First Chapter Review: Severed Threads by Kaylin McFarren

The first chapter of Severed Threads by Kaylin McFarren was submitted by her publicist. According to the author's website, this book is a romantic suspense novel. I also owe the author an apology. This review was supposed to be posted on December 3rd, but I forgot. Darn old age.

BLURB: Believing herself responsible for her father’s fatal diving accident, Rachel Lyons has withdrawn from the world and assumed a safe position at a foundation office. When called upon by a museum director to assist her former love interest with the recovery of a cursed relic from a sunken Chinese merchant ship, she has no intention of cooperating – until her brother is kidnapped by a drug-dealing gangster. In order to save him and gain control over her life, Rachel must not only overcome her greatest fears, but also relive the circumstances that lead to her father’s death.

COVER: This cover is okay. It's not my favorite cover from McFarren's list of books. The ship detail is nice, but I would like to see more color, maybe something vibrant like on her other covers. I want something that speaks to the suspense genre, too.

FIRST CHAPTER: Chase Cohen and his partner, Sam Lyons, dive into the Pacific searching for the wreck of the Wanli II – the Ming Dynasty Emperor's lost dragon ship. Sam is sure his calculations are correct, but Chase has his doubts. Things quickly go wrong, and Chase is left racking his brain for what he might have missed.

KEEP READING: Definitely! McFarren delivers a powerful first chapter that includes both the hint of the romance side and a ton of suspense. Racing through the first chapter, I eagerly read it a second time to make sure I didn't miss anything. Chase's relationship with Rachel is only a small part of the opening chapter, but I'm sure it will become more of a focus as the story evolves.

I'm not sure if McFarren has any diving experience, but it looks like she's putting her time as the director of a fine art gallery to use in this one. All the details found in this first chapter blend nicely into the plot and setting. I definitely wish I had more than just the first chapter of Severed Threads to read. And if this is what readers can expect from one of McFarren's novels, then I'll be checking out more of them.


Paperback: 349 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (July 6, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1475186525
ISBN-13: 978-1475186529
SRP: $14.95 (Also available in electronic formats)

I received an electronic copy of the first chapter of this book from the author's representative. This first chapter review contains my honest opinions, for which I have not been compensated in any way.