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art_books_chemistry's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I'm all about amateur and professional murder mysteries. A Cruel Light gave me distinct "Murder, She Wrote" vibes where instead of a writer, the main character is an art conservator. This is such a unique job and added a unusual layer of detail to the storyline. I will definitely say, however, that this is not a "cozy" Jessica Fletcher mystery; it's a stressful and terrifyingly violent one for the main characters.
I found the beginning of the novel a little slow to get into but once I hit about 30%, I didn't want to stop reading it. I practically binged the last 70% in two sessions. MacMillan cleverly crafted the ends of her chapters in such a way so as to entice you to keep going, and at less than 10 minutes (according to my kindle) of time per chapter it was hard to justify taking a break!
I found the use of the painting and the actual investigation to be well thought out and I didn't see coming who the killer turned out to be, which is always a win for a mystery/thriller. My only gripe is what I consider to be a big plot hole. Why did the killer continuously keep trying to maim or subtly kill the main character instead of just burning down the whole building? GRANTED, not long after making this note in my kindle, the main character said as much herself and not long after that, the killer did escalate "appropriately" which turns the plot hole into a gripe instead of a real issue.
All in all, I do recommend this book. It's a solid amateur murder mystery with some paranormal elements added in. Probably perfect for fans of Simone St. James.
I found the beginning of the novel a little slow to get into but once I hit about 30%, I didn't want to stop reading it. I practically binged the last 70% in two sessions. MacMillan cleverly crafted the ends of her chapters in such a way so as to entice you to keep going, and at less than 10 minutes (according to my kindle) of time per chapter it was hard to justify taking a break!
I found the use of the painting and the actual investigation to be well thought out and I didn't see coming who the killer turned out to be, which is always a win for a mystery/thriller. My only gripe is what I consider to be a big plot hole. Why did the killer continuously keep trying to maim or subtly kill the main character instead of just burning down the whole building? GRANTED, not long after making this note in my kindle, the main character said as much herself and not long after that, the killer did escalate "appropriately" which turns the plot hole into a gripe instead of a real issue.
All in all, I do recommend this book. It's a solid amateur murder mystery with some paranormal elements added in. Probably perfect for fans of Simone St. James.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Suicide, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Gun violence, Infidelity, and Medical content
Minor: Forced institutionalization