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lynnmiy's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Murder and Injury/Injury detail
notlikethebeer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Police brutality, Murder, Misogyny, and Kidnapping
kcrockford's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Kidnapping
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Stalking
cc_shelflove's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Murder, Violence, and Stalking
Moderate: Gaslighting
Minor: Suicide
javafenn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Violence, Murder, and Death
beckyremillard's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Kidnapping, Stalking, Violence, Murder, Gun violence, and Blood
soobooksalot's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Kidnapping and Murder
jennabeck13's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Moderate: Death, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
alisonannk's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Grief, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Stalking, Gun violence, Murder, Violence, Death, Kidnapping, Drug abuse, and Infidelity
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Deportation, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Police brutality, and Blood
outsmartyourshelf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I really enjoyed the author's "Wrong Place Wrong Time" so requesting this ARC was a no-brainer. The first half was a bit slow & I didn't really enjoy it much due to the main character. This is a police detective of experience & yet when she is being blackmailed & forced to frame Matthew James, Julia immediately starts 1) trying to get CPS to charge him for murder with no body found, 2) missing vital avenues of evidence, 3) accessing online records & recordings & leaving a digital trace of what she was doing - in short, acting so squirrely that all her colleagues notice there is something not quite right. Surely the opposite of what she would have wanted when trying to protect her daughter.
It also bothered me that the evidence against Matthew was basically a cigarette butt & fingerprints on a glass - both found in the missing girl's room. Now, maybe I've watched too much CSI, but it struck me as strange that nobody pointed out (even Matthew's solicitor) that the only DNA evidence at the scene was found on portable items & that his fingerprints or DNA (not even a stray hair) were not found anywhere else in the room or indeed the house, & that those items could easily have been planted (which indeed they were). None of the above is a spoiler by the way, it's all laid out very early on.
The second half of the book actually saved it though. There were some good twists & the main plot line itself was very well done. I did find it a bit annoying how easily Julia forgave her husband for cheating with a colleague after the memorable line of (I'm paraphrasing) "I was so drunk, it could have been anyone". Well, I mean, that's ok then?! Verdict: first half slow & MC was difficult to empathise with, but the second half pulled it round with some well-timed twists.Â
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Penguin Random House/Michael Joseph, for the opportunity to read an ARC. I am voluntarily giving an honest review.
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Infidelity