Scan barcode
taaniasill's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
sad
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
3.5
cblunier's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
acmarinho3's review against another edition
5.0
Joël Dicker é um sério caso de amor. Para mim já é impossível não gostar de um livro do autor. A maneira absolutamente brilhante como escreve e vai desenrolado a narrativa deixa-me sempre sem palavras. Adoro o suspense, a revelação gradual de pistas, os palpites que nos fazem pensar "uau, claro que é isto" e que depois nos dá a volta por ser algo totalmente diferente. Adoro como, no final, nunca é aquilo que pensava e é isso que me faz apaixonar por todos os livros de Dicker. É genial, talentoso e extremamente inteligente. Fico sempre com pena quando termino um livro dele e já só penso no próximo. Aconselho vivamente.
stefano_cs's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
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
4.0
esse05's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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
4.0
rushana22's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
danubooks's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Was the wrong person convicted of a young woman’s murder?
Marcus Goldman is a hugely successful writer; his first book was a sensation upon its release and then, after battling a serious case of writer’s block, his second offering cemented his reputation. The latter book was written after Marcus’s former teacher and mentor, Harry Quebert, was accused of murder. Marcus knew Harry could not have been guilty and launched his own investigation into the matter, crisscrossing the state of New Hampshire as he pursued leads. In the end, he was able to clear Harry, but discovered secrets about him which seemingly destroyed their friendship. It’s now been two years and Marcus has neither seen nor heard from Harry since the resolution of the matter, despite his attempts to find him, and which has left him unsettled. He reconnects with a figure from his quest to prove Harry’s innocence, Sgt Perry Gahalowood of the NH State Police crime division. Perry and Marcus got off to a less than fortuitous start in those early days, but ultimately developed a friendship which extended to Perry’s wife Helen and their two daughters. When Helen suddenly dies of a heart attack after a period of disquiet in the marriage, Perry is devastated. He had suspected her of having an affair, but instead there seems to be a link between Helen’s death and a case with which Perry had been involved 11 years earlier when the body of Alaska Sanders was discovered near Grey Beach is the small NH town of Mount Pleasant. That crime was investigated and the perpetrator is serving a prison sentence. But what really happened, both in the time leading up to the killing and the days that followed? Why was a beautiful young woman who wanted to pursue an acting career in NYC instead working at a Mount Pleasant gas station? The fallout of that investigation has long haunted Perry, and reopening the case will cause many people associated with the crime pain and unrest. At what price will justice be served?
This is the third book in the series featuring Marcus Goldman, but one need not have read the earlier two in order to enjoy this entry (I had not, and found that author Joël Dicker skillfully wove in information needed for the reader to understand the relationships and backstories of those characters who featured in the two previous stories). The writing and storytelling is elegant, and the character development is superb. With each chapter the reader has a new layer of different characters peeled back to reveal the truths that hide underneath the facades each presents to the world. This is not the simple telling of a murder investigation that may have gone wrong; it is the telling of many different stories that have taken place over the years which have affected one or more of the characters and in so doing contributed to what happened during the initial investigation of Alaska’s death. It also touches upon the effect investigating violent crimes has upon those charged with doing so, the clash between literary success and the pursuit of the art of writing, and the universal condition of looking back upon the choices one makes during life and what might have happened had a different path been taken. My only two points of criticism in this otherwise splendidly crafted novel are that there are a few places where the story seemed to meander a bit and slow down the overall pace unnecessarily, and that some of the translation into English was off. As someone who has lived in NH for quite some time, there were some phrases used that were not ones readily used here. We don’t generally refer to “murder squads”, for example, nor to “fire brigades”, and while it certainly didn’t prevent me from understanding what entities to which the narrator was referring, I found it slightly jarring. That said, I found the book a very satisfying and engaging read, and suspect that fans of authors like Louise Penny, Chris Whitaker and Donna Leon would find it an attractive addition to their TBR list or pile. Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperVIa for allowing me early access to The Alaska Sanders Affair; I look forward to the next Marcus Goldman investigation!
Marcus Goldman is a hugely successful writer; his first book was a sensation upon its release and then, after battling a serious case of writer’s block, his second offering cemented his reputation. The latter book was written after Marcus’s former teacher and mentor, Harry Quebert, was accused of murder. Marcus knew Harry could not have been guilty and launched his own investigation into the matter, crisscrossing the state of New Hampshire as he pursued leads. In the end, he was able to clear Harry, but discovered secrets about him which seemingly destroyed their friendship. It’s now been two years and Marcus has neither seen nor heard from Harry since the resolution of the matter, despite his attempts to find him, and which has left him unsettled. He reconnects with a figure from his quest to prove Harry’s innocence, Sgt Perry Gahalowood of the NH State Police crime division. Perry and Marcus got off to a less than fortuitous start in those early days, but ultimately developed a friendship which extended to Perry’s wife Helen and their two daughters. When Helen suddenly dies of a heart attack after a period of disquiet in the marriage, Perry is devastated. He had suspected her of having an affair, but instead there seems to be a link between Helen’s death and a case with which Perry had been involved 11 years earlier when the body of Alaska Sanders was discovered near Grey Beach is the small NH town of Mount Pleasant. That crime was investigated and the perpetrator is serving a prison sentence. But what really happened, both in the time leading up to the killing and the days that followed? Why was a beautiful young woman who wanted to pursue an acting career in NYC instead working at a Mount Pleasant gas station? The fallout of that investigation has long haunted Perry, and reopening the case will cause many people associated with the crime pain and unrest. At what price will justice be served?
This is the third book in the series featuring Marcus Goldman, but one need not have read the earlier two in order to enjoy this entry (I had not, and found that author Joël Dicker skillfully wove in information needed for the reader to understand the relationships and backstories of those characters who featured in the two previous stories). The writing and storytelling is elegant, and the character development is superb. With each chapter the reader has a new layer of different characters peeled back to reveal the truths that hide underneath the facades each presents to the world. This is not the simple telling of a murder investigation that may have gone wrong; it is the telling of many different stories that have taken place over the years which have affected one or more of the characters and in so doing contributed to what happened during the initial investigation of Alaska’s death. It also touches upon the effect investigating violent crimes has upon those charged with doing so, the clash between literary success and the pursuit of the art of writing, and the universal condition of looking back upon the choices one makes during life and what might have happened had a different path been taken. My only two points of criticism in this otherwise splendidly crafted novel are that there are a few places where the story seemed to meander a bit and slow down the overall pace unnecessarily, and that some of the translation into English was off. As someone who has lived in NH for quite some time, there were some phrases used that were not ones readily used here. We don’t generally refer to “murder squads”, for example, nor to “fire brigades”, and while it certainly didn’t prevent me from understanding what entities to which the narrator was referring, I found it slightly jarring. That said, I found the book a very satisfying and engaging read, and suspect that fans of authors like Louise Penny, Chris Whitaker and Donna Leon would find it an attractive addition to their TBR list or pile. Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperVIa for allowing me early access to The Alaska Sanders Affair; I look forward to the next Marcus Goldman investigation!
h3rculepoirot's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
tessaroy's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
sophialoumos's review against another edition
4.0
Really interesting story, all the plottwists make sense, just sometimes the many turning points make the story quite complicated. However I would really recommend the book, the story itself is awesome and you get to find some solutions to loose ends from the first book.