Book Review: Instructions for a Heatwave

I feel like I shouldn't even review this book, since I basically skimmed it because it was due back to the library (on a hold list, so no renewal available).  I was intrigued by the premise.  A man leaves to buy a paper one morning and fails to return.  The family is thrown into an uproar as a result and long-buried secrets come to light.  Interesting, no?

Well ... it wasn't quite as fulfilling as I'd hoped.  The heatwave never really becomes a focal point, other than the constant mention of the heat and the water ban.  The meandering manner of revealing the "long-buried secrets" was a bit too "meandering" for my likes.  We are woven in and out of the lives of the various Riordan family members as they become aware of the disappearance of the patriarch.  The actual cause of the disappearance was a bit of a let-down, as well.  I guess I just wasn't that enthralled with the characters or the revelations.  They had interesting problems (infidelity, fear of childbearing, etc.) but left me cold.  I did keep reading (or should I say, skimming) however.  It wasn't poorly written, just not that appealing to me.  If I had to sum up the book, I would say it had potential, but ended up being "meh."