The Wrong Man

By: Kate White
Publisher: Harper
Publication Date: July 2015
ISBN: 978-0-06-235065-7
Reviewed by: Diane Lunsford
Review Date: July 23, 2015

Kate White draws her audience in with an engaging plot in her latest novel of suspense, The Wrong Man.

The story begins in Islamorada, Florida. Kit wakes to her last morning in paradise before her imminent return to New York reality. Granted, she has combined work with her mini-vacation, but she had hoped the vacation aspect would be more eventful. There were no dare-devilish shark-cage diving excursions or throw caution to the wind parasailing moments over the pristine waters of the captivating Florida Bay. This wasn’t Kit’s MO. She was responsible and while she had a precise and trained eye for turning drab into magic with her design business, Kit the person was far too responsible. With her last day on the horizon, things were about to change once she met the likes of rugged and handsome Matt Healy.

It turns out Matt was staying at the same hotel as Kit. Even though she was in Islamorada primarily for business, maybe Matt was the Godsend and welcome refuge for Kit to put the pieces back together in her life after her break up. After bumping into Matt at the marketplace and agreeing to dinner with him later that evening, she wondered if perhaps this was a bit too spontaneous. Her apprehensions are quelled once she sees him already seated in the patio restaurant. The two eased into comfortable conversation and the effortless banter suppressed Kit’s anxiety. By the time dessert rolled around, it was a no-brainer they would be taking it back to Matt’s room. Little did Kit know she was about to jump into more than a one-night stand...

Ms. White knows how to navigate the pages and place her words purposefully. Having already accomplished the composition of more than a handful of fiction and nonfiction bodies of work, she wastes no time in capturing her audience with The Wrong Man. The plot is believable in that it is an age-old premise: girl meets boy...girl is intrigued by boy...girl throws caution to the wind and simply goes for it. The twist, however, is: what is the outcome? This is the essence and job of the writer to guide the reader down the path. Ms. White does a terrific job of doing just that. She takes her time in developing the personalities of each character: Kit, the young, entrepreneurial firecracker who has an eye for design flair; Baby, the seasoned design veteran who is firm, but fair and together the two complement each other; Matt Healy, the mysterious man who ‘coincidentally’ bumps into Kit’s life, but was it a coincidence? Ms. White does a fantastic job of planting a multitude of seeds and adeptly layers situations and circumstances as the story evolves. In so doing, the allure encourages her audience to assume the investigative role with a desire to solve the mystery at hand. There is no point where this story drags in that each time the roller coaster seems to be coming back into the ‘home gate,’ yet another turn whips the reader into the bend of surprise. I thoroughly enjoyed The Wrong Man and applaud Kate White for crafting a book that is a quick read with lots of intrigue and adventure across its 322 pages.

Quill says: The Wrong Man is a great balance between suspense and intrigue. It will keep you guessing the ‘who done it’ until you arrive at its surprising (and unpredictably satisfying) end!