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zosiablue's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Good lord. Here's a brief list of the book plot:
1. COVID. So much COVID, including nearly killing off a beloved character. I don't want to read about COVID, man! Does anyone?
2. I can't decide if the author is rebelling against anti-fat criticisms of her books or if she's making a thoughtful subversion, but the main mystery takes place in a Weight Watchers-esque group, so the weight talk is tripled. But it's also deadly?
3. She recycles, for maybe the fifth time?, the trope of someone getting their phone stolen and the thief sending nefarious texts. And for what has to be the tenth time, a woman has an affair with a married man and has his baby. And that baby (well, as an adult) gets kidnapped. Rinse, repeat.
4. Side plot of a nurse murdering her patients?
5. Despite all of this, I was still engaged. It's frustrating that Elly Griffiths is kind of a good writer and yet plots like there are 3 plots to choose from in the entire world. I can't explain why I stay interested, but I do, so something must be going right 🤷♀️
1. COVID. So much COVID, including nearly killing off a beloved character. I don't want to read about COVID, man! Does anyone?
2. I can't decide if the author is rebelling against anti-fat criticisms of her books or if she's making a thoughtful subversion, but the main mystery takes place in a Weight Watchers-esque group, so the weight talk is tripled. But it's also deadly?
3. She recycles, for maybe the fifth time?, the trope of someone getting their phone stolen and the thief sending nefarious texts. And for what has to be the tenth time, a woman has an affair with a married man and has his baby. And that baby (well, as an adult) gets kidnapped. Rinse, repeat.
4. Side plot of a nurse murdering her patients?
5. Despite all of this, I was still engaged. It's frustrating that Elly Griffiths is kind of a good writer and yet plots like there are 3 plots to choose from in the entire world. I can't explain why I stay interested, but I do, so something must be going right 🤷♀️
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Suicide, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Death, Violence, Medical content, Murder, and Pregnancy
daisystitch's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Elly Griffiths's Ruth Galloway series was my comfort read during the pandemic. This book was an emotional rollercoaster for me as beloved characters went through those early lockdown days, bringing it vividly back to life. The central mystery paled in comparison, but as usual Griffiths delivered a thrilling denouement.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity, Suicide, Medical content, Kidnapping, Murder, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Domestic abuse and Fatphobia
gemin1reader's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
5.0
I’m not the biggest fan of books set during the pandemic but it worked really well for the story.
I think I’m more emotionally attached to Cathbad than I am any other fictional character.
I think I’m more emotionally attached to Cathbad than I am any other fictional character.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
brandilovesbooks's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Body shaming, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Kidnapping
This book takes place during the pandemic and may be triggering to people who were sick, had friends/relatives that were sick, or lost a friend/family member due to Covid