The Necklace by Matt Witten [7/10]

Somehow radiating an old-fashioned thriller vibe, “The Necklace” follows struggling waitress Susan, who embarks on a convoluted pilgrimage across America to North Dakota, where the monster who slayed her infant daughter two decades earlier is up for death row execution. The problem is, as she struggles against all odds to complete her journey in times, evidence pops up that questions the entire history of the slaying. Matt Witten does a splendid job of immersing the reader in Susan’s being, and his sense of pacing is exquisite. The overall plot, as a thriller/mystery plot, is by no means intricate, but the author’s skill is such that I read the book in one evening sitting, locked to my seat. Most entertaining and satisfying.