyna as a neighbor; she felt shivers run over her at the look in his eyes and his attitude. Who is this man who keeps popping up when least expected? How and why did her mother buy this mansion? Leonora, Reyna’s mother, held dark secrets for many years which when revealed will change everything. My review suspense thriller book review of The Steps follows.
CHARACTERS, PLOTTING, DEVELOPMENT:
Originally written in Latvian and translated to English, The Steps, grabs the reader immediately. I found a few language issues, however, they did not affect my enjoyment of the book. A fast paced thrill ride of secrets, lies, and a dark dank mansion, Redliha created a book with Gothic overtones. Facing the issues of surrogacy and the impact on the people involved, as well as the child, Redliha explored the injustice and pain which can occur for all involved. As well as, exploring the mental anguish and insecurities involved; I found this book fascinating and intriguing.
Reyna’s seen as young and vulnerable, ripe for Lucas to deceive. Lucas’ character, well-developed by Redliha, gave me the creeps. Redliha crafted a creepy, deep, volatile, and dark character in Lucas. The reader realizes immediately, something is off with this man. One minute he’s smiling and calm, the next cold and threatening. Then you have the young Leonora, Reyna’s mother. I found I did not like Leonora; she’s immature, selfish, and a good time party girl looking for easy money. However, she found the money and good times did not come as easy nor without scars, as she thought.
Redliha held the secrets of Bradbury, the Bradbury family, Lucas, Leonora, and Reyna, close to her chest and did not reveal the who, what, why, and how until the last possible moments. Although containing many plot threads, Redliha, brought all the threads together to form a solid first-rate thriller. Containing twists and turns, unexpected revelations, and twisted characters, this book held my attention from the first page. As the story transitions from past to present and back again, the time periods flowed smoothly without leaving the reader confused. Including a surprise ending and heart grabbing epilogue, I closed the book on a sigh for all the lives affected by the decision of using a surrogate. I would not hesitate to buy this book for my self or a friend.
THE STEPS RECOMMENDATION: STARS 4
FINALLY, PLEASE NOTE:
Additionally, I borrowed this book from kindle unlimited. I chose to voluntarily review the book with an honest review for this contemporary suspense thriller. Lastly, book reviews of any novel are dependent on the book review author’s opinion. Consequently, all book reviews on-line and under my name, are my opinions. No one influenced my voluntary review of this contemporary suspense thriller.
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