Book Look Review "Look Again" by Lisa Scottoline

“Look Again”

People always ask me how I can read a book every week. It’s a two part answer – reading has always been one of my hobbies and I read fast. I inherited an ability to read quickly and have refined the talent with lots of practice. Some people watch TV to relax but I read. Some people crochet an afghan but I read a book…you get the idea. When I checked out the latest Lisa Scottoline novel “Look Again” from the library, my fast reading ability came in handy. I confess that I often skipped through pages of mommy/toddler conversation to try and find something more interesting. Sometimes I was quickly successful; sometimes I had to skim a little longer.

The story begins when Ellen, a reporter for a Philadelphia Newspaper notices that the boy pictured on a missing child mailer looks like a twin to her adopted son Will. He also has a birth date listed that is close to Will’s. When she discovers that the lawyer who handled her adoption has died, Ellen cannot dismiss all the coincidences. She uses her investigative skills to track down the parents of the missing child in Florida. Timothy Braverman was kidnapped two years ago but his wealthy parents have not given up hope. They continue to search and have offered a million dollar reward for the return of their only child. Could Timothy and Will be the same boy?

Ellen suspects that although her adoption of Will was legal, there is a possibility that he is the missing Timothy Braverman. What should she do? What would any mother do? At first she tries to dismiss the nagging suspicion since confirmation could result in losing her son. Of course her desire to know wins out and we ride along as she discovers the truth. In the weeks of searching she also develops a crush on her attractive editor boss who is similarly attracted. A back-stabbing coworker plays her little part in the drama. We meet her widowed father and a perfect nanny that would make any working mother pay double. The cast of characters is small, but so is the story.

I am a huge fan of Scottoline so I enjoyed this book as a recreational read, but not as much as her past novels. Why? It was a bit too predictable, too unbelievable and too sappy. But I was still interested enough to keep reading and finish the book – reading more quickly than usual.