sweetsimplejoy's review
4.0
Okay. I did like this book, there was just one issue I couldn't shake. There were several other reviewers who had a problem with the unexpected jumps in time. I was actually tracking with the post traumatic flashbacks that hopped around in time depending on where Alison was emotionally while encountering various childhood spots. About midway through this book my rational brain crashed into my strange imagination and it became almost comical. Let me explain. I love a good ol' fashioned whodunnit, but apparently there is a limit to the number of red herrings my brain can track before going silly. It suddenly dawned on me that this book is based in a small town whose inhabitants are such terrible people that literally every single resident is a suspect. With each new character we were introduced to, I began to formulate a picture of people with dewy salt-water whipped skin, long stringy hair, and black teeth. Scraggly, limping pariahs in cut off flannel shirts, like.....pirates, maybe. By the end (which, I concur with the crowd, is super confusing) it didn't really matter who did it, because all of these people in this treacherous community of Argus Filches have probably murdered somebody at some point. I could not keep the dark secrets and unsavory actions straight. So, this might be entirely me, and had my brain not gone wonky, I could have given this another star.
sallygbrooke's review
1.0
A bunch of drivel, in my opinion. If there were actually specifics in the book that would be one thing. I am an accountant and financial planner and this book was just a bunch of BS aimed to buy more books and sign up for seminars.
colettieb's review
3.0
Loved the Bridgerton tv series, but was so surprised that Penelope turned out to be Lady Whistledown. It felt so out of character and made no logistical sense (at least in the series where Penelope is poor). I thought reading Penelope’s book would give more background on how she became a gossip columnist, and it did to a certain extent. The writing is just ok (the tv series improves on the material by having a talented and stupidly hot cast and amazing set design) but who knows, maybe I’ll pick up another Julia Quinn book before a flight. She is good at writing romantic sex scenes—those are a lot of fun, and I’d gladly read a whole book of that without all the contrived misunderstandings. This book is exactly what it promises to be.
maxines_obsessions's review
2.0
I read this a year ago, and while its an easy read I didn't find it memorable.
txbooklover's review
4.0
This true crime novel is about a Kansas murder in the early 1950’s, and is a quick read. There wasn’t a lot of question about who the murderer was in this book, but it does build a tense plot as the reasons and secrets behind the murder are revealed. Interesting book that made me look up more information about the crime to see where everyone is today. 4/5 stars.
klyon's review
1.0
Excellent update on the state of publishing and some good answers on the perennials (why do publishers pay so much for some books?). A must read for anyone in the biz. (If you're reading for practical info on publishing, skip the discussion of Bourdieu in the beginning.)
lola425's review
3.0
Not what I expected yet still pretty good. I wanted a better picture of Lady Caroline, but I didn't feel like I got to know her any better at all. That said, Lowell's life is very interesting, if privileged, and it was an enjoyable read.
katzmeow74's review
5.0
I had mixed feelings about this book. The writing style is similar to other books I enjoyed such as Mozart's Last Aria, The Historian, Thirteenth Tale, etc. It jumped back and forth between two time periods which was ok, because it flowed easily and made sense for the overall story. What I didnt like about the story was that it was beyond predictable. I knew by 100 pages into this over 500 page book, how the women from the different time periods were connected, who the mysterious aunt really was, etc. There was no mystery to it. Which to be fair, that may have been intentional. My personal taste is for a bit of mystery. I like to be surprised at the end. Other than that, I enjoyed the book.
jcwlib's review
4.0
http://bibliophibian.blogspot.com/2012/10/cbr4-57-youre-next-by-gregg-hurwitz.html
rwlongino's review
5.0
Loved this book! It really paints a portrait about the conditions women face in Afghanistan.