The Last Exchange by Charles Martin

 

The Last Exchange by Charles Martin

Let’s begin with the summary: 

When MacThomas Pockets finished his last tour as part of the Scottish Special Forces, he was hired to consult for a film director to finesse some scenes that weren't working. In a twist he never saw coming, he ended up moving to LA to work as the bodyguard for movie star Maybe Joe Sue. 

It didn't take long for Pockets to realize there were two Joe Sues: The Joe Sue the public saw with her perfect life and her Hollywood husband. And the private Joe Sue: the one with the traumatic youth that no amount of pills could cover up, who desperately wanted a child of her own. 

Even after their paths diverged, he continued to track Joe Sue's life. Only a few would notice when the bottom fell out. But he did. And that's when he stepped in. 

And now, my review: 

From the beginning of this story, some elements tripped me up. One, her name: Joe. I couldn’t ignore the disconnect. Her opening conversation with a male named George left me confused. Our FMC is Joe? Not Jo? The author explains and of course there's Sue, but we don't see Joe Sue. We see Joe. Preconceived ideas of gendered names aside, that tripped me up every time.

Another element was the head-hopping. We’re in two different POVs in back-to-back paragraphs. I couldn’t get past this editorial choice. Couple those derailments with the confusing opening scene, and the book lost me. 

I’ve read this author’s work before and enjoyed at least one earlier book. But this one didn’t work for me.