Scan barcode
hadesdaughter's review against another edition
3.0
All Come To Dust is a long book, with lots of descriptions and has a great premise, but it didn't kept me hooked.
This was my first time reading a book from Zimbabwe and I really enjoyed the descriptions of the scenary, the mystery and the writing in general.
It may not have kept me hooked, but it was definitely an interesting experience. I recommend!
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was my first time reading a book from Zimbabwe and I really enjoyed the descriptions of the scenary, the mystery and the writing in general.
It may not have kept me hooked, but it was definitely an interesting experience. I recommend!
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
arockinsamsara's review against another edition
4.0
“All Come to Dust” is a long-simmering stew, with the raw-ingredients of an old-fashioned detective mystery and the mélange of spices of post-colonial Zimbabwe breaking down and melding together to offer up something far more than you might have expected when you started. The writing itself is incredibly patient, only revealing itself slowly and at its own measured pace. But within it Rheam is able to slowly develop an assortment of characters. Each time we revisit someone we learn more about them, forcing us to be patient as they reveal themselves. Similarly, the sense of place is intense. I have never visited Zimbabwe, but the writing instantly brought me to Bulawayo, from the scent of the flowers in the trees to the piles of utterly useless bureaucratic paperwork at the police station. Without ever being heavy handed, the occasional use of vernacular language combined with really specific sensory descriptions to really make the setting its own character, and one that affects every other character in their own way.
The characters are well drawn out, if slowly, just playing on enough of tropes or archetypes to let the reader assume they know something prematurely. The story itself is both riveting and small, or enclosed, at the same time. It takes its time unspooling, and offers enough red herrings mixed with its clues along the way that you want to keep reading and don’t feel cheated out of a proper resolution. All the while it is a portrait of how class, race, and gender still function in contemporary Zimbabwe, not as much an indictment as it is just a laying bare of how injustice and privilege are still baked into everyday life, and the efforts different people take to escape such social shackles.
If you’re interested in a compelling detective story, you can find that here, and although surely this novel wraps itself in that affectation it is more than that. It was a joy to read, even as it slowed me down and insisted I take it at its own pace. Every aspect, from characters, to story, to writing, was deliberate and nothing felt rushed or hackneyed. The latter third of the book did feel a little more rushed than the first parts, though that is part and parcel with whodunits. There were some things that wrapped up a little too neatly, or quickly, again common in the genre but it didn’t feel entirely fitting with the rest of the story. It wasn’t enough to feel unearned, though, and the incredibly memorable primary character, who himself was more than just a copy-and-paste genre detective but actually someone who experienced growth and development throughout the story, was more than enough to give this novel high marks and a hearty recommendation.
I want to thank NetGalley and Parthian Books, who gave me a complimentary eARC in exchange for an honest review.
The characters are well drawn out, if slowly, just playing on enough of tropes or archetypes to let the reader assume they know something prematurely. The story itself is both riveting and small, or enclosed, at the same time. It takes its time unspooling, and offers enough red herrings mixed with its clues along the way that you want to keep reading and don’t feel cheated out of a proper resolution. All the while it is a portrait of how class, race, and gender still function in contemporary Zimbabwe, not as much an indictment as it is just a laying bare of how injustice and privilege are still baked into everyday life, and the efforts different people take to escape such social shackles.
If you’re interested in a compelling detective story, you can find that here, and although surely this novel wraps itself in that affectation it is more than that. It was a joy to read, even as it slowed me down and insisted I take it at its own pace. Every aspect, from characters, to story, to writing, was deliberate and nothing felt rushed or hackneyed. The latter third of the book did feel a little more rushed than the first parts, though that is part and parcel with whodunits. There were some things that wrapped up a little too neatly, or quickly, again common in the genre but it didn’t feel entirely fitting with the rest of the story. It wasn’t enough to feel unearned, though, and the incredibly memorable primary character, who himself was more than just a copy-and-paste genre detective but actually someone who experienced growth and development throughout the story, was more than enough to give this novel high marks and a hearty recommendation.
I want to thank NetGalley and Parthian Books, who gave me a complimentary eARC in exchange for an honest review.
annarella's review against another edition
3.0
An interesting start, a plot full of promises but the story didn't keep my attention and feel flat.
Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
readingtimeatthezoo's review against another edition
3.0
I tried so hard to enjoy this one more than I did. It really had such a great premise behind it and the writing was really good but my heart just wasn’t quite in it.
I love a good murder mystery, especially a good detective story and this one had all the marks of an Agatha Christie or Hercule Poirot style whodunit. Unfortunately for me it was just a little too bumbling and confusing.
It seemed way too long, as if the end would never arrive, but I desperately wanted to know what happened because I was actually invested in the characters. I think that’s where my frustration lay. Because it seemed too long it was often a chore to get there.
Set in Zimbabwe, the author expertly wove in issues surrounding racism and colonialism with stories past and present intertwining as it all came together. It’s a really slow burn style read, which I am absolutely a fan of, just again, because this was such a hefty book, it just took too long to reach the conclusion for me.
A great idea and premise for a story, just could have done a bit more tweaking and editing and my rating would absolutely have been higher.
A huge thank you to Parthian Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this one.
I love a good murder mystery, especially a good detective story and this one had all the marks of an Agatha Christie or Hercule Poirot style whodunit. Unfortunately for me it was just a little too bumbling and confusing.
It seemed way too long, as if the end would never arrive, but I desperately wanted to know what happened because I was actually invested in the characters. I think that’s where my frustration lay. Because it seemed too long it was often a chore to get there.
Set in Zimbabwe, the author expertly wove in issues surrounding racism and colonialism with stories past and present intertwining as it all came together. It’s a really slow burn style read, which I am absolutely a fan of, just again, because this was such a hefty book, it just took too long to reach the conclusion for me.
A great idea and premise for a story, just could have done a bit more tweaking and editing and my rating would absolutely have been higher.
A huge thank you to Parthian Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this one.
missmesmerized's review against another edition
challenging
dark
medium-paced
4.0
When Marcia Pullman is found stabbed in her home in the Zimbabwean town of Bulawayo, Chief Inspector Edmund Dube has not the slightest idea what hornets’ net he is kicking. The seemingly nice and neat business woman obviously had some side affairs rather on the dark side and knew how to make people comply with her rules. Not only is the case complex, also in his police station Edmund is confronted with obstacles, someone tries to boycott his investigation. But he has learnt how life works and his ethics keep him fighting for truth no matter how many spanners are thrown in his works.
Bryony Rheam’s mystery “All Come to Dust” is a kind of classic murder investigation deeply rooted in the Zimbabwe culture. Many aspects of the novel can only happen in such surroundings and are a prerequisite to develop in the first place. The protagonist is a lonely wolf with a complex character and background who determinedly follows his mission.
What I liked most was how the complexity of the story slowly unfolds. What seems to be a rather simple case motivated by well-known motives, turns out to be an actual net of diverse motivations and intentions the characters follow. It is hard to detect where the actual danger comes from and with the protagonist fighting his own battles while solving a crime, the novel provides mysteries on different levels.
Even though the plot is masterly crafted, I found it a bit lengthy at times and would have preferred a more straight-forward investigation. The character development is also brilliantly done, but this also leads to a diversion of the actual mystery plot.
An interesting read which provided me with a lot of insight into a culture completely unknown to me.
jennymcc's review
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
nanuska_153's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- 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
3.75
aubreysmith9412's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book originally fascinated me as something I've never read before - I've never read Zimbabwean literature, and I was really excited to check it out. And what I found just wasn't really for me.
I found the pace meandering, and too slow for me. There was a deliberate point to the pacing, which definitely worked plot-wise, but it just didn't suit me very well. I also found I could not relate to a single character, which made it difficult for me to really get into the book.
I stuck around for the plot - I really needed to know how the mystery ended. And within that mystery was a whole web of subterfuge, deceit, devastation, and just downright irreconcilable inhumanity. It was definitely way, way more than I ever bargained for.
Overall, if the pace had been faster, I think I would have really liked this book. But as it stands, I just didn't. It was not for me, but I definitely understand the appeal. As such, I will keep this review short and sweet - the overall unraveling of the mystery made finishing the book well worth it, but I would most likely not have read it had I known how slow the pace was.
More...