Reviews

I think there are two prongs to why I did not like this book. First off, I really dislike books where the goodie is a regular goodie but the baddie is an all-seeing, all-powerful type with friends everywhere who do as they say, and therefore everyone is against the aforementioned goodie and no one believes a word that they say regardless of evidence or proof. Breathes. I find these books so frustrating because it seems like the easiest way to create obstacles is to stick another pal in a high place to pervert justice, it's not overly clever or complex. When the whole of the police force from top level to PCs start fitting Phil up, I totally lost interest. Was Darren really that powerfully connected? Did these men really just all want to let him get away with beating women and children? The actual plot was super repetitive anyway. He attacks someone, they call Phil, she gets involved and then they back track. Goodall fits her up. There was no progression from this cycle for well over half the book.
That prong is on my personal tastes.

Second prong was that it did not seem to know what the main plot was even meant to be. Was it Goodall and his all-bad police crew and the war on Phil? Was it weird, lying Tempe? Was it Phil and Henry and the development of her relationship with her father and his family? It dithered between all three plots but didn't want to progress any of them until too late on when my interest had waned. There was even a murder thrown in in the first half which was raised like this massive plot event but then was barely mentioned again. Nothing seemed to have a focus and so I lost mine.

Annoyingly I was so hooked when I started reading but by about 25% in i was already struggling. Previous experience with this author was really the only reason that I forged on.

glammybird's review against another edition

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dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

lavins's review against another edition

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3.0

An interesting book about the intense, deep bound formed between a police woman, Philomena McCarthy, and a girl that is an abuse victim, Tempe Brown. The plot thickens fast as the perpetrator is a policeman himself.

There are a few good twists and the story offers both the professional and personal side of Philomena's life. However, some parts are infuriating to read as they seemed to be obvious to everyone else, but Philomena.

The ending is somehow bitter and the entire book errs on the side of a gloomy, dark atmosphere.

safcsue13's review against another edition

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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

4.25

lenzschmidt's review against another edition

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dark tense fast-paced

5.0

livlivlaliv's review

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challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

jenniferrosedoc's review against another edition

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dark mysterious fast-paced

3.5

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