RICHLY TEXTURED DRAMA -- A REVIEW

Tom and Octavia Fleming are described by the media as a power couple. Attractive, wealthy, and poised on the cusp of a glorious future, neither of them is at all prepared for the events that blindside them.

Seemingly out of nowhere, an affair between Tom and a woman he refuses to name, catapults the two of them into a series of horrific scenarios that impact their personal and business lives.

Almost a Crime is a richly textured tale that feels as though it encompasses a vast period of time, but it really only spans a few months in the year 1997. Set in London, in the months preceding the shocking death of Princess Diana (in August), we watch as the rippling effects of Tom's affair circle out and touch everyone in their charmed circle.

Vincenzi's writing style takes the reader through a series of increasingly suspenseful vignettes, sharing a few morsels about each character, gradually revealing bits and pieces until we cannot stop reading and flipping pages, wanting to know more. Hints, clues, teasers—all lead to the dangerous events that will unravel gradually, reaching a crescendo of operatic proportions. Just when we thought that everything had finally revealed itself, we are stunned by another staggering blow.

How does the identity of Tom's mistress inform the lives of those around him? How do the machinations of Octavia's father add to the mix? Will Tom and Octavia finally resolve their differences, or will more and more complications arise for them? And how does an issue that threatens the land around Bartles Woods bring another layer of intrigue and suspense to the characters?

A wonderfully captivating novel full of enough detail to bring the reader right into the midst of the characters' lives, I could not put this one down...Despite its length. I'm giving this one five stars.