The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
ashleycmms's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Grief, Death, Blood, and Mental illness
Moderate: Death of parent, Ableism, Infidelity, Drug use, Drug abuse, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Pregnancy
phantasmaboo's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- 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? No
2.5
Murder in G Major follows Gethsemane, a young African-American woman who moves to Ireland to take on the position of orchestra director at an school. Gethsemane quickly finds that her house is haunted and there’s a ghost that wants her to prove his innocence. She also has to bring together a failing orchestra and win a school band competition to get the job of her dreams.Â
I think that this is a cozy murder mystery that doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s face-paced plot also keeps you on your toes and there really isn’t a dull moment. That being said, the book fell flat to me in terms of character and plot development. The plot for the orchestra and the murder investigation fight with each other for space to the point where neither are very fully developed. It seems like the main character does little to accomplish either one and we are left to fill in the gaps ourselves. Furthermore, it seemed like everyone in this small town was involved at some point, and it quickly became hard to tell who was who and who was doing what. None of the characters were developed beyond some basic-level characteristics.Â
Finally, I found the ableism against people with mental illnesses to be quite alarming. Without spoiling, I can say that the author heavily stigmatizes those with mental illnesses and uses derogatory language to refer to them. While this is a trope, I believe it to be an outdated one at best, and the ending left me feeling quite disgusted for how the main character talks about those individuals. Perhaps with more character and plot development, it would have felt more purposeful, but really it just came off as cruel.Â
I think that this is a cozy murder mystery that doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s face-paced plot also keeps you on your toes and there really isn’t a dull moment. That being said, the book fell flat to me in terms of character and plot development. The plot for the orchestra and the murder investigation fight with each other for space to the point where neither are very fully developed. It seems like the main character does little to accomplish either one and we are left to fill in the gaps ourselves. Furthermore, it seemed like everyone in this small town was involved at some point, and it quickly became hard to tell who was who and who was doing what. None of the characters were developed beyond some basic-level characteristics.Â
Finally, I found the ableism against people with mental illnesses to be quite alarming. Without spoiling, I can say that the author heavily stigmatizes those with mental illnesses and uses derogatory language to refer to them. While this is a trope, I believe it to be an outdated one at best, and the ending left me feeling quite disgusted for how the main character talks about those individuals. Perhaps with more character and plot development, it would have felt more purposeful, but really it just came off as cruel.Â
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Suicide, Ableism, and Mental illness
leanne_miron's review against another edition
lighthearted
slow-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? It's complicated
1.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Ableism, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Drug abuse, Murder, Bullying, Fire/Fire injury, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Suicide
jacquelynjoan's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
I liked this book (listed to it on audio - and mostly while IN Ireland on vacation) - and I am left wanting to read the next one to find out about some loose ends so I am invested. However, as a prison industrial complex abolitionist, I am put off a character asking "why don't you just arrest them?" a few times, but this chummy-ness with law-enforcement is common in myesteries. I can't wait to someday read a mystery that advocates for restorative justice. Anyway, the other thing that bothered me was the use of abelist language like "crazy" over and over again and then taunting someone with it... and also realted issues that I can't give away without spoilers.Â
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Grief, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Racism and Sexism
shomarq's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- 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? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism
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