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Tethered by Amy Mackinnon

Tethered

A Novel

by Amy Mackinnon
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  • First Published:
  • Aug 12, 2008, 272 pages
  • Paperback:
  • Aug 2009, 272 pages
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Reviews


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There are currently 19 member reviews
for Tethered
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  • Patricia (Norman OK)
    Tethered
    One of the most amazing books I have ever read. Not a true mystery in the ordinary sense of the experience but a book I read from cover to cover in one sitting. The writing is so vivid and intense that it is difficult not to be emotionally moved by the story.

    The story is a not the common theme where the mystery is inevitably solved and the bad guys receive their due. The setting is unusual while there is an intimacy with the main character explored in such extraordinary richness that like Clara, the reader must breathe (one-two-three).

    Not for everyone but for those who wish to experience an amazing and extraordinary few hours.
  • Karen (Columbus OH)
    Hooked from the first sentence
    I received this book, and finished it within 3 days, while working full time. I was hooked from the first sentence, and the writing was great. The main character is an undertaker, who has flaws, and I came to know her and understand her. This is one of the best books I have read in a long time. Even when I wasn't reading, the book's characters and plots were on my mind. I have not been this "hooked" into a book for a long time. What a find this is, I hope it will not be too long before the author publishes another book.
  • Angela (Hartland MI)
    Well Done
    I really enjoyed this book. Once I started reading, I did not want to put it down. It's part drama, suspense, a bit of action, and quite entertaining. It comes with a flawed, yet independent leading lady, a tortured and devoted cop and all the characters are layered so that your first impression may not be your last. This book would certainly appeal to anyone interested in crime stories, female leads or an easy read. A bit reminiscent of The Lovely Bones.
  • Connie (Carlisle PA)
    Tethered
    Clara hides herself in her work as a mortician and is afraid to let people get too close to her, even to the point of hindering a child pornography investigation. Can Clara, who had an abusive and unloved beginning to life, allow herself to let go of that past and trust the man who wants to love and protect her? Only the reader can decide for him- or herself. ISo many unanswered questions that leaves the reader to come to his/her own conclusions. Suspenseful at moments, but too many dry spots along the way.
  • tanya (encinitas ca)
    Tethered
    From the start of this book I was drawn in by Mackinnon's vivid language and her ability to make it easy to feel a part of Clara's world.... and then the disturbing undertow of the story, the crimes committed.... were not really what I expected of this novel. There were scenes in which I was easily brought to tears, and then moments when I felt hope with the direction the story was going. Mackinnon addresses real-life issues and hurts. This is not a happy, uplifting story, if that's the direction your book club is leaning towards. But an intriguing read, nonetheless, it has more softened curves and reminded me of Mystic River, by Dennis Lehane.
  • Judy (Carmel IN)
    Tethered--to the reading of this book!
    Exquisitely written to capture you immediately! Putting the book down was a torture of sorts. MacKinnon so vividly describes Clara, the protagonist, that when she writes about Clara's "familiar sense of otherness" readers may actually feel the pain. The darkness of the book seems appropriate for Clara's occupation and life. The book gives readers a peak into a world infrequently visited (funeral homes) and an occupation seldom dreamed of with a description that is actually comforting at times.

    My only criticism is how the ending came together--at times predictable, other times confusing and for me lacking the qualities of the fabulously unique read in the earlier parts of the book. Would definitely love to read more from this author!
  • Josephine (Goshen CT)
    An intriguing first book
    I can't remember reading a mystery where the protagonist was an undertaker, but who better to be involved in murder, and Clara makes a very interesting character. The book is quite dark, and some of the scenes might put off a squeamish reader. With that caveat, I would recommend it for someone looking for a mystery a bit outside the ordinary.
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Beyond the Book:
  Post-Life Environmentalism

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