Once Wicked, Always Dead

Title: Once Wicked, Always Dead by T. Marie Benchley
Genre: Fiction, Mystery
Rating: 2/5

With the tragic death of her parents and the disclosure of her husband's affair with another man, Molly Madison's upscale life is turned upside down. In order to heal and start anew, she returns to the family ranch in Montana. But the local old boys' club isn't happy with a woman taking over and someone's trying to scare Molly into selling. As if that wasn't enough, a sociopath begins killing men in the same area.

I was really intrigued by the synopsis of Once Wicked, Always Dead that AtlasBooks sent around a few months ago and was excited to read the book. Unfortunately, the writing just didn't hold up to the promise of a good mystery. It felt unfinished, like the book could have used another heavy edit. And the characters could have been engaging if they didn't feel so wooden.

However, the story is interesting and moves quickly. And with the revelation of Molly's husband's sexuality and his affair, their subsequent divorce and her blooming romance with the foreman of her father's ranch, the story has a strong soap opera feel to it. I couldn't wait for each new twist.

In the end, I probably won't recommend Once Wicked, Always Dead to anyone. Unfortunately the writing is just too rough and distracts from what could have been a good story.

Thanks to M.M.W.E. Publishing House for the Advanced Reading Copy of Once Wicked, Always Dead. The views expressed above are my own. For more information on Once Wicked, Always Dead, check out T. Marie Benchley's website.