Reviews

I didn't enjoy this standalone novel as much as the other Ann Cleeves books I've read that are part of different detective series. This is the first time I have listened to Ann Cleeves in audiobook form and I am unsure if this is also a factor in my level of enjoyment. I prefer to read her in print.

However, it does tell a decent story and provides a lot of interesting insights around the different types of characters that crop up in the English countryside and small-town England. There is a theme of lost identity throughout the book. The main protagonist, Lizze Bartholomew, is a foundling who never knew her parents, as well as a former social worker, and the young man whose murder she seeks to solve grew up with his biological father's identity being concealed from him by his mother.

By the end of the book, we know the characters and their (often dirty) secrets a lot better, and have more insight into the societal attitudes that have driven their life decisions. But the plot was a little meandering at times (again, I'm unsure if this is also an effect of listening rather than reading in print).

didactylos's review against another edition

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4.0

Not one of her best, but a pleasant and well plotted read. Especially liked the level of detail of location, much of it my own areas, gave an extra 'something' to my enjoyment as I visulaised the characters walking or driving along the streets I know so well.

jewelkr's review against another edition

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dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

If I haven’t mentioned it before, I have a hard time reading fiction.

Because I belonged to too many writers’ groups, where we sat around and critiqued each other’s writing. So while I can tolerate bad writing or bad editing in non-fiction because I’m only reading it for the information, I can’t tolerate it in fiction. Because I’m reading fiction for enjoyment and if bad writing or editing shows up I’m critiquing, not enjoying.

This book wasn’t bad. I picked it up from a Little Library because a) it had a British pound price sticker on it, and I’m a snob and b) the author Ann Cleeves wrote the Shetland tv series which I have enjoyed in the past, although Jimmy Perez seems to phoning it in, in Season 5 and is not just taciturn, he’s downright a grumpy old man.

It’s a dark story whose back cover promises “terrifying secrets”. There are two murders, which is not so much terrifying as the requirement of this sort of book, and the main character is constantly sneaking around on other people’s properties which I find too stressful – I’m not good with undercover plots. It’s very readable and the plot moves along at a good speed with enough daily business to allow the reader to recover from the nefariousness of it all. The main character’s inner dialogue is helpful to the plotline and I did relate to her, although I could have done with more of her backstory.

The "terrifying” end is kind of anticlimactic, after all the murder theories, the possible arrests, the cloak-and-dagger of an out-of-work social worker and the loss of two young lives. I didn’t like all the theories floated and one of the main criminals, a man who assaulted a 16 year old, isn’t even part of the law and order scoop that happens; this part of the story just evaporates.

I guess this is how most who-dun-its are, which is why they are not high on my reading list. Overall it was an OK experience to read this book and I’m OK with passing it back to the Little Library for someone else.

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