Although Grace Lawson is a well-known artist, she’s better remembered for an incident known as the ‘Boston Massacre’. Fifteen years before the book opens, Grace was in the front pit for a a Jimmy X concert – a show that had been due to start at 8:30pm. The crowd are, obviously, a little agitated when it hits midnight and there’s still no sign of the singer. Unfortunately, at that point, things move a little beyond agitation when three shots are fired. The resulting mayhem eighteen people dead and Grace, briefly, in a coma – with a variety of injuries. A year later, she movea to France to study art and meets Jack Lawson there – the man who was to become her husband. It had been love at first sight for the pair, though each kept their secrets : Grace couldn’t really talk about the concert (her memories were still a little fuzzy), while Jack had a falling-out with his family – the details of which he was also reluctant to share.

Grace and Jack returned to America, shortly after Grace fell pregnant with their first child. (Emma is now eight, while their more recent addition, Max, is six). Her troubles start as she picks up some freshly-developed photographs from a family day out – when she discovers a photo she didn’t take in her packet. At first she thinks someone else’s photo has accidentally been sorted into hers – but then she suspects it’s been placed there on purpose…There are five people in the photo and, judging by the quality of the print,and the style of dress, it was taken around fifteen years ago. One of the faces has been covered with a large ‘X’, while another – she thinks – is of Jack…but, at a point in his life before she had met him. Later that night, when Jack arrives home from work, he sees the photo and – within a matter of minutes – nips out the front door and drives off without a word. When he doesn’t return, Grace knows he’s in trouble. She’s right : what she doesn’t know, however, is that Jack’s been grabbed by Eric Wu – not a man you’d want to mess with. The police, initially, assume he’s just done a runner (possibly to scratch a seven year itch). Grace, on the other hand, knows better – and so starts trying to discover what’s happened to him. Luckily, she has a couple of useful allies – including noted Mafia Boss Carl Vespa and an Assistant US Attorney, Scott Duncan.

Although I don’t think “Just One Look” will ever be considered a classic, it’s certainly much better than a Dan Brown book. Admittedly, there wasn’t much in the way of tension or fear and some of the characters – the friendly neighbourhood Mafia Boss, for example – were just a little bit too convenient. There also turned out to be a few too many connections between the key players…however, I did find it to be a very enjoyable, pacey and easily read book and it’s certainly worth a rattle.

Advertised as a thriller, this one is anything but. It starts out well—housewife Grace Lawsonl collects some photos from the local PhotoMat. Included is one that she didn’t take that is years old of her husband and some strangers. He sees it and bolts, thus sending Grace into a panic and trying to figure out why he left and what has happened. Turns out, her hubby is harboring a secret from his past and, well, to tell much more would give it all away. Honestly, this one is not as compelling as it wants to be and it loses steam quickly once the husband drives off. The plot is extremely convoloted and it comes with one-wince inducing twist after another (all telegraphed well in advance and seemingly from the “So you want to write a suspense thriller” handbook). By the time we got the revelations of what was happening and why I was just in it to see how it call came out and not because I cared two figs for any of the characters’ fates.