Once again I chose to read a book based on its location. A never-open diner in the middle of the Utah desert intrigued me. As it turns out, The Never Open Desert Diner by James Anderson didn't really have all that much to do with the diner in the desert. What had once been the "always open", but is now "never open", diner provides only a bit of backstory.
This is the story of Ben Jones, a hard-working but almost bankrupt truck driver who runs a delivery service in the desert. Day after day, he drives back and forth on Route 117 somewhere in Utah, making deliveries along a route that major delivery services don't want to be bothered with. On one such day he stumbles across an abandoned house in a never-finished housing development, where there is a woman hiding out. (The term "squatter" comes to mind.) Ben is fascinated by the woman and her cello.
The cello seemed at first an odd quirk, but turns out to be central to the story line. A down and out truck driver, a mystery woman, and a cello. These, plus the desert itself, are the main characters of this book, which turns out to be part mystery and part love story.
I wish I could tell you that I enjoyed this book. I wanted to enjoy it, but it didn't hold my attention and I struggled to finish it. I love a good mystery, but this one just didn't measure up. For me, this book was a big disappointment.
Blogging for Books provided me with a free copy of The Never-Open Desert Diner in exchange for my honest opinion.
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