jewelkr's review
dark
mysterious
sad
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
3.5
If I haven’t mentioned it before, I have a hard time reading fiction.
Because I belonged to too many writers’ groups, where we sat around and critiqued each other’s writing. So while I can tolerate bad writing or bad editing in non-fiction because I’m only reading it for the information, I can’t tolerate it in fiction. Because I’m reading fiction for enjoyment and if bad writing or editing shows up I’m critiquing, not enjoying.
This book wasn’t bad. I picked it up from a Little Library because a) it had a British pound price sticker on it, and I’m a snob and b) the author Ann Cleeves wrote the Shetland tv series which I have enjoyed in the past, although Jimmy Perez seems to phoning it in, in Season 5 and is not just taciturn, he’s downright a grumpy old man.
It’s a dark story whose back cover promises “terrifying secrets”. There are two murders, which is not so much terrifying as the requirement of this sort of book, and the main character is constantly sneaking around on other people’s properties which I find too stressful – I’m not good with undercover plots. It’s very readable and the plot moves along at a good speed with enough daily business to allow the reader to recover from the nefariousness of it all. The main character’s inner dialogue is helpful to the plotline and I did relate to her, although I could have done with more of her backstory.
The "terrifying” end is kind of anticlimactic, after all the murder theories, the possible arrests, the cloak-and-dagger of an out-of-work social worker and the loss of two young lives. I didn’t like all the theories floated and one of the main criminals, a man who assaulted a 16 year old, isn’t even part of the law and order scoop that happens; this part of the story just evaporates.
I guess this is how most who-dun-its are, which is why they are not high on my reading list. Overall it was an OK experience to read this book and I’m OK with passing it back to the Little Library for someone else.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Car accident, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Mental illness, Rape, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Stalking, Infidelity, and Murder
More...