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encounterswiththemoon's review
3.0
In this third instalment of the Detective Annie Delamere series, the reader is introduced to what appears to be a reoccurring cast of characters & though I have not read the other two (2) books in this series, I did not find myself having much trouble diving head-first into this book. I will advise that had I read the first two books I most certainly would have been able to appreciate the characters more wholeheartedly. Regardless of that, Walters seamlessly reveals the characters in their full forms within this story so that if you, like myself, chose this book on a whim for its enticing synopsis, you would not be left in the cold, wondering about the unknowns within the plot.
That being said, this book revolves around a multitude of characters. If you are not in the mindset to read at length about main characters & their counterparts; chapters that begin with annoying tertiary characters whom you might wish to graze over, then perhaps hold off on reading this story until such a time as you can give it its due diligence. That is not to say that should you dislike a character you are bound to dislike a story. However, in this instalment, Annie’s mother (whose name I want to say is Margaret, but who so thoroughly annoyed me I cannot rightfully remember), plays a very large role in the crime, & the author grants her ‘screen time’ to allow the reader to appreciate her fully for what she is; a narcissistic bully who would rather have seen a young girl brutally abused while unconscious than admit that she is the villain in this story.
Overall, this book was extremely well written. There is an array of characters that did not take away from the distinct voices & perspectives they held over the premise & dialogues which moved the plot forward. There are multiple people who have their toes dipped into the crime at play & all those distinguished, professionals are of importance to the advancement of the conclusion, though it might sometimes seem tedious to have to wait until the end, to get to the part where the beginning of the book is revealed to those who have worked through the body, nearing the end.
By this I mean, Walters reveals the antagonists to the reader in the opening pages of the book. What we were waiting for was confirmation that the people who beat this poor child to a pulp did in fact either leave her for dead or lugged her unconscious body into a nearby pit,…& for what? Because Margaret (or whatever her name is) was a total piece of shit? You beat someone up because you’re a lousy person? How absurdly pathetic. I emphasize my feelings here within the introductory reveal because when the book nears its end, one of the main antagonists does not see justice prevail. They continue living their lives with the state of mind that they held throughout the previous decades until such a time as they are called to court, & it is absurdly saddening to read about.
I would wager to say that there is never any rhyme or reason why someone is bullied. Many, if not all, of us, have experienced it in some form or another. However, what sets this story apart is that the group of girls who sought out Jayne during her walk home left her with men whom they knew to be child abusers. We can say that only one of these people held more knowledge than the others but, kids are not dumb; young people do pick up on the rotten core of people like the villains in this story. The fate that befell this poor child is truly sickening.
This leads me to wonder how I might review a book that did a stellar job of leaving an overall lingering horror in my mind. It’s horrific to know that Jayne was simply trying to make her way home, that she was simply trying to make it through an existence that saw her become the victim of taunting & torment. That she lay in an in-between state of consciousness while this group of girls walked off the property & left her with actual monsters, is something I cannot stop going over in my mind.
I’m sure you’ve read stories in which you wish you could step into the pages & swipe the character out of harm's way because no one on this green earth deserves what you know befalls this person. How horrible it is to have to break in between a read to audibly swear out of frustration because there is nothing that can be done to prevent what is to happen. Then, how dirty & filthy this book does highlight the real world as being because as much as it is devastating to read about this fictional world, these things happen to those in the non-fiction realm as well. I suppose that is the marker of success behind a good writer. They ensure you are secure in this universe, wherein a make-believe story ensues only for you to seek shelter in a world where you know there is no foresight to escape some of the nightmarish things that were written.
I would read some of Walters' other books because his writing was truly encapsulating & his characters were indeed full-fleshed-out beings living actively in the world in which this story took place. This book might benefit from not having the beginning revealed in such a way as to render me feeling a bit restless for the antagonists to be revealed. I also found some of the chapters a bit long; the background information about the main child abuser was a bit excessive in my opinion but, others might not find it so & overall, it did add to the story (i.e. it wasn’t some left-field information that would never be spoken of again). Unfortunately, due to many of the chapters feeling excessively long & my desire to get to the final reveal hampered by the return to various perspectives & multiple investigations, I was left with a bit of a less enthused opinion overall.
This is a good book; it’s sad & it’s disturbing & filled with disgusting characters. But, it’s honest & eloquent in its crafting of a tale of unsuspecting victims who await final repose in a world that is filled with monsters behind every turn.
Thank you to NetGalley, Canelo Publishing, & Alex Walters for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
mehva's review
3.0
A police proceedural working on a cold case from forty years ago and a recent murder or was it suicide. There were a lot of characters that made it hard to follow and at times too many details that didn't move the story along but it was a decent read other than that
amanda214's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
1.5
I could not stay interested in this book at all. I will admit that I did not read the first two as I did not realize this was a series so that may have some part to it. This story follows a detective Annie as she investigates mysterious deaths that happened at a prestigious girls boarding school. While this happens another body was found from years ago while renovations were occurring on a near by building. We follow Annie as she tries to figure out what happened and how everything was related.
Like I said I just had a hard time following this book it felt like I was constantly wondering where and at what time I am following. I also just did t care much about the characters and this is my own fault as I feel like there was character development I missed from the first two books. I feel like this book would be something a lot of people would enjoy but personally I felt it was very similar to other thrillers that I have read and this one did not stand up to those. I would like to thank the publishers and NetGalley for a chance to read this book for an honest review.
janinetrimble's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
5.0
I received an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review from. Netgalley.
Holy. Mother. Of. Pearl. This book was fantastic. The author is new to me, but I have already acquired some of his other works. His writing style is not overly rambling and gets to the point. Words are not wasted in this novel, but it was so fast paced and twisty and turny that I truly had no idea what was coming.
What started out as two investigations into the deaths of teenage girls 46 years apart weaves the tale of how sometimes you can't outrun the bad you've done, even when it seems like the world has forgotten.
The character of DI Annie is a wonderful protagonist, and I can't wait to see where her further adventures will take her and her colleagues Zoe and Andy.
Holy. Mother. Of. Pearl. This book was fantastic. The author is new to me, but I have already acquired some of his other works. His writing style is not overly rambling and gets to the point. Words are not wasted in this novel, but it was so fast paced and twisty and turny that I truly had no idea what was coming.
What started out as two investigations into the deaths of teenage girls 46 years apart weaves the tale of how sometimes you can't outrun the bad you've done, even when it seems like the world has forgotten.
The character of DI Annie is a wonderful protagonist, and I can't wait to see where her further adventures will take her and her colleagues Zoe and Andy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
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