Thursday Tea: Reunion at Red Paint Bay by George Harrar

The Book:  Simon Howe grew up in Red Paint, Maine, population just over 7,000. Although he left for college and worked as a newsman in Portland, he returned home, bought the local weekly, and set himself up as editor-in-chief.

Things in Red Paint are pretty uneventful, and it's not easy to fill the 32 pages of the paper, but by using enough photos, a quote of the week, and some fancy layout, Simon makes do. The top story this summer is a toss-up between someone claiming to have seen the Virgin Mary in her backyard and Simon's 25th high school reunion.

The first small tear in Simon's quiet life shows up in the form of postcard. And then another. Someone is about to stalk him, and Simon has no idea who it is or why. Does the stalker know a secret from Simon's past or is there another side to the story?

George Harrar's Reunion at Red Paint Bay is part psychological thriller and part mystery, which is one of my go-to genres. I also like books set in Maine, so I was all prepared to enjoy myself. And, in fact, Harrar does a good job setting up the situation so it's not clear whom the reader should believe. There is also one decidedly creepy scene that kinda of makes me want to sleep with the lights on. Unfortunately, as a whole, Reunion at Red Paint Bay didn't quite live up to its promise for me. Two things stand out: too much foreshadowing, which cut down on some of the tension, and not vivid enough characterizations, which made it difficult for me to connect.

You may have a better luck with Harrar's novel than I did; the blurb from Kirkus sounds very positive.

The Tea: In these bleak, cold days of January I'm once again drinking tea in the afternoons. My latest discovery is Trader Joe's Candy Cane Green Tea. This is a decaf tea with a lovely smell and just the right amount of peppermint. I'm hooked . . . at least for this week.

The Assessment: As I mentioned, I didn't get a strong feeling for the characters, so I'm really not sure what Simon would think about decaf peppermint tea. But I have known a few newspaper people in my day, and I really don't see any of them interested in tea, especially tea without the caffeine. Simon's wife, on the other hand, might go for a cup.

What About You? Are you drinking anything interesting these days? And what are you reading this week?

Buy Reunion at Red Paint Bay at an Indie or a bookstore near you. This link leads to an affiliate program.
Thursday Tea was the brainchild of Anastasia at Birdbrain(ed) Book Blog.
Published by Other Press, January 29, 2013
ISBN-13: 9781590515457
Source: Review (see review policy)
Rating: C
Copyright © cbl for Beth Fish Reads, all rights reserved (see review policy)
FTC: I buy all teas myself, I am not a tea reviewer.