On an island in Puget Sound, two women waken to a rock crashing through their window. As the attacks continue and worsen, the local police blame a local vagrant boy, but the women—professional photographer, Veronica Lorimer, and retired prosecuting attorney, Charlotte McAllister—suspect the source may involve their own pasts and Veronica’s estranged family.
Awards
**** Finalist for the William Faulkner Wisdom Award, 2015
****One of Shelf Unbound’s Honored 100 list of indie novels.
**** Shortlisted for Chanticleer Reviews Somerset Prize, 2018 , #CAC18, #Somerset, #CRSHORTLISTER.
Reviews
Critique: “The Camera’s Eye” showcases author Judith Kirscht’s genuine flair for originality, creativity, and mastery of the narrative driven novel. A deftly crafted and engaging read from beginning to end, “The Camera’s Eye” will prove to be an enduringly popular, especially for community library Contemporary General Fiction collections.
—Midwest Book Review
“A peaceful home in the San Juan Islands turns perilous when two women are persecuted by residents who have plenty to hide … Master storyteller Judith Kirscht presents a thrilling mystery with heart, ripe for today’s environment and rich for readers …”
—Chanticleer Reviews
“Judith Kirscht has again shown her keen talent for keeping her reading audience in suspense with this thrilling mystery. … Old hatreds and fears surface, tarnishing relationships and hindering good judgment. Prejudice is passed from generation to generation …”
–Mary Trimble, Author, Sailing With Impunity
… This is an intriguing mystery and it’s one in which you never know what to expect. … Veronica and Charlotte are great characters and the fact that they’re ‘little old ladies’ sleuthing around and solving the crime makes it even more fun to read. There’s a whole lot of twists and turns going on throughout this book and you never know who might turn out to be the next suspect, or just what they’re really trying to accomplish with their threats and harassment. It’s also a story of love and reconciliation and a whole lot more as Charlotte and Veronica have to come to terms with their own pasts, their futures, and just what might happen when secrets come out in The Camera’s Eye…
— Samantha Dewitt (Rivera) for Readers’ Favorite
… In The Camera’s Eye by Judith Kirscht, there are many possible culprits who may intend to scare, or hurt, this charming, sleuthing duo.
While these two women are the main characters in this book, there are many other intriguing characters. From the judgmental minister from the local Grace Bible Church, to the local deputy, to Roni’s unforgiving adult children, there is a cast of fascinating people. The gradual revelation of the history of both women’s lives is also a captivating feature in this work. The author is a skilled writer, as she is able to weave together past and present, description and dialogue, and various settings with ease. Author Judith Kirscht has crafted a compelling novel in The Camera’s Eye. It is timely, thought-provoking, and entertaining; the reader is engaged from the first page to the last. A wonderful read!
–Deborah Lloyd for Readers’ Favorite
… The Camera’s Eye has to be one of the best mystery & suspense novels I have ever had the pleasure of reading. … [It] is a thrilling novel that is the perfect novel for those looking to be taken on a dark, twisty-turny but an emotive journey. The story the reader will encounter in The Camera’s Eye is shocking but also sensational, and unlike anything, I have read before. … the story is shrouded in a tremendous amount of mystery, secrecy and suspense and the reader will not be able to guess where the plot is going at all and that is thanks to the talented author Judith Kirscht and how thrilling her literature is and how incredible her ability to keep her reader guessing from beginning to end is.
… I found myself invested very quickly and wanted to know more. As well as this, I was invested in Veronica’s character and wanted to know how she would cope with the mounting violence and unraveling of secrets and all of this is thanks to the phenomenal characterization courtesy of the author Judith Kirscht.
The plot … is incredible and full of many layers that are all intricately well-developed, as well as intriguing. … As I read The Camera’s Eye I loved the feeling of being challenged. I loved having to invest myself fully in the story as I tried to think about the violence and predict the upcoming events.
The Camera’s Eye is … a unique mystery … that stands out amongst the crowd. This is because the story is wonderfully written and the plot perfectly executed. This is how crime/mystery and suspense books should be! I adore these kinds of books that push the boundaries. It is daring and bold and frankly brilliant. I always measure my enjoyment of a book on whether I find myself looking at the page numbers. If I start doing this, I know that the novel is taking its toll. In other words, it is dragging, and I want it to end. The Camera’s Eye was very different than this. Never once did I find myself referring to the page number and that is a sure sign that this book is a compelling piece of work that draws the reader in, and captivates them to read it quickly and to reach the end of the book to find the outcome.
Judith Kirscht has managed to write an incredible novel that is full of suspense and mystery. This will keep readers of The Camera’s Eye turning the pages into the early hours of the morning. Kirscht can only be described as a new literary talent as she knows how to captivate her readers from the start. Kirscht is a writer who does not hold back. She thrusts her reader into the thick of the drama very early on, and she keeps them turning the pages thanks to her excellent descriptive powers. The author perfectly describes the scenes in her book, as well as her characters, and this correctly places the reader in the thick of the story as the reader is able to imagine every place and event perfectly.
To summarize my thoughts on the thrilling novel that is The Camera’s Eye, I would say if you are a reader who is tired of seeing the same old mystery books that are lackluster and forgettable, then take a chance on this excellent read, because I promise that you will not be disappointed. It is a novel that has everything the reader would want in a story and so much more. It has spine-tingling good content, dynamic, memorable characters; all coming from a charismatic author that writes flawlessly and wonderfully. It is an all-around, interesting and memorable book that you will not be disappointed in if you choose to turn the pages. My rating for this astonishing book, of course, has to be five stars!
–Redheaded Booklover https://redheadedbooklover.com/the-cameras-eye-judith-kirscht/
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