Transcription and translation Book

I couldn't finish it -- just skimmed the last third or so! It had some promise, but the villain was a cardboard cartoon, and therefore the entire novel suffered. I suppose it was supposed to be an ultimately "feel good" read -- after all, good triumphs over evil! But getting there was a drag. There wasn't enough humor to make it feel like "Arsenic and Old Lace" (a wonderful romp!), nor enough drama to make it a good suspense novel. Just maddening fluff. And ultimately, a waste of good reading time! Too bad. The setting -- small southern town -- was good. But not enough detail on the female characters, who could have been interesting!