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heathersbike's review against another edition
I love when they talk about requesting a list of recorded books by fax.
This was good, as always in this series.
This was good, as always in this series.
marlisenicole's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
mojoshivers's review against another edition
4.0
Six books in and the series just seems to be getting better. Not only are the mysteries more nuanced, but the developing complications to the romantic and professional relationship between Inspector Kincaid and Sergeant James are as well. There’s a real sense of the series knowing exactly what it is and where it wants to go.
As for the novel itself, it was a brilliant story in execution that had me guessing up until the very end. All the players seemed at once intelligent and petty. It very much is a tale of the sins of the past catching up to everyone and ruining two families’ lives and almost denying another’s a complete life altogether. You don’t get any more bittersweet than this ending.
Also, it’s another example of bastard teachers’ unnecessary cruelty ending in lives destroyed. He deserved to die and I hope he burns in hell.
As for the novel itself, it was a brilliant story in execution that had me guessing up until the very end. All the players seemed at once intelligent and petty. It very much is a tale of the sins of the past catching up to everyone and ruining two families’ lives and almost denying another’s a complete life altogether. You don’t get any more bittersweet than this ending.
Also, it’s another example of bastard teachers’ unnecessary cruelty ending in lives destroyed. He deserved to die and I hope he burns in hell.
happy's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
bookcraft's review
4.0
Another great book in the series. I particularly enjoyed the flashbacks to WWII-era England through the eyes of a young evacuee from London.
Note: I could not find an audio version of this at any library, so I read the ebook version in order to continue on with the series. This is not a series where you can skip a book; each one advances the interpersonal plot between Duncan and Gemma, as well as adding to their individual character development.
Note: I could not find an audio version of this at any library, so I read the ebook version in order to continue on with the series. This is not a series where you can skip a book; each one advances the interpersonal plot between Duncan and Gemma, as well as adding to their individual character development.
asteroidbuckle's review against another edition
4.0
This was a great book. Crombie does an excellent job of weaving the various threads of her story into a comprehensive whole, all the while making her characters intriguing and sympathetic. All except Detective Sergeant Gemma James, in my opinion.
Granted, this is the sixth book in Crombie's Kincaid/James series and only the second one I've read, so perhaps I'm missing Gemma's background. But I love Kincaid and the subplot involving his young son (who he didn't know he fathered) is sweet and slightly heartbreaking. But Gemma, like Diane Fry in Stephen Booth's series, I find to be utterly boring and unlikeable. I also dislike the romance between the two detectives. To me, it seems forced and totally lacking in chemistry. (There's one scene where Kincaid gets the urge to jump Gemma's bones in the victim's apartment! Ick!)
However, it's not the detectives that drive this story, but the other characters. The victim is a beautiful woman who has been hiding secrets from everyone. And the way Crombie interweaves reflections from the past (WWII) is great, but the significance of the scenes isn't realized until the end.
Crombie's writing is very descriptive and doesn't lag at all. I could do without the angst between the two leads, but hey, you can't have everything, right?
All in all, a great book. I'll definitely be reading the next book in the series.
Granted, this is the sixth book in Crombie's Kincaid/James series and only the second one I've read, so perhaps I'm missing Gemma's background. But I love Kincaid and the subplot involving his young son (who he didn't know he fathered) is sweet and slightly heartbreaking. But Gemma, like Diane Fry in Stephen Booth's series, I find to be utterly boring and unlikeable. I also dislike the romance between the two detectives. To me, it seems forced and totally lacking in chemistry. (There's one scene where Kincaid gets the urge to jump Gemma's bones in the victim's apartment! Ick!)
However, it's not the detectives that drive this story, but the other characters. The victim is a beautiful woman who has been hiding secrets from everyone. And the way Crombie interweaves reflections from the past (WWII) is great, but the significance of the scenes isn't realized until the end.
Crombie's writing is very descriptive and doesn't lag at all. I could do without the angst between the two leads, but hey, you can't have everything, right?
All in all, a great book. I'll definitely be reading the next book in the series.
magistratrium's review against another edition
4.0
Another great mystery with Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James. This one is set in a part of the East End of London called the Isle of Dogs. I liked the way Crombie used the characters' pasts as well as the geography of the area as key components to the mystery.