bookhussy's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
crazeedi73's review against another edition
5.0
This series is great, I love the North Carolina style of speech and family. On to the next one!
hopeevey's review against another edition
2.0
This book has excellent narration. Ms. Critt gets the voices just right. I had been thinking she's from NC until she read the part about Kinston, NC. She pronounced it "KinGston" :) Otherwise, it was a perfectly smooth narration.
I really enjoy the sense of place in these novels. I enjoy Ms. Maron's writing. Unfortunately, I just don't enjoy the novels overall, and this was no exception. It's hard for me to articulate exactly why.
I think my problem is that the book has just enough of a murder mystery in it to put it in the mystery genre, but the mystery takes a distant back seat to the lives of the characters. Mind you, I like the characters, but the unfulfilled promise of a mystery story ruins my enjoyment of the these-people-in-this-place story.
Spoilers ahead!!!
Spoiler warning!
In this book, the climax is an exciting scene wherein our heroine figures out who did the murder just in time for the murderer to turn on her. It's a great scene, bringing together a lot of the things discussed earlier in the book.
But you never find out why the killer did it, or if he was caught. The usual explain-it-all denouement is replaced with a family scene that doesn't involve the murder at all. I'll grant you, it's a lovely scene. It brings together the threads of the novel, without tying any artificial bows. It leaves room for future stories, while being a satisfying end to the novel - if you leave out the murder mystery part.
I'm tempted to listen to more of the Deborah Knott mysteries, as I would like hear more about the characters. I'm just not sure it's worth putting up with the second-rate murder mystery.
In searching online to see if there really is a Colleton County NC (there isn't - it's a remarkably detailed fictional county) I found a list of book series set in NC here. I will have to see if the library has any of them :)
I really enjoy the sense of place in these novels. I enjoy Ms. Maron's writing. Unfortunately, I just don't enjoy the novels overall, and this was no exception. It's hard for me to articulate exactly why.
I think my problem is that the book has just enough of a murder mystery in it to put it in the mystery genre, but the mystery takes a distant back seat to the lives of the characters. Mind you, I like the characters, but the unfulfilled promise of a mystery story ruins my enjoyment of the these-people-in-this-place story.
Spoilers ahead!!!
Spoiler warning!
In this book, the climax is an exciting scene wherein our heroine figures out who did the murder just in time for the murderer to turn on her. It's a great scene, bringing together a lot of the things discussed earlier in the book.
But you never find out why the killer did it, or if he was caught. The usual explain-it-all denouement is replaced with a family scene that doesn't involve the murder at all. I'll grant you, it's a lovely scene. It brings together the threads of the novel, without tying any artificial bows. It leaves room for future stories, while being a satisfying end to the novel - if you leave out the murder mystery part.
I'm tempted to listen to more of the Deborah Knott mysteries, as I would like hear more about the characters. I'm just not sure it's worth putting up with the second-rate murder mystery.
In searching online to see if there really is a Colleton County NC (there isn't - it's a remarkably detailed fictional county) I found a list of book series set in NC here. I will have to see if the library has any of them :)
tigerb99's review
3.0
Didn't enjoy as much as some other Deborah Knott books -- outcome was pretty confusing.
lnatal's review
2.0
Just arrived from Spain through BM.
This is another Deborah Knott's story but, as a mystery book, it doesn't held our attention in order to solve the crime or to try to find the murderer(s).
This is another Deborah Knott's story but, as a mystery book, it doesn't held our attention in order to solve the crime or to try to find the murderer(s).
More...