Reviews

Saint X by Alexis Schaitkin

sadiereadsagain's review against another edition

5.0

This is the story of Claire, who was seven when her idolised older sister Alison was found dead on a family holiday. As an adult, she jumps in to a cab which just happens to be driven by one of the men suspected of Alison's murder, and an obsession to discover the truth takes over Claire's life.

I'm just going to jump right in an say it - this book is brilliant. It had me gripped right from the beginning and I thought it was intelligent, layered and incredibly well written. This is not your average mystery novel, it is so much more. How people cope with loss, how circumstances shape a person, how family dynamics play out and how our perceptions of people evolve as we ourselves develop are all explored in this book, so well that the whodunnit aspect almost becomes secondary. I adored the stories of both Claire and suspected killer Clive, Schaitkin has a real talent for crafting complex characters and backstories.

This book is a slower pace of mystery, but that is what makes it such a great read. As each layer unfurls you get more involved. I love a book with depth, and this certainly has that. One of my favourite reads of the year so far.

Many thanks to Picador Pan MacMillan for my NetGalley of this title in return for a review. All opinions my own.

swils519's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

anotherbooklady's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Intriguing Mystery

18 years after her college age sister’s disappearance and death, Claire gets into a cab in New York City and realizes the cab driver is one of the men who was suspected (and cleared) of Alison’s murder. 

Claire finds herself obsessed with the cab driver, and spirals into an obsession with finding out the truth of her sister’s demise.

Beautiful, lyrical writing told from several character perspectives leads the reader through several twists and turns. At times, a bit of a slow burn, but overall an engaging, suspenseful story.

There was a twist I never saw coming, and a surprising conclusion to Alison’s story which was a bit anti-climactic, but well worth the read.

ohyeah_karyn's review

mysterious 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Cancer, Classism, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Abandonment, Alcohol, Murder, Drug use, Grief, Pregnancy, and Sexual content

blobagirl's review

mysterious reflective sad 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? Yes

4.0

toofondofbooks's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

4.5

nathalie8's review against another edition

5.0

4.5 stars.
I really enjoyed this book. It was well written, insightful and engaging. I would not describe it as a page-turner, but something best read at a slower pace. The author took a unique approach to what could have been a predictable story. I look forward to reading what she comes up with next.

ambeisell's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective sad 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? Yes

3.5

Highlights: mystery, thriller, coming of age, growth, connecting worlds

Favorite Character: Emily/Claire

Character that grew on me: Clive

Favorite Scene: My favorite scene was when Clive made it known that Emily was Claire. It was a great “oh dang” moment that I didn’t see coming.

Overall thoughts: I enjoyed the plot. However I think less important aspects of the book were focused on to much and others weren’t described enough. The formatting also threw me and was hard to get used to. I really enjoyed the concept of the small insert of perspective of “filler characters” throughout the book it added additional puzzle pieces.

Star Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Why: I gave the book a 3.5 out of 5 because there was fundamental things I would have changed to make it more enjoyable for me as a reader.

Spoiler

For example the ending scene of Sara as a grandmother seemed out of place. She wasn’t a large enough character in the book for me to really have the desire to know what her life was like. After Claire’s “next chapter” scene was done I would have liked a final perspective insert of what really happened to Alison - maybe a little bomb drop that only the readers would know.

camgraphy's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

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

3.0

t_d_brooking's review against another edition

5.0

As I listened to this story, I thought "there's no way this will end well" - but Alexis Schaitkin wove every thread together seamlessly through to the last page, with twists and "maybes" and "if only's" and multiple points of view to create a wholly satisfying story.

Also, the voice actors nailed their parts, so I highly recommend the Audible version (which is not always the case)!