Scan barcode
divine529's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-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? Yes
This was a bit of an odd book for me. I enjoyed it while I was reading it, but if I was away, I never really felt compelled to pick it up.
The setting was different and I really enjoyed the characters overall and their friendship, but the plot was a bit more complicated than it needed to be. There was so much going on and it often pulled me out of the story. So many murders and pieces at play and somehow everything was connected and wrapped up nicely at the end (for the most part).
I figured out the killer for the first murder as soon as they walked on page because there's a stereotype with specific kinds of characters and it was disappointing that they fell into that same thing over and over again. The thing about knowing that though, it didn't explain anything and there really weren't many clues along the way to lead you there unless you squinted. Elizabeth just seemed to know everything from the start and pretended she didn't for the benefit of everyone else. Given her background that makes some sense, but still, it should be more of a group effort than one being a puppetmaster and everyone else the puppets to the point where several of the characters just kind of notice it and roll with it. The writing and pacing also had a lot of issues too.
The relationships are truly where this book was in its element and some of the sleuthing was fun to read, but overall it was fun and I will probably continue just to see if they improve a bit, but slightly disappointing.
The setting was different and I really enjoyed the characters overall and their friendship, but the plot was a bit more complicated than it needed to be. There was so much going on and it often pulled me out of the story. So many murders and pieces at play and somehow everything was connected and wrapped up nicely at the end (for the most part).
I figured out the killer for the first murder as soon as they walked on page because there's a stereotype with specific kinds of characters and it was disappointing that they fell into that same thing over and over again. The thing about knowing that though, it didn't explain anything and there really weren't many clues along the way to lead you there unless you squinted. Elizabeth just seemed to know everything from the start and pretended she didn't for the benefit of everyone else. Given her background that makes some sense, but still, it should be more of a group effort than one being a puppetmaster and everyone else the puppets to the point where several of the characters just kind of notice it and roll with it. The writing and pacing also had a lot of issues too.
The relationships are truly where this book was in its element and some of the sleuthing was fun to read, but overall it was fun and I will probably continue just to see if they improve a bit, but slightly disappointing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Fatphobia, Suicide, and Murder
Moderate: Gun violence, Misogyny, Terminal illness, Violence, Dementia, and Grief
Minor: Animal death, Child death, and Pregnancy
deetabz's review against another edition
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Suicide, Terminal illness, Dementia, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Murder
Minor: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Misogyny, Violence, Police brutality, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
tangleroot_eli's review against another edition
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
Three people I know recommended this book to me. If they'd led with how funny it is, I might've read it sooner. On the other hand, if they'd led with how corpse-strewn and emotional it is, I might've read it sooner, too. (Basically, what I'm saying is, if you're going to recommend a book to me, please tell me why you think I'd like it. No matter how much I like you, just telling me, "I liked it" won't convince me.) Anyway. This is a funny, emotional, corpse-strewn mystery, and I liked it a lot.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicide, Dementia, Grief, Murder, and Alcohol
Moderate: Addiction, Body shaming, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Medical content, and Classism
Minor: Ableism, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
Graphic: Ageism Moderate: Nonconsensual drug use, Euthanasiathrowback682's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
The audiobook narrator was lovely. This may shock some readers but I kept getting Joyce and Elizabeth confused throughout the book. Despite, I think, them having very different personalities and stories, I just kept getting mixed up who was doing what. However it didn’t impact my enjoyment or following the story too much. All the twists were also a bit hard to follow at times as well. Maybe I should’ve taken notes! The book was funny, the characters were charming. I didn’t like the focus on Chris’s weight. I have kind of mixed feelings about it. I can see why people love it or hate it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia, Suicide, and Murder
little_white's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This book would be 50x better if the author got rid of the almost constant fatphobia.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming and Fatphobia
Moderate: Medical content and Murder
Minor: Suicide
hsieh's review against another edition
funny
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I found this book via a friend and returned to it after catching Osman on Task Master. Glad I did: it's full of wit and good humor, with a compelling mystery as well. Perhaps a few too many red herrings but with these characters for company, I didn't mind.
Edit: Reading a friend's review, I'm reminded of one character whose running "gag" is that he is overweight and all the other characters keep commenting on it. Sadly it's like every time this character comes up. Very unfortunate.
