Book Review: The Land of Look Behind by Aaron Blaylock

Book Description:

When Gideon, a former missionary, discovers a mysterious drawing tucked in an ancient journal he returns to Jamaica with dreams of finding a centuries old treasure.  He quickly learns there are those who would kill to keep the treasure secret. This thrilling adventure takes you deep into Jamaica's treacherous cockpit country and back in time for a spine-tingling mystery you won't be able to put down.

Rorie's Review:

The idea behind this book intrigued me. Mystery, intrigue, running for your life, all of the things that I enjoy in a book. First off, the not-so-good: The author uses a lot of patois, which is the slang-speak used in Jamaica. Now, this makes sense, due to the fact that they are in Jamaica after all, but it was really hard to follow the conversations that the characters were having, and I found myself having to read each sentence a few times before I could get it. That was a bit distracting from the story. I eventually got used to it and was able to read those conversations easier towards the end of the book. I also would have liked to have an explanation on why it's called the cockpit country, but I suppose I can Google that.

The story bounces back and forth from a soldier named Jarvis 300 years ago and the main character, Gideon in modern day. I found myself really enjoying the chapters that dealt with Jarvis, but I didn't enjoy the modern-day chapters as much until the climax at the end. I think it was because Gideon came across as kind of a holier-than-thou punk. (He got better as time went on, but it took awhile.)

I never would have guessed what the mystery ended up being in this book. It completely took my by surprise, but it was a pleasant one.

About the Author:

Born and raised in Arizona, Aaron is proud to call the desert home.  He came of age in the suburbs of Sacramento, California and as a missionary in Jamaica, where he fell in love with the people and their culture, but he has always been drawn back to the valley of the sun.  He married his childhood crush, and the girl of his dreams, in 2001.  Together they are raising four beautiful and rambunctious children.  He worked as a freelance sports reporter for The Arizona Republic for nearly ten years, combining his love of writing and sports.  In his storytelling he draws heavily on his love of history, adventure, his faith and his own life experiences.

 

Title: The Land of Look Behind
Author: Aaron Blaylock
Publisher: Cedar Fort, Inc.
Published: February 2016
ISBN:  1462117953
Source: I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for a review.

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