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jodar's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Another very well-written and intriguingly complex murder mystery from Horowitz.
There is a novel embedded in the novel, but it is not a story within a story. The solution the MC is trying to unravel is the puzzle within the puzzle of the embedded novel of the dead author whose works the MC was an editor of.Scandal of sexual predation by the powerful against the susceptible is at the core of the mystery – it seems even with today’s easygoing attitudes to sexual morality there are limits to social acceptability.
My one regret is not noting down the characters, as there are quite a few to keep track of. But actually, I largely enjoyed it for the settings and characters – especially the woman MC – rather than in trying to puzzled out who did it. I liked having an MC who was happy in her relationship but also frustrated and struggling to work through her personal issues.
There is a novel embedded in the novel, but it is not a story within a story. The solution the MC is trying to unravel is the puzzle within the puzzle of the embedded novel of the dead author whose works the MC was an editor of.
My one regret is not noting down the characters, as there are quite a few to keep track of. But actually, I largely enjoyed it for the settings and characters – especially the woman MC – rather than in trying to puzzled out who did it. I liked having an MC who was happy in her relationship but also frustrated and struggling to work through her personal issues.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Infidelity, Sexual assault, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Minor: Gore and Medical trauma