Another fictional book. Jeffery Deaver (as I understand it) is a well know author and has many successful novels. Roadside Crosses, on one level is a good crime thriller. A series of attempted murders are linked to crosses which are left on the roadside. Unlike memorial crosses which indicate an anniversary of a road death, these roadside crosses have the current date on them – indicating that a killing will happen.
The agent in-charge of the investigation, Kathryn Dance, stumbles into the world of blogging and internet gaming. This forms a fascinating and very interesting sub-plot.
The prime suspect soon becomes a teenager who had been viciously attacked on a blog thread. Travis had been involved in a fatal car accident. His character is systematically attacked on the blog by other students from Travis’ school. It is these students who are now being attacked. The blog is hosted by a guy who takes pleasure in outing ‘injustice’ ‘hypocrisy’ and revealing ‘truth’ about people.
Deaver examines a ton of issues in this novel, including the ethical implications of blogging and how people regard what is posted on a blog as ‘truth’ without any thought that it might not be true; the intense speed at which rumors spread through blogging and the damage such rumors can cause.
Add the good writing and the wonderful twists, especially towards the end, then you have the ingredients of a great read.
