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crystalisreading's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Outing, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual content
katiedid4's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Hate crime, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Police brutality
Moderate: Alcoholism, Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Dementia, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Stalking, and Murder
oxfordcommas91's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I really loved the storyline and the characters were very well developed with a nice level of depth. I really connected more to the characters than I expected to and there were simultaneously beautiful and heartbreaking moments that surprised me.
I really enjoyed this one and learned that there are more books featuring the main character that I will definitely be picking up very soon!
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Hate crime, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Outing, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Child abuse, and Confinement
kappafrog's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I really loved the way the setting of the house was described, with all the flowers and trees and the sense of seclusion. My favourite character was definitely Pat. I would have been happy to see more of his life! I liked the doctor-turned-bartender a lot too. Usually I gravitate towards queer women in books, especially historical ones, but it was harder to connect with the women in this book. I think it was just obvious that the author was writing what he knew with the queer men so their feelings and personalities shone through a lot more strongly than those of the women.
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Police brutality, Murder, Lesbophobia, Outing, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Vomit, Medical content, Stalking, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism
Minor: Gun violence, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Blood, Death of parent, and War
melliedm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
For me—The mystery itself was frustratingly obvious, which made the path toward the end feel more grating than exciting.
I also felt that the depiction of the time period was inconsistent. I think the future books should either commit to being delightfully revisionist, or commit to the historical fiction.
I wanted to like the characters more than I did, but I think this ties back into the mystery itself. In my mind a great mystery either needs to use simple characters that allow for subversion and surprise in the mystery, or complex characters where by that nature they add to the mystery. In this case, the simple mystery also had simple characters.
I will probably read one more Evander Mills book, to see if this was maybe freshman series growing pains, because I really do love the idea of a historical queer detective agency.
Graphic: Hate crime and Homophobia
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, and Murder
thatchickengirl23's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Graphic: Biphobia, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Hate crime, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Police brutality, Murder, Lesbophobia, Outing, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Minor: Medical content
rachbake's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Homophobia, Police brutality, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
theninth's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Animal death, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Police brutality, and Outing
Moderate: Child abuse, Hate crime, Suicide, and Murder
Minor: Rape and Sexual violence
suzreadsalot's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Hate crime, Homophobia, and Violence
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child abuse and Death of parent
birdomens's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Police brutality, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail