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Those Empty Eyes

Review

Those Empty Eyes

I have been reading and enjoying Charlie Donlea’s work for years. However, nothing he previously wrote prepared me for the incredible ride I was about to take with his latest release. Here, he deftly juggles so many different characters and storylines, each of which fuses together to make one whopper of a story that will have readers not only tightly gripping the book all the way to the finish line but also spinning in amazement at the unpredictable plot twists.

THOSE EMPTY EYES begins on January 15, 2013 with the slaughter of the Quinlan family, three members of whom were shot to death. Once the police arrive, they find the only survivor of the massacre, 17-year-old Alexandra, holding the very same shotgun that did the bloody deed.

"THOSE EMPTY EYES dazzles from page one right up to the unexpected finish and never disappoints for a moment."

Even though she’s very young and now dealing with the shock of losing her parents and 13-year-old brother, Alexandra pleads her innocence. The problem is that her two large empty eyes convince the public she’s a killer, and she’s given the nickname “Empty Eyes.” However, there’s no valid proof that she’s guilty. Alexandra’s legal counsel sues the state and police force for defamation (among other accusations), and she’s awarded a multi-million-dollar settlement.

Since she has no family to return to, Alexandra lives with her attorney and his wife until she is of legal age to be on her own. Once she reaches that point, she chooses to relocate to England to get away from the online trolls and true crime fanatics who constantly harass her. All the while, she has been secretly trying to find out who is responsible for killing her loved ones.

Alexandra visits a bank in Zurich, Switzerland, where her parents had prior business dealings, to deposit some of her millions. She also inquires about an account number she came across while checking her parents’ paperwork. Unfortunately, the manager is unable to help her, and an associate uses this as leverage against her. He recognizes her as “Empty Eyes” and attempts to blackmail her in exchange for keeping her identity a secret. This forces her to return to the states and take on a junior investigator job with her attorney’s firm. She also legally changes her name to Alex Armstrong. Ten years may have passed since the shocking loss of her family, but many true crime professionals will not let it go.

Meanwhile, Alex shifts her attention to the disappearance of a student journalist and podcaster. Laura McAllister was about to reveal details of a date-rape drug that was given out at a frat party on the campus where she worked. The primary suspect turns out to be the son of a prominent judge who is being talked about for a seat on the Supreme Court. Alex and her own tragic story cross paths with that of the FBI agent who is vetting the judge. Eventually they realize that something far deeper is at play here.

THOSE EMPTY EYES dazzles from page one right up to the unexpected finish and never disappoints for a moment. It propels Charlie Donlea into the upper echelon of psychological thriller writers and sets the bar awfully high for whatever he plans to write as a follow-up to this brilliant novel.

Reviewed by Ray Palen on April 22, 2023

Those Empty Eyes
by Charlie Donlea

  • Publication Date: April 23, 2024
  • Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
  • Paperback: 304 pages
  • Publisher: Kensington
  • ISBN-10: 1496744977
  • ISBN-13: 9781496744975