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bryony_grace's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
I really enjoyed this one, apart from the ending feeling a little less satisfying than I wanted, largely because we don’t really get the killer’s motivation
hilarymercer's review
lighthearted
slow-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
armorcats's review against another edition
4.0
I was very fortunate to win a free proof of The Locked Room in a Goodreads giveaway. Thank you to Goodreads and the publisher.
This is a 4.5 star read for me. I suspect there will be some complaints about how COVID was dealt with in places in the book, but I think the author hit all the right notes. Besides, it’s impossible to thread in great detail what everyone faced with COVID and lockdowns through a 350 page murder mystery plot.
This book felt a bit more like a special release, like a Christmas book except it was dealing with COVID, than a regular book in the series. The mystery was a bit easier to unravel. The overall tone was a bit lighter. It contained the most obvious clue in all 14 books, but that was ok with me. I adore this family of characters and I’ll be here waiting when Kate returns.
This is a 4.5 star read for me. I suspect there will be some complaints about how COVID was dealt with in places in the book, but I think the author hit all the right notes. Besides, it’s impossible to thread in great detail what everyone faced with COVID and lockdowns through a 350 page murder mystery plot.
This book felt a bit more like a special release, like a Christmas book except it was dealing with COVID, than a regular book in the series. The mystery was a bit easier to unravel. The overall tone was a bit lighter. It contained the most obvious clue in all 14 books, but that was ok with me. I adore this family of characters and I’ll be here waiting when Kate returns.
nikkistonestreet's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-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? It's complicated
4.0
stocksbridgewriter's review against another edition
5.0
A new Ruth Galloway series book from Elly Griffiths is always a big event. The Locked Room is typical Ruth, even though the story is set in Covid times. The backdrop of covid adds an extra layer to the mix. Does it work? Well yes and no, but then it doesn't detract from the storyline, only adds heartache to the melting pot.
The plot is as taut as ever. The discovery of a burial at the beginning sets into motion a series of events that at the beginning I hadn't contemplated. As the book progresses, you find yourself wanting to find out more, yet covid gets in the way. I guess, as in real life, it interferes with life. At times you want the covid bits to go away and they get down to the crime. Yet that's exactly the way covid interrupted our lives in 2020.
At the heart of the story is Cathbad, surely the character who most of us would like to be like. The twists and turns were unpredictable at times, yet this book perfectly captures the madness that was covid. The references to plague and covid was well done. The heartache and helplessness that I felt reading it at times was real. It brought back images of that first lockdown, uncomfortably.
I'd give this book 5 stars as the story was both a joy and an irritant to read. It was brave for Elly Griffiths to include covid in the heart of the story. She manages to pull it off. If you're a Ruth and Nelson fan, this is one you won't want to miss.
The plot is as taut as ever. The discovery of a burial at the beginning sets into motion a series of events that at the beginning I hadn't contemplated. As the book progresses, you find yourself wanting to find out more, yet covid gets in the way. I guess, as in real life, it interferes with life. At times you want the covid bits to go away and they get down to the crime. Yet that's exactly the way covid interrupted our lives in 2020.
At the heart of the story is Cathbad, surely the character who most of us would like to be like. The twists and turns were unpredictable at times, yet this book perfectly captures the madness that was covid. The references to plague and covid was well done. The heartache and helplessness that I felt reading it at times was real. It brought back images of that first lockdown, uncomfortably.
I'd give this book 5 stars as the story was both a joy and an irritant to read. It was brave for Elly Griffiths to include covid in the heart of the story. She manages to pull it off. If you're a Ruth and Nelson fan, this is one you won't want to miss.
boysonbookhoarder's review against another edition
5.0
This is the first book I’ve read set during 2020 and I think it is well done. It captures well the sense of unreality amid daily struggles to adapt and overcome.
lauraabrahamsen's review against another edition
5.0
Ruth Galloway is my favorite fictional detective and Griffiths did not disappoint. I am thoroughly invested in these characters and the world she has created for them, so this may not count as an unbiased review.
emiller1018's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
harrietmarydean's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0