Reviews

City of Good Death by Chris Lloyd

xdarlene's review

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2.0

DNF

I listened to it and it starts of slow and so many characters and I really lost track of them. It made me feel confused. Though the plot really sounds interesting but it wasn’t just a match for me.

damppebbles's review

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4.0

I found this crime debut a thoroughly enjoyable and interesting read. When you finish a book and feel like you've been on holiday, well, surely that's a very good thing indeed.

There is a murderer on the loose in Girona. The killer is using Girona's rich history of myths and legends to rid the city of its most despised residents; a loan shark, a corrupt priest, a group of thugs. Sotsinspectora Elisenda Domènech and the new Serious Crime Unit are tasked with catching the killer. Then the killer turns their attention to less deserving victims....

You know how much I appreciate a strong-willed female detective and Elisenda is a new favourite of mine. She's gutsy and smart. Seemingly the only female detective in Girona so there's a need for that determination. Especially as some of her male colleagues don't think she can hack it.

There are some great twists in this book. The reveal of the killer had my heart pounding. The big question is, did I see 'whodunnit'? Was my guess right? Well.....yes, sort of and sort of not at the same time. And that's all I'm going to say about that!

You can tell that Chris Lloyd has spent time in Girona. His written representation of the city made me feel like I know the city having never actually visited; a real skill. I hope there will be more to come from Sotsinspectora Domènech.

Four out of five stars.

irma_sincera's review

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2.0

Žmogžudystės paremtos vieno miesto legendomis. Tas miestas - Girona, Ispanija. Man daugiau ir nereikėjo, kad užsinorėčiau perskaityti.
Pasirinkus rašyti tokia tema yra labai svarbu sukurti to miesto atmosferą, padėti skaitytojui įsvaizduoti tas visas gatveles, aikštes, tiltus ir panašiai. Aš net buvus Gironoje negalėjau nusikelti mintimis nei į vieną minimą vietą. Va taip blogai buvo parašyta. Miestas paliktas be veido, nors viskas sukasi apie jo tradicijas, identitetą, katalonijos išskirtinumą. Joks ne ispanas neturėtų rašyti tokia tema, nes tikrai neturi supratimo, kad ir kiek metų pragyvenęs Ispanijoje.
Pirmų 100psl net neprisimenu. Nežinau ar jums būna taip, bet skaitai ir absoliučiai nieko nelieka galvoje. Ties knygos viduriu atsirado daugiau veiksmo, bet neusistvarkė autorius su tuo. Kažkokio tyrimo čia iš viso nėra. Nužudymas - nužudymas - ...... - nužudymas - pabaiga. Nei kaip nei kas, nei kokios užuominos privedė prie sprendimo ar veiksmo. Turbūt pats autorius nežinojo ką sugalvoti tai tiesiog praleido tas dalis, o skaitytojas paliktas gaudytis pats. Pagrindinė detektyvė tiesiog stebuklingai vis skyriaus pabaigoje pakartodavo - "aš žinau ką daryti" - "aš žinau kur jį rasti" . Nušvirtimai matyt ją aplankydavo kažkokie.
Personažų irgi baisus perteklius. Vienu metu jų gali atsirasti net keli, su keliais vardais, knygos eigoje į juos kreipiamasi trimis skirtingais kreipiniais, kol galiausiai visiškai pasidaviau bandydama prisiminti kas yra kas.
Na manau akivaizdu, kad serijos netęsiu.

annrawson's review

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5.0

I very much enjoyed this debut thriller, which introduces Elisenda Domènechm - the head of serious crime in the Catalan city of Girona.

The story is satisfying - it's complex and managed to surprise me, and yet looking back it was all there, inevitable. I had some inklings about who the killer might be, but I wasn't completely right - I won't say more to avoid spoilers.

I loved the way the modern and the historical/mythic were inextricably entwined in the plot. The killer uses his victims to stage scenes from the city's myths - and the victims are so very different from each other it's hard to fathom the link. Online vicarious vigilantism, egging the killer on, adds to the pressure on Elisanda and her team as they struggle with a difficult investigation.

Interesting characters, a rich sense of place and history, all tied together with masterful storytelling.

I'm looking forward to the next in the series.

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