Cicada Spring: A Novel by Christian Galacar

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Cicada Spring: A Novel is a B.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree.
Cicada Spring: A Novel is a moving book about a small town in which the lives of a serial killer, a corrupt mayor, a devastated family and a young girl all intersect.
As with most evil people, Mayor Harry Gaines has two faces – a loving respected community man and a vile evil selfish man. Bill Sexton is a man with several identities. He keeps them all secret but as with most serial killers who think highly of himself, he does not give credit to the local law enforcement. Then again, neither does Harry Gaines!
Kara Price is a young teenager who falls onto the radar of both Gaines and Sexton but for different reasons. Gaines violates her violently after hearing her dish on his community festival. Kara is determined to keep it a secret but like most when faced with a mother’s loving smile and open arms secrets burst forth. Dad is devastated more so because his princess is hurting and he wasn’t there to protect her nor does she want him around.
The sheriff is ill prepared to handle a case of this magnitude and his dilemma of what to do keeps him second guessing himself. Does he protect his own or pursue a case without evidence? It seems Gaines might just get away ….
“He watched the body language of everyone he walked near, met the eyes of every person he spoke with, reading faces, looking for tells like a poker player who’d just bluffed and wanted to know if he was going to be called. But it was quickly becoming clear that he was home free, and it was all thanks to his wife’s well-placed seeds of gossip.”
Through a series of well thought out twists and turns, justice is delivered in more ways than one. A thriller that takes a real life situation and turns it inside out for all to see.
Christian Galacar does an excellent job of weaving emotions and actions into a carefully constructed plot. The vivid imagery used by Galacar keeps the pain of Kara and her father alive and the smugness of Gaines leaves the reader feeling his oily persona. Glacier forces the reader to experience every aspect of this book – the reader feels the pain of the serial killers victims, Kara’s and her family’s pain, the anticipated pain of Gaines’ wife when the truth bursts forth and more. This book is very moving and one that should not be missed.
it is not gratuitous in it’s descriptions of violence, rather it is done tastefully and with such impact that the reader is haunted by the book for days after reading it. Without actually asking, Galacar leaves his readers with a haunting question “how far would you go to protect someone you love?” The characters were well developed and vivid. The plot was executed perfectly and clearly with very realistic dialog and action.
WordsAPlenty gives this book a 5 star rating.
Click here to purchase.