What Remains of Me
By A. L. Gaylin
Blurb
On June 28, 1980—the hottest night of the year—Kelly Michelle Lund shoots and kills Oscar-nominated director John McFadden at a party in his home. . . . And instantly becomes a media sensation, her chilling smile fodder for national nightmares. For years, speculation swirls over the enigmatic seventeen-year-old’s motives, information she’s refused to share. Convicted of the murder, she loses her youth and her freedom—but keeps her secrets to herself.
Thirty years later—and five years after her release from prison—the past has come back to haunt Kelly. Her father-in-law, movie legend Sterling Marshall, is found in a pool of blood in his home in the Hollywood Hills—dead from a shot to the head, just like his old friend John McFadden.
Once again, Kelly is suspected of the high profile murder. But this time, she’s got some unexpected allies who believe she’s innocent—of both killings—and want to help her clear her name. But is she?
Our Review
I really struggled to get through this book and I am not sure what the problem was. I wanted to like it and there were times when I thought I did but these times didn’t last long. I don’t know if the fault was mine because I didn’t have time to read more than a few chapters at a time.
It was on June 28, 1980-the hottest night of the year – that Lund, then 17 and hopped up on a combination of marijuana and cocaine, walked into the Hollywood Hills mansion of Oscar-nominated director John Mcfadden in the midst of his own wrap party, shot him to death.
Years later Kelly has been released from prison and lives in the desert with her husband Shane Marshall, son of the famous actor Sterling Marshall. Kelly is very careful to keep within the parameters of the law since being released but that doesn’t stop people fearing her name and being haunted by the look on her face during sentencing.
Via a series of flashbacks we learn Kelly was once friends with Shane’s older sister Bellamy Marshall and with John Mcfadden’s son Vincent, otherwise known as Vee.
In the present we learn that Sterling Marshall is dead and, although the press initially report it as a suicide, the police believe it was a homicide and Kelly was involved. As well as her past actions the police are suspicious because her father in law had given an interview about her the other day.
“Mr Marshall gave an interview two days ago. In the Times. It was for the fifth anniversary of your release. I’m sure you read it. He misses his old pal John. But he doesn’t blame you, not anymore. You were just a kid after all. Raised by an uncaring, irresponsible mother. Tragically lost your twin just a few years before, and besides, you were on drugs. A teen addict. Didn’t know right from wrong.”
Kelly’s husband Shane feels as though he doesn’t really know her despite fifteen years of marriage. Kelly is a closed book; something which her psychiatrist used to tell her was down to avoidance. Kelly sees herself as having a file cabinet inside her head she could take her feelings and slide them into drawers and lock them up, deal with them later. Problem was, lately, the drawers keep flying open.
This book is good in theory but I got a little lost somewhere in the middle. I didn't care either way how it ended.
Our Final Rating...
Read & Shared 34 Times.
I hope you enjoyed this book review, please consider sharing it with others.
Get In Touch
Please feel free to leave a comment to this book review below. Or even leave your own review if you like.
If you run a blog and/or have posted a review to this book, a Q & A or general author interview online you can always add a trackback to it here and following moderation we'll add a link to it below.