Reviews with content warning for Murder - Infamous

Reviews tagging 'Murder'

Infamous by Lex Croucher

23 reviews

iamnotclara's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted 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? No

4.25

Set in Regency England, Infamous follows Eddie and her relationships with a wildly unique and diverse group of friends. Eddie is a wonderful delight and oblivious main character. She's actively the picture of a young twenty-something trying to make herself in a world, where women aren't allowed to be writers or truly members of society. Her best friend, Rose, decides she has to get married and this absolutely sends Eddie into a tizzy, for what appears to be no reason. Eddie goes on to meet the infamous and charming poet Nash Nicholson, and is persuaded by his charm that he will help Eddie break through in the publishing world. It's a tale of trust and failure, love and chosen families. In the end, there is only one infamous author and a queer love story.

Lex Croucher has such a way of writing that the audiobook narrator is truly phenomenal. Croucher's ability to tell these stories keeps having me come back to read every one of their novels. Their delight and style is unique and honestly one of my favorite authors of the decade. I hope that one day Croucher is beyond infamous for their writing and is acknowledged and supported across the world.

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katerina_l's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.25

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aseel_reads's review

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adventurous funny lighthearted slow-paced

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

1.0

The mc was so clueless and dumb and annoying. The plot was so predictable and not enjoyable

the third act drama of him stealing her manuscript? Obviously going to happen. I can't believe she didn't properly fight back and why leave it for the last 5% of the story?

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readingwithgoose's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful mysterious fast-paced

3.5

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courtofsmutandstuff's review against another edition

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Imprint of St. Martin's Press: https://prismreports.org/2024/01/18/bipoc-book-creators-boycott-st-martins-press/

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callidoralblack's review against another edition

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adventurous funny

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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sauvageloup's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny hopeful lighthearted tense fast-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

a brilliant romp, feeling new and fresh even when treading on well worn paths, and with emotional depth.

pros:
- the writing flows well, is light and amusing and plows along with all Eddie' eagerness. I liked the banter and the dialogue, the descriptions were visual and conjured up vivid scenes, especially Saint Bede's island in the dark, Rose's appearance, the clothing, the crumbling house, etc.
- I really liked Eddie and Rose as main characters, and all the side characters are fleshed out and real, with all their depths and foibles.

Eddie is very much an unreliable narrator and its through her eyes we get to realise that Albert is a decent guy and Nash is the worst. Though the signs for the reader are all there, it's still gripping to see how itll unfold and satisfying when Eddie realises.

- the characters of Kitty, Valentine, Dayo, Liza, Albert, etc. all had their own motivations and quirks, and their own relationship with the other characters, including Nash. Dayo's campaign to bring about abolition was a good inclusion, and we got to hear about Kitty's passion for painting, Albert's rabbits (a reoccurring joke that I nonetheless thought wholesome). Juno the dog was even a fun character in herself, though I rather expected her to dig up some ominous bone or get stuck or find a ghost in the forest.
- I liked the setting and the Regency time period, with the contrasts of different levels of proprietary and the dropping in of real historical people, like Shelley and Byron.
-

Even though I feel most twists were fairly evident: that Nash only wanted to have sex with Eddie, that she and rose were in love, that Nash had stolen the manuscript, the maid being murdered by Nash's father, etc.. I still managed to be surprised by others, like Albert being gay (which I really should have seen coming), the murdered maid being Henry's mother, Nash publishing Eddie's manuscript, etc. which were fun to discover.

- I liked Eddie and Rose's different journeys and how they found themselves at different times. their friendship/budding romance was so well written, i loved the ebb and flow and the depiction of their tension, quarrels, intimacy, sexual attraction, forgiveness, etc. That was so well done.

cons:
- the start felt slow and a bit shallow. I didnt much like Eddie at all and it was all too Brigerton at that point. it really picked up for me as Eddie got drawn in and the stakes went up, with more dark edges to Nash and debauchery.
- I thought there was a real lack of resolution with Henry and Nash both. I wish Henry could have challenged Nate about the locket, his mother, and the assault. I felt it was glossed over that Nash sexually assaulted Henry, though that threat lingers in the latter half of the book against Eddie. It was left unclear whether anyone got shot with the pistol and I'm not sure Eddie got to see Henry after that. that was a bit of hanging loose end unless we're meant to think that Nash murdered Henry and just cleared him away, which doesn't seem likely, but if it was then....
- it's frustrating that Nash never got any more severe punishment for stealing Eddie's manuscript, lying, cheating on Liza, verbally abusing Eddie, nonconsensually kissing her, and force feeding her drugs... she should have slapped him at least, and then got him denounced in the papers. instead we get a lacklustre end note. guess I'm more vengeful but I definitely didnt feel he got taught any lesson!

but overall, this was a thrilling and gripping ride with great writing and I enjoyed it :)

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