kirbylover16's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
It's ok and a very dark thriller. There are so many questionable choices. Morgan is the worst, and her love interests are horrendous. I don't want to spoil it, but a big turnoff was borderline incest. (Not main/end paring) Also, there are huge age gaps. The pacing between the police investigations and Morgan's Pov is awful. I spent most of the book wishing they would get on with it.
The plot is unexpectedly good. The red herrings and twists are not predictable. The mystery of the key and then the blackmail is compelling. I like the fact that Morgan is a freelance photographer.
Spoiler
plot hole? Morgan develops a film of photos of herself which was her uncle's idea. Does he think she doesn't know who she is? Why does he want her to know?Detective Ryan was the boring new officer, big story cliche copaganda. So, I didn't like the characters.
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Confinement, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Body shaming, Murder, Police brutality, Bullying, Body horror, Grief, Gun violence, Sexual harassment, Gore, Incest, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Pedophilia, Stalking, Torture, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Minor: Fire/Fire injury and Vomit
Spoiler
So, the twist is Morgan is a Reynolds. This means she's been flirting with her half-brother and uncle the whole book. She was aware of this but thinks they don't know. The next twist is they do know, and so does the granny. Also, the uncle is a pedophile and raped Morgan (his niece) multiple times. Her half-brother gets her drunk, kisses her, lays in bed with her, and possibly rapes her too.morethanmylupus's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This was a fairly dark thriller. I liked it but it was grittier than I expected going in. Overall, I think if you don't mind a bit of trauma as you read a thriller, this is a good choice. It kept me guessing to a point. The identification of the villain was no surprise but that didn't ruin the book for me - I still wanted to know how it ends. I liked the characters and I thought it was a well-written fast paced thriller. Recommended if you're ok with a bit more detailed trauma than most thrillers coming out these days.
Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur books for this ARC!
Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur books for this ARC!
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Violence, Physical abuse, Death of parent, and Abandonment
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