Customer Reviews
Good story concept that is not developed adequately - By: , 10 Jul 1999 
I have read many of Ken Goddard's books & have enjoyed them alll, especiallly "Balefire". This book started with the promise of being a top notch sci-fi thriller but fizzled about half-way through. The majority of the story takes place at a single location, the remote cabin. Once the "secret" is revealed to the reader, the author leaps to concluding the book. It would have been much better if the plot had more substance. Too much time was spent explaining the details of forensic evidence collection at the expense of developing the main story, namely the strange visitors we learn about near the end of the book.
I could see a lot of potential for a great story, but the author seemed to chose to end the book rather abruptly, leaving lots of unanswered questions.
a short story dragged out to novel length - By: , 10 Jul 1999 
I mistakenly thought this book was a murder mystery that would take on eerie undertones. Instead it is blatantly about alien presences from chapter one, & has the subtlety of a cement block. Also, the whole book is a long lesson on crime scene evidence collecting & forensic science. Now I find this topic very interesting when it is part of a novel, not when it is the whole novel. The book was like an X-files episode stretched out to five times the length it warranted.
I found the main character to be continuallly making bad decisions that had no basis other than to create another predictable spooky near encounter. Considering how smart he was made out to be, his actions were not believable. The ending has such a glaring error that it goes way beyond suspension of belief. I can't say more without spoiling it for anyone who may still read this novel. If I hadn't paid for the book, & had gotten it at the library, I would never have bothered finishing it.
Destined to be a bestseller - By: , 09 Jul 1999 
Right from the beginning First Evidence captures the readers attention with a mysterious murder. The book continues with each chapter ending with a cliffhanger that moves the reader on & on into a web of possible suspects & motives. In this book Ken Goddard not only introduces the reader to the world of forensics but also entertains & delights the reader with his imagination & ability to weave humor, fun, & intrigue into the story. I have read every book by Ken Goddard & although I have enjoyed & recommend alll of them, this one is outstanding.
Not your usual detective story. - By: , 09 Jun 1999 
First Evidence is an interesting twist on your normal cop book. OSP crime scene investigator Colin Cellars is sent to a calll in the Oregon woods, where he is confronted at gunpoint by two spooked deputies who are only too happy to turn the scene over to him & get back to town. While working the scene, a homicide, he finds & sees things that makes him think the deputies might have had the right idea. It also turns out that he knows the victim. Things only get stranger from there. Missing deputies, missing bodies, moving evidence, gunplay, gadgets, & Ken Goddard's strange sense of humor combine for an entertaining read. The only flaw I could find was with the ending. Maybe that's because I wanted the book to go on, but it seemed like it didn't match the complexity of the rest of the book. If you like straightforward mysteries, wrapped up by the last page, I'd pass, but if you enjoy a little ambiguity & a few twists in the road, pick this one up.