Edit: Reading a friend's review, I'm reminded of one character whose running "gag" is that he is overweight and all the other characters keep commenting on it. Sadly it's like every time this character comes up. Very unfortunate.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Fatphobia, and Violence
biaaaa's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This was cute, and I didn't guess the end, but I felt a little underwhelm. I guess the plot seemed similiar to Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murders so I was always comparing the two of them, which is unfair because Vera Wong is one of my favorite books of the year. That being said, at some point I'll continue the series.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia
lunep's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This book affected me quite a bit I think. At first I wasn't sure if I was going to continue it because the writing style was A Choice and I was kinda confused (probably because I tried to start it while there was a bunch of conversation around me), but I'm glad I stuck it out until everything started to make sense (I only needed a couple of chapters until the different plot-lines started to mesh tbf)
This book was...so lovely. I didn't remember the cast was a bunch of elderly people, but they were so funny and lovable, I have to admit I have a soft spot for elderly people. One would think murder mysteries deal a whole lot with making sense of our own mortality, but I think I haven't found one that really does it until this one, and it's not even because these octogenarians are solving a murder, but because they are octogenarians
The plot was full of twists and I didn't even try to figure out who was the murderer (ok maybe just a little, at first I was sure it had been Father Mackie but I even wrote in my note that it seemed to obvious, and for a moment there at the end I was scared it might be Joyce), and to be honest I wouldnt have gotten it, I for sure did not see it coming, but I've come to realize these kind of books dont give enough information to figure it out yourself anyway, so I don't mind never figuring it out, I enjoyed the ride nonetheless tho I did end up a little confused about Ian's murderer reveal. The first story John told the thursday murder club made sense, because they said he worked around there I think? My ipad is charging, I might need to check it later, so like, it checks out that the body they found could have been that guy whose horse John put to sleep; but when they reveal it was actually that asshole from the murder they were investigating when Elizabeth roped Joyce into the club, that Penny had killed...I can believe that, but did they live around there, then? Coopers Chase didn't exist yet, it was stil a convent...so why did Penny bury him in the Garden of Eternal Rest? And then did she decide they should move there to keep an eye out? Like John had said? But John also mentioned something about always going to sit by the hill and then Penny made them stop...idk, that part was confusing to me, if someone reads this and understood better, pls explain?
Also I think the fact that they're 70+ year old pensioners adds to the story, of course, it could work if they were younger and, say, working in the police, like Donna and Chris, but the fact that they're 4 old men and women, who have backgrounds that can help, and whose age definitely helps butter people up...it just makes it funner I think, it also allows, of course, for the characters to have experience to draw from, and that kind of wisdom that comes with age, and I think it elevates the book from just a fun murder mystery (like a Poirot, no shade to Agatha Christie ofc) to a book that also leaves some important insights and messages
I also loved the secondary characters, Donna and Chris, who I already mentioned (I was scared for a moment there that Osman would make them an age-gap couple, but I really enjoyed what he did with their relationship instead), and also Bogdan (who I think is my favorite, he's such a sweetheart in his own way) and Father Mackie, I think Osman did a great job adding them to the POV roster to give more insight into their characters (also? I ended up finding the writing style hilarious, how it can go from one theme to another and it's still easy to follow, it felt kinda like my head) through their backstory, making them maybe not fully fleshed out characters yet, but definitely more than props/means-to-an-end
Also Ian Ventham was a insane character, every time we got his POV I couldnt help but laugh out loud at how much of a horrible human being he was
I think this book definitely became a new favorite, and I might look for it in spanish so my mom can read it
This book was...so lovely. I didn't remember the cast was a bunch of elderly people, but they were so funny and lovable, I have to admit I have a soft spot for elderly people. One would think murder mysteries deal a whole lot with making sense of our own mortality, but I think I haven't found one that really does it until this one, and it's not even because these octogenarians are solving a murder, but because they are octogenarians
The plot was full of twists and I didn't even try to figure out who was the murderer (ok maybe just a little, at first I was sure it had been Father Mackie but I even wrote in my note that it seemed to obvious, and for a moment there at the end I was scared it might be Joyce), and to be honest I wouldnt have gotten it, I for sure did not see it coming, but I've come to realize these kind of books dont give enough information to figure it out yourself anyway, so I don't mind never figuring it out, I enjoyed the ride nonetheless
Also I think the fact that they're 70+ year old pensioners adds to the story, of course, it could work if they were younger and, say, working in the police, like Donna and Chris, but the fact that they're 4 old men and women, who have backgrounds that can help, and whose age definitely helps butter people up...it just makes it funner I think, it also allows, of course, for the characters to have experience to draw from, and that kind of wisdom that comes with age, and I think it elevates the book from just a fun murder mystery (like a Poirot, no shade to Agatha Christie ofc) to a book that also leaves some important insights and messages
I also loved the secondary characters, Donna and Chris, who I already mentioned (I was scared for a moment there that Osman would make them an age-gap couple, but I really enjoyed what he did with their relationship instead), and also Bogdan (who I think is my favorite, he's such a sweetheart in his own way) and Father Mackie, I think Osman did a great job adding them to the POV roster to give more insight into their characters (also? I ended up finding the writing style hilarious, how it can go from one theme to another and it's still easy to follow, it felt kinda like my head) through their backstory, making them maybe not fully fleshed out characters yet, but definitely more than props/means-to-an-end
Also Ian Ventham was a insane character, every time we got his POV I couldnt help but laugh out loud at how much of a horrible human being he was
I think this book definitely became a new favorite, and I might look for it in spanish so my mom can read it
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Fatphobia, Suicide, Xenophobia, Dementia, and Alcohol
Minor: Animal death, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Medical content, and Pregnancy