Jodi Thomas - Rewriting Monday Review

Rewriting Monday is a romantic story with the intrigue of mystery threaded throughout the pages.  If you like mystery and romance this book has covered both subjects in a manner that flows well and doesn't detract from the story by having both elements.

I enjoyed the storyline, the characters, the foreshadowing of the "who dun-nit" and that the author even utilized her minor characters to not only support the story, but have some mystery of their own.  It was also refreshing that the characters attraction for each other did not come to the usual immediate sparks flying type of relationship.  An astute observer will come to his/her own conclusions about the who, but there is still enough surprise in that observation to keep you reading to find out the "were you right?" and the "why?".

However, it did take me several chapters to become accustom to Thomas' switch between first person and third person narration.  Once I became familiar with her style of writing I could accept the switching, but in the beginning it was difficult for me to track that continued change up.

Synopsis of story:

Pepper Malone, a reporter from the big city, makes a career mistake and moves to a nowhere town.  She has "come home" but not really home.  The town would be the place she grew up if she had actually had a chance to grow-up there instead of being sent off to boarding schools when she was young. She has an aunt in the area, but she is in a nursing home on the mend from an injury, so Pepper is staying in the aunt's home. She doesn't have much memory of the aunt and her feelings towards the aunt now are ambivalent.  She makes a friend in the local baker who encourages her to apply for a job across the way at the local paper.  Running short of funds and soon having to make a life decision about what to do for her future, she finally decides to brave the crossing of the street to apply for the job.

Small town editor, Mike McCulloch has some secretes of his own and seems happy leaving things just the way they are at his published once a week paper, so he attempts to discourage Pepper as she insists on applying for the position.  She has an energy and enthusiasm about her that appeals to him as she tries to talk him into giving her the job -- he finally makes an offer which she accepts, but not before reminding him that she is "worth three times that".  McCulloch comes across as a tough guy to work for, but in reality he has a kind heart and has hired an interesting staff.

Strange things begin to happen at or towards the paper including strange hang-ups and some damages to the paper. Pepper and Mike both find themselves in danger one night and it doesn't stop there.  Pepper thinks her past has followed her, and Mike thinks it's something he's done.  Since both have their share of secrets to keep, neither let on to the other what they are thinking, although eventually they need to depend on each other to solve the problems they both seem to face.  Who is the cause of the town's troubles? is it Mike or Pepper who has their past come to call?