laurenlethbridge's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- 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
3.75
rachaelreads92's review against another edition
3.0
** 3 stars**
This is my second Helen Fitzgerald novel, and I was somewhat disappointed.
I read a lot of books on crime, both fiction and non-fiction. That might be one of the reasons that I didn't love this book. It has a very different structure and tone to what I have come to expect (and enjoy) from crime fiction. This had elements written in the style of a True Crime biography, I didn't enjoy these parts, it read like trashy journalism. It also had a tone that was more similar to a chick lit book than a crime novel, not very dark or sinister at all. The descriptions of the murders in the novel felt childish and unsophisticated.
One of the things I really enjoyed about my previous Helen Fitzgerald was the character development. I didn't really get that from this novel, most of the characters were shallow and one dimensional.
I did not enjoy how Bipolar disorder was discussed in this novel. How the person with the disorder was referred to as 'mad', 'bad shit crazy' and 'unstable'.
Overall, a very different read than what I am used to, but not in an enjoyable way.
This is my second Helen Fitzgerald novel, and I was somewhat disappointed.
I read a lot of books on crime, both fiction and non-fiction. That might be one of the reasons that I didn't love this book. It has a very different structure and tone to what I have come to expect (and enjoy) from crime fiction. This had elements written in the style of a True Crime biography, I didn't enjoy these parts, it read like trashy journalism. It also had a tone that was more similar to a chick lit book than a crime novel, not very dark or sinister at all. The descriptions of the murders in the novel felt childish and unsophisticated.
One of the things I really enjoyed about my previous Helen Fitzgerald was the character development. I didn't really get that from this novel, most of the characters were shallow and one dimensional.
I did not enjoy how Bipolar disorder was discussed in this novel. How the person with the disorder was referred to as 'mad', 'bad shit crazy' and 'unstable'.
Overall, a very different read than what I am used to, but not in an enjoyable way.
natalieirene's review against another edition
4.0
This is a strange, funny and actually quite disturbing little read. I accidentally spoiled myself on this book by dropping it down the stairs and as I picked it up seeing a sentence that basically told me how the entire book went down (it’s in big bold letters, I couldn’t have missed it) but I still really enjoyed it. The conclusion is a bit out of nowhere and could’ve been set up better throughout the plot but a very enjoyable 250 page read that could easily be done in one sitting.
celiaedf12's review against another edition
3.0
This book was... odd. Catriona is a rather dislikeable woman (with considerable psychological problems) who, when the books opens, is incarcerated having been charged with the murder of her ex-boyfriends on the eve of her wedding. Phew. It is unclear for most of the book whether Catriona is a reliable narrator - suspicion falls on a variety of people, there's a confession or two, and then I felt the resolution came out of nowhere. A backstory was presented to justify this plot direction, but I thought it was a bit over the top and fairly unconvincing.
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