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A review of The Lost Diaries of Iris Weed

by Janice Law

A professor-student relationship explodes in an intense thriller

Reviewed by: Beth Williams
About Beth Williams

The Lost Diaries of Iris Weed Jason "Lars" Larson, a popular professor of Romantic and Victorian poetry who always has a waiting list of students to sit in his class, has never had a problem wooing the ladies.until he meets Iris Weed, an unconventional, witty college senior who has decided to live out of her truck and document the experience in a diary for her senior project.

A beautifully woven combination of Iris' diary entries and Lars' narration provides a compelling story of a young woman's self-discovery that suddenly grabs and ensnarls readers in a page-turning thriller that will leave even the most dedicated reader mulling whether or not to flip to the last page to see how it all turns out.

One of the most compelling elements of the novel is Iris' diaries which she hopes to one day publish as a modern day Walden Pond. Now, if you've ever written in a diary, imagine how you'd feel if someone else was reading your most private thoughts. Embarrassed? Mortified? That's a bit how it feels to read Iris' intimate pages, not wanting to pry but wanting to know more about Lars' flirtations and her new, somewhat disturbed boyfriend, "Sven." Iris' diary entries show her naked emotions, her real self as diaries often do, and through these pages Iris becomes a real, vulnerable person, someone for whom to root, maybe even sympathize.

When Lars can't get enough of Iris, he becomes her shadow, following her every move in his spare time, trying to get a better grasp on the protégé who just won't succumb to his charms. Lars' weakness for the ladies is what ultimately could prove to be his downfall and the end of his marriage, if he isn't careful.

Iris is suddenly and viciously killed, and Lars is instantly thrust in the middle of the intense investigation. Iris' diaries play a pivotal role and put Lars in a decidedly uncomfortable position that affects not only him but his young daughter and his wife.

In a fury of fast-paced description that will leave you breathless, (beware if you're a nail biter,) the story comes to its conclusion with a final stunning turn.

Carve out a chunk of time when you sit down to read this one Or, be forewarned, it's going to keep pulling you back.

Click here to buy this book, or read more about it at Amazon.com: The Lost Diaries of Iris Weed

Copyright © by Beth Williams, 2002

Reviewed by Beth Williams:
-- The Lost Diaries of Iris Weed - by Janice Law
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