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readerette's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
0.5
I watched some Aurora Teagarden mysteries last winter because they're cozy and a good distraction from the cold. This winter, I decided I'd read one.
Maybe the others in this series are better, but there is no redeeming quality to this book except that the story moves at an appropriate pace.
It can't decide if it's a bloody thriller about a town full of semi-psychopathic people, or a low-stakes cozy mystery with a love triangle. The writing is exceedingly simplistic. There's little characterization and no scene-setting unless you count constantly describing Roe's fashion choices and makeup. The dialogue and monologues leave much to be desired. Any interest generated by the mystery plot is overshadowed by everything that's wrong with this book.
Oh, and it's unironically racist and homophobic to boot. At one point, Roe points out that because no black candidate is running for mayor the candidates are getting to focus on the issues. 😶 And one of the male side characters has a male friend that Roe can't resist italicizing and mentally sneering passive-aggressively about multiple times, wondering if "friends" is really all they are. 🤦♀️ Is either of these things relevant to anything else in the book? Nope. I'm sure the author has become more aware of this over time, but in this book, she had not been conscious of bias, or how to make these judgments seem like a character's rather than her own that she just couldn't help inserting into the text.
The movies are pretty cute (even for someone who's not really a Hallmark fan), and really have none of the above problems. Maybe just watch those.
Maybe the others in this series are better, but there is no redeeming quality to this book except that the story moves at an appropriate pace.
It can't decide if it's a bloody thriller about a town full of semi-psychopathic people, or a low-stakes cozy mystery with a love triangle. The writing is exceedingly simplistic. There's little characterization and no scene-setting unless you count constantly describing Roe's fashion choices and makeup. The dialogue and monologues leave much to be desired. Any interest generated by the mystery plot is overshadowed by everything that's wrong with this book.
Oh, and it's unironically racist and homophobic to boot. At one point, Roe points out that because no black candidate is running for mayor the candidates are getting to focus on the issues. 😶 And one of the male side characters has a male friend that Roe can't resist italicizing and mentally sneering passive-aggressively about multiple times, wondering if "friends" is really all they are. 🤦♀️ Is either of these things relevant to anything else in the book? Nope. I'm sure the author has become more aware of this over time, but in this book, she had not been conscious of bias, or how to make these judgments seem like a character's rather than her own that she just couldn't help inserting into the text.
The movies are pretty cute (even for someone who's not really a Hallmark fan), and really have none of the above problems. Maybe just watch those.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, Violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
lakea's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
madsmcw_reads's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Racism
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