scott_a_miller's review
4.0
C.M. Sutter might just be a nice find. This was a pretty standard serial killer story but the characters were solid, engaging and likable. She’s got quite a few books out there in several series and I’m going to give them a shot.
Jade and her sister seem to have plenty stories left. It’s nice to have them located close to my home. Familiarity of location works well for me. Sutter has a Chicago based series as well. Good stuff!
Jade and her sister seem to have plenty stories left. It’s nice to have them located close to my home. Familiarity of location works well for me. Sutter has a Chicago based series as well. Good stuff!
hotpotklonk's review
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
eve_boobies's review
2.0
That was kinda dumb. Like, the whole plot and characters were meh to begin with but crikey.
All the characters, Jade especially, seemed incompetent. She could never do anything for herself, it was always “let’s ask the lieutenant”. Plus, I felt like no actual detective work went on, everything just popped out of thin air and it felt like there was absolutely no logical reasoning to come to whatever conclusion they did.
Not to mention I knew who the murderer was from the second time he was mentioned. Like, I was hoping for awhile that it was just going to be a red herring, but no, they really did make him the murderer. The author could have been subtle, only giving brief hints, but instead they just gave weird, out of place bits of information that automatically made you go “oh, that’s gonna be relevant later in regards to the murders”.
Honestly, this just wasn’t all that great. I thought it was written well enough (apart from some of the awkwardness in dialogue and shit coming out of thin air) but this really did nothing for me apart from cause anger.
All the characters, Jade especially, seemed incompetent. She could never do anything for herself, it was always “let’s ask the lieutenant”. Plus, I felt like no actual detective work went on, everything just popped out of thin air and it felt like there was absolutely no logical reasoning to come to whatever conclusion they did.
Not to mention I knew who the murderer was from the second time he was mentioned. Like, I was hoping for awhile that it was just going to be a red herring, but no, they really did make him the murderer. The author could have been subtle, only giving brief hints, but instead they just gave weird, out of place bits of information that automatically made you go “oh, that’s gonna be relevant later in regards to the murders”.
Honestly, this just wasn’t all that great. I thought it was written well enough (apart from some of the awkwardness in dialogue and shit coming out of thin air) but this really did nothing for me apart from cause anger.
tristanrobinblakeman's review
4.0
Well, I do love a good tale about a demented psychopathic serial killer - and this one has a doozy! The maniac has a gruesome way of murdering his victims - and though it's fairly graphic, the author doesn't dwell on the details so that it becomes violence-porn. It's never disgusting - just creepy and eerie and very unpleasant to think about.
The characters in what appears to be the beginning of a series are engaging...clever, intelligent and thoughtful. The writing style is clean and effortless. I enjoy "lean" writing in a thriller, where pacing can add to the excitement, and too many words can water it down.
The discovery of the killer's identity was a complete surprise to me - I didn't see it coming, and it was all the more enjoyable for that (I don't like it when I figure out who-dunnit halfway through a book!).
This is a one-sitting read. A rainy night, a box of cookies, a bottle of sherry, and "Maniacal" will make for a fun 3 or 4 hours!
The characters in what appears to be the beginning of a series are engaging...clever, intelligent and thoughtful. The writing style is clean and effortless. I enjoy "lean" writing in a thriller, where pacing can add to the excitement, and too many words can water it down.
The discovery of the killer's identity was a complete surprise to me - I didn't see it coming, and it was all the more enjoyable for that (I don't like it when I figure out who-dunnit halfway through a book!).
This is a one-sitting read. A rainy night, a box of cookies, a bottle of sherry, and "Maniacal" will make for a fun 3 or 4 hours!
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