The Possession of Alba Diaz is not the kind of book I would normally select.

But I'm glad I did.

It contains an interesting plot with surprises that held all the way until the very end. As a bonus, I learned quite a bit of new stuff in regards to history, chemistry, and geography. I spent a lot of time looking things up as I read only to discover things that I never knew before and were presented with accuracy as key plot elements.

The story is presented as a back and forth point of view between the two protagonists, and the author's use of this technique was quite effective.

I look forward to reading other stories by this author. She has me hooked!

Lottie Jones is in for a surprise. I won't give away the surprise, but you'll know what it is by the end of the first chapter.

Lottie is an anti-hero, one who does not fit the mold of a typical protagonist, but one you just can't help rooting for nonetheless. The novel consists of a series of cat-and-mouse games that keep you guessing from one to the next. I had a difficult time figuring out where the novel was going.

I had a hard time putting this novel down and looked forward to restarting my reading whenever I could, and for this reason, it ended up being a quick read for me. I've read uncountable thrillers and mysteries, and this one was unlike any I had read before. It kept me guessing all the way up to the very end. The story was very balanced by disturbing thoughts and actions along with dark humor.