Scan barcode
dyana_27's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
jporterfield99's review against another edition
5.0
This is such a perfectly paced and plotted little novel. Marwood is a whiz with her characters and setting, creating a London microcosmos that is equal parts Dickensian and Jim Thompsonesque, with a bit of Kate Atkinson thrown in. I vacillated between giving this four and five stars and settled on five because its few flaws are so very minor. Maybe 4.5, but who cares? It's an absorbing read and one that will stick with me for a while.
erikajay's review against another edition
1.0
I tried to explain the plot of this book to a friend of mine and they said it sounded pretty ridiculous, which it is. None of the characters in this book are likable, nor could I relate to them. We know who the killer is pretty early.
The sections from the POV of the killer were the most thrilling part of this book, but the majority of sections are pretty bland and about people making bad decisions. This book was just kind of grimy feeling.
The sections from the POV of the killer were the most thrilling part of this book, but the majority of sections are pretty bland and about people making bad decisions. This book was just kind of grimy feeling.
camicami's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
edshara's review against another edition
5.0
I started off thinking, I'm not going to finish this book. But once I got into it, I really enjoyed it! It's a little bit twisted and creepy but in a I can't put this book down sort of way! You get halfway through the book, thinking you know exactly how the story ends and instead you get thrown through a loop that leaves you wondering, how you got it wrong. I throughly enjoyed this book and I can't wait to read more by Alex Marwood.
starthelostgirl's review against another edition
4.0
This is a very good book. I enjoyed the wandering plot and intriguing characters. The copy I read was very poorly edited and had many mistakes and typos, which was distracting. I had to look up a lot of the British slang. I liked this book and I was pleased by the conclusion, but it wasn't something I'll be adding to my top 10 list.
add_a_little_spook's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
ginny17's review against another edition
4.0
If you get grossed out easily, or even not so easily, be forewarned that this book contains many disgusting passages. Ew. Still a great book though!
mg_in_md_'s review against another edition
2.0
In the summer of 2017, I won a mystery box of books from a local NYT best-selling author. Included in that box was an ARC of this book. This was darker and creepier than I normally read, and I found the book unsettling. It would have taken me longer to finish if I hadn't been at a sunny beach at the time, which helped offset the silence-of-the-lambs vibe...slightly. The book is well-written, but I desperately needed a pallet cleanser after I finished it. The chapters alternate between the perspective of the neighbors as a whole and the serial killer; the neighbors don't realize there is a killer in their midst at first and the reader is the only one who realizes how much danger they are in at first. The chapters focusing on the killer were the ones I had the hardest time with because of the more graphic descriptions of the killer's activities; I was grateful for their brevity but still found myself skimming because I was so creeped out. The identity of the killer is revealed to the reader fairly early on, so the reader is left wondering if the neighbors will catch on in time. The writing and psychological angle kept me reading, but I forced myself to keep going and still find myself shivering when I think about it.