Review of When the Dam Breaks

[Laney K]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "When the Dam Breaks" by Cathy Coburn.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Kelly is married to Bob Martin, a homicide detective. Their marriage is not a happy one. Bob is abusive toward Kelly, though no one would ever know. Bob is hot on the trail of a serial killer, which ignites his sexual desire. Kelly begins to believe that Bob is actually the killer, given his sudden shifts in mood and the fact that these murders were meticulously planned. They could not have been committed by an amateur. Is Kelly's fear correct? When the Dam Breaks by Cathy Coburn holds all the answers.

This book has a few major plot twists that I loved. Without spoiling anything, I will say that Coburn laid clues throughout the novel that point to the ending. It made the book quite satisfying.

I thought that Kelly's character was well-written. Her fear of Bob drove each action that she took. There were moments when Kelly would clean almost every inch of the house, forgetting only one small corner and becoming fixated on that, as Bob would always seem to find one tiny flaw instead of seeing the rest of her hard work. The sleepless nights did not help her paranoia. Her character was compelling and was my favorite part of the book.

I feel as though the beginning could have used a bit more setup. The second chapter dives into the backstory of Bob and Kelly's relationship. While I enjoyed this information, I feel as though I would have liked a bit more of where the two were in the present first. However, this is a minor critique and my only dislike of the book.

I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. The book was an excellent read. There is a major plot twist at the end that I was delighted to see. While I think the beginning could have used a bit more detail, I do not think that was significant enough to take off a star. This book does contain some sexual content, depictions of abuse and violence, and strong language. I do not recommend it to younger audiences or those sensitive to such topics. Fans of crime dramas and psychological thrillers will find a fast-paced, terrifyingly good story inside the pages of When the Dam Breaks!

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When the Dam Breaks
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[Yasmine ZM]

Kelly's paranoia, and other fixations like the cleaning part must have been some of the consequences from the abuse she was enduring. I wouldn't be surprised if Kelly ended up being the serial killer herself, or ended up killing her abusive husband.

[Umesh Bhatt]

I have interest in books related to crime, suspense, detective stories etc and this book is appearing much interesting from that viewpoint. As per the review Kelly is doubting her own husband Bob as the murderer. That itself is creating a lot of suspense in my mind. I would be going through this book.
Thanks for a good review.