"A TWISTY AND EVOCATIVE SUSPENSE STORY."—The Booklife Prize
After driving through a violent storm, young married couple, Riley and Jake Marshall wind up stranded with a flat tire off the I95 near Yemassee, South Carolina. They thought this would be the worst part of their day. They were wrong.
When the tow truck arrives ahead of schedule, Jake's expensive car is loaded onto the flatbed and the unsuspecting couple climb aboard. What begins as a car theft and mugging, turns much darker when the back-woods car thieves discover Jake's family is worth millions.
Days pass, and Riley's stong-willed mother is deperate for answers. Frustrated by the slow-moving police investigation, the family does some detective work of their own. What they uncover leaves them with more questions than answers. Are the police concealing evidence? Or, does this closely-knit family have a secret they're keeping? Sometimes, the answers come from where they're least expected.
The Lowlands is a suspenseful, fast-paced thriller about survival, correption, and the blurry line between what's right and wrong when fighting for your life or the life of someone you love.
Assessment:
Plot: Martin crafts a twisty and evocative suspense story about the abduction of a married couple and the secrets that are revealed in the aftermath of their disappearance.
Prose: The Lowlands develops tension from the first sentence, while the differing perspectives provide additional intrigue and uncertainty. Readers may experience a degree of confusion when encountering new characters and circumstances, but the players and events eventually fall into place.
Originality: Martin injects a number of original details into a well-played thriller.
Character/Execution: The author creates a broad spectrum of characters, from bumbling criminals and inept police officers to frantic family members. The couple at the center of the story--along with their kin--are finely developed and sympathetic. While there is talk of snakes, alligators, and swamps, the locals will make the reader squirm more than the natural wildlife.
Date Submitted: May 22, 2022
