jodyladuemcgrath's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-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? Yes
4.0
daniellesalwaysreading's review against another edition
1.0
Why are police "heroes" always the ones willing to break rules and be total bastards. We need more like Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and many fewer of the types in this book.
On top of bad cops being the heroes, the victims all had it coming (so we don't actually need to feel bad for them, I suppose).
On top of bad cops being the heroes, the victims all had it coming (so we don't actually need to feel bad for them, I suppose).
ijm's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
imzadirose's review
3.0
Grrrrr. Wasn't sure what I should rate this. Was a 1 for a while but it grew on me, damnit! :/
I didn't like Blue much at all, though she did grow on me. The story was good enough and I really liked Tox from the start, which is just about the opposite of everyone in the story.
Will probably try the first in the series and see how it goes. Would have liked the books to be about Tox rather than Blue though!
I didn't like Blue much at all, though she did grow on me. The story was good enough and I really liked Tox from the start, which is just about the opposite of everyone in the story.
Will probably try the first in the series and see how it goes. Would have liked the books to be about Tox rather than Blue though!
megrob96's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
bookworm_brad's review against another edition
4.0
A fantastic introduction to Harriet Blue. A well structured and well written story that offers action, thrills and spills. I enjoyed the clashing relationship between Harriet & Tox but found the behaviour and outright hostility of her fellow officers towards Harriet due to being teamed up with Tox, not by choice, to be less than believable and let the story down somewhat, hence the 4 stars.
Looking forward to the next in the series and hope that Tox will be a regular character.
The Narrator, Federay Holmes, is new to me but gave an excellent performance and was a pleasure to listen to so I hope she will reprise her role in the rest of the series.
Looking forward to the next in the series and hope that Tox will be a regular character.
The Narrator, Federay Holmes, is new to me but gave an excellent performance and was a pleasure to listen to so I hope she will reprise her role in the rest of the series.
barbrokatrin's review against another edition
2.0
I think this is the only JP book (or bookshop if you’re being picky) that I didn’t like. The main characters are too abrasive, rash, plain creepy and the other cops are jackasses, and sadly it’s putting me of from reading the rest of the series, at least for now.
sabrinamelo's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
writtenbysime's review against another edition
3.0
In high school I devoured James Patterson’s Alex Cross books, but a long time has passed since those days, and his style – short, choppy chapters with an extreme focus on plot rather than character – no longer resonates with me. It’s like he’s got the framework of a brilliant novel, but rather than fill it, he leaves his novel emancipated, stripped down, raw. It’s not for me – but obviously fits the bill for millions of other readers, so hey, I guess this is a case of accepting I’m the outlier. I grabbed a copy of Black & Blue purely for the Candice Fox factor. On the one hand, I want to support the work of a local author whom I greatly admire; on the other, I will admit, I just wanted to see how Patterson’s influence would impact her storytelling.
Black & Blue is one of the first entries in Patterson’s Bookshots series, dubbed as “the ultimate form of storytelling, and introduces Sydney detective Harriet Blue, who will star as the lead in a full-length novel this August, Never Never. The plot is simple – a young woman has washed up on a river bank, and Blue believes she’s another victim of Sydney’s worst serial killers in decades – the Georges River Killer. She investigates the murder alongside Tate Barnes, a despised, nomadic detective, whose methods are questionable, and whose past is black as pitch. Not that Blue is completely on the side of the angels, as demonstrated by her brutal takedown of an accused assailant under the cover of darkness early on in the novel.
There’s no question Black & Blue provides an hour of fast-paced entertainment – but there’s nothing here that’ll live long in readers’ memories. The plot is fairly rote, amped up by Patterson’s short chapters and constant perspective-shifts, from Blue, to the killer, to her superior officer. Speaking of, Harriett Blue and her supporting cast have potential, but it’s not properly explored here: it all feels very much like a tease, which I suppose is all I suppose it was meant to be. Still, as the ultimate form of storytelling, I was left feeling a tad indifferent. Black & Blue is a solid little thrill-ride, but if I had a say in the matter, I’d have voted for a solo Candice Fox novella instead. She is an author who has demonstrated a willingness to bend the tropes of the genre. Here she is playing very much by the rules, and lacks that trademark flair.
Black & Blue is one of the first entries in Patterson’s Bookshots series, dubbed as “the ultimate form of storytelling, and introduces Sydney detective Harriet Blue, who will star as the lead in a full-length novel this August, Never Never. The plot is simple – a young woman has washed up on a river bank, and Blue believes she’s another victim of Sydney’s worst serial killers in decades – the Georges River Killer. She investigates the murder alongside Tate Barnes, a despised, nomadic detective, whose methods are questionable, and whose past is black as pitch. Not that Blue is completely on the side of the angels, as demonstrated by her brutal takedown of an accused assailant under the cover of darkness early on in the novel.
There’s no question Black & Blue provides an hour of fast-paced entertainment – but there’s nothing here that’ll live long in readers’ memories. The plot is fairly rote, amped up by Patterson’s short chapters and constant perspective-shifts, from Blue, to the killer, to her superior officer. Speaking of, Harriett Blue and her supporting cast have potential, but it’s not properly explored here: it all feels very much like a tease, which I suppose is all I suppose it was meant to be. Still, as the ultimate form of storytelling, I was left feeling a tad indifferent. Black & Blue is a solid little thrill-ride, but if I had a say in the matter, I’d have voted for a solo Candice Fox novella instead. She is an author who has demonstrated a willingness to bend the tropes of the genre. Here she is playing very much by the rules, and lacks that trademark flair.