babyfacedoldsoul's review
2.0
The story this collection is named for could have gone in so many more interesting directions. I was disappointed at the ending it had. I found the other stories lacked punch though I did enjoy the ending of Dreaming of Elisabeth and the entirety of The Widows' Cafe
ominousjorts's review
3.0
I was rather disappointed by this book. The first and by far the longest of the short stories was fun, but predictable, and the premise rather fell apart under even the slightest of scrutiny.
However, all of the other short stories were far more surprising and exciting, with the conciseness of the stories lending well to the writer's style and to the sense of mystery. I just wish the same could be said for the firsts story!
However, all of the other short stories were far more surprising and exciting, with the conciseness of the stories lending well to the writer's style and to the sense of mystery. I just wish the same could be said for the firsts story!
o13n4_'s review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
envd22's review
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
hiba29's review
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
This is the stupidest detective i've ever read about
lulu_readsalot's review
2.0
In general, the book is not great. However, I am on vacation and it is entertaining.
The first story is super lame, predictable and not really relatable. It has characters who are fans of Sherlock Holmes and the story is a copycat of one of the Sherlock Holmes' stories... But wrong. The only thing I liked about that one story is the policeman. He was a tad ridiculous.
The other stories are just... Meh.
The only one I liked was the last one, the widow's cafe; this story has a nice main character and a cool story, specially the ending, with a "staring contest" situation :)
The first story is super lame, predictable and not really relatable. It has characters who are fans of Sherlock Holmes and the story is a copycat of one of the Sherlock Holmes' stories... But wrong. The only thing I liked about that one story is the policeman. He was a tad ridiculous.
The other stories are just... Meh.
The only one I liked was the last one, the widow's cafe; this story has a nice main character and a cool story, specially the ending, with a "staring contest" situation :)
cj_mo_2222's review
4.0
I really enjoyed the titled novella "The Scent of Almonds" featuring Martin Molin. The other shorter stories all have surprising twists and are quick reading, but dark. I enjoy Camilla Lackberg's Fjallbacka novels, and this book was a great way to enjoy her work until the next novel is available in English.
myweereads's review
5.0
Ive finished reading The Scent of Almonds & Other Short Stories by Camilla Lackberg. These stories are all set in the Swedish fishing village of Fjällbacka. The first is called The Scent Of Almonds which is about a snowstorm which traps a family in a hotel on a tiny island off Fjällbacka. The family is one of the richest and well known in Sweden. During their stay at the hotel a body is found. One of the guests is a detective meeting his girlfriend’s family for the first time however he is now forced to be on duty to solve the crime. The second story is called An Elegant Death which is about a store owner who is found dead at her shop. The detectives look into family and friends to solve the murder of this poor shop owner. In certain crimes everybody is a suspect. The third story is called Dreaming of Elisabeth which centres around a couple on a boat trip who have been having personal problems and therefore plan a trip on their boat to get away from those problems. The wife begins to suspect her husband as his behaviour to her seems strange where he’s taking calls for long periods of time. Playing on her mind is the death of his previous wife before who was thrown overboard. She begins to dream and sees his wife in her dreams and feels she is trying to tell her something but what exactly is she saying?? Lastly The Widow’s Cafe is the final story. This is about a cafe run by a kind older woman who has a secret but this begins to come to the surface when the police get involved due to a string of deaths that link the cafe to them.
After reading a lot of horror books a picked this up for a wee change and I’m glad i did. I love scandi crime novels and this one although it was a collection of short stories they were all excellent. I have read some books by the author before and they have never disappointed. She has an excellent way of writing dark detective stories. Each story in its own way is dark and engaging. I would absolutely recommend this book for someone that doesn’t read this genre to often as a taste of how good it is.
After reading a lot of horror books a picked this up for a wee change and I’m glad i did. I love scandi crime novels and this one although it was a collection of short stories they were all excellent. I have read some books by the author before and they have never disappointed. She has an excellent way of writing dark detective stories. Each story in its own way is dark and engaging. I would absolutely recommend this book for someone that doesn’t read this genre to often as a taste of how good it is.
lisaarnsdorf's review
4.0
A fun collection of stories! Several of them feature characters from Lackberg's series. The first story, the longest of the group, was OK. A bit disappointing. But the last three stories were great - short and sweet with cliffhanger endings (in a good way!).