What do these people, the residents of Orange Beach, Alabama, have in common with one another? Each of their lives changes for the better after an encounter with Jones, an elderly fellow wearing jeans and sandals and carrying an aged suitcase. Jones, a self-described "Noticer," does just that. He points out the obvious to those unable to see it for themselves.
Andy, the homeless young man, attains success. He no longer has to sleep under a pier. In gratitude, he looks for Jones. No one seems to know where the old man lives. Andy learns that Jones goes by other names. He wants answers but doesn't begin to find them until one day a battered suitcase turns up without its owner.
"The Noticer" engaged me from start to finish with its charming storyline and memorable characters. A true sign of great writing is when a character "lives" off the page. Jones lives for me.
I have a few quibbles, but not enough to prevent me from recommending this book. Jones seemed given to violating people's personal space, barging in on Andy in the opening scene, getting into a truck uninvited, showing up on a boat without the owner's permission. His intrusions always ended up as more than welcome, but I found his methods a little unsettling. That was probably the author's intent, but no reader likes to feel manipulated.
Also, some of Jones' advice came across as cliched since it draws from popular Christian wisdom. And yet, cliches often exist because of their truth. The beauty of "The Noticer" could arguably lie in its ability to repackage and deliver conventional wisdom afresh.
*Janalyn Voigt is an Amazon Associate and benefits when books are purchased on Amazon through links from Book Readers Central.
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