A review by nadinee24
When the Flood Falls by Jayne Barnard, J.E. Barnard
3.0
When the Flood Falls is the first in a new mystery series that focuses on ex-RCMP officer, Lacey McCrae.
Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy When the Flood Falls as much as I had anticipated. The pacing of the novel is incredibly slow, especially within the first 150 pages, and it lacked suspense.
The first 150 pages are setup for the mystery. During those chapters, nothing exciting happens in terms of plot because Barnard takes her time with the setting and characters. This isn’t necessarily a criticism, because there are a lot of characters, but it took too long. Within those opening pages, I almost DNF’ed the novel several times because of the slow pace and lack of plot development.
When the Flood Falls lacks suspense. There were several moments that could have been suspenseful, but were ruined by the fact that the reader is given the reason for the misunderstanding in the previous chapter.
What I enjoyed most about this novel was the setting and elements surrounding the characters. When The Flood Falls takes place near Calgary as a new art museum is opening. Young hockey players with the NHL as their goal surround the characters. This mix of characters was interesting and different.
The main character, Lacey, is flawed. Her personality and thought process infuriated me at some points. Barnard takes her time introducing Lacey to the reader by giving her a history and motivations for her actions and decisions. Throughout the novel, Lacey is so focused on her own problems and experiences that she lets it colour her investigative thoughts. This annoyed me to no end, but I appreciated her more as a character by the end of the novel.
Overall, When the Flood Falls has an interesting and well-written mystery hidden beneath all the extra writing. Had Barnard been able to cut down the first 150 pages, I would have enjoyed the novel much more.
**I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy When the Flood Falls as much as I had anticipated. The pacing of the novel is incredibly slow, especially within the first 150 pages, and it lacked suspense.
The first 150 pages are setup for the mystery. During those chapters, nothing exciting happens in terms of plot because Barnard takes her time with the setting and characters. This isn’t necessarily a criticism, because there are a lot of characters, but it took too long. Within those opening pages, I almost DNF’ed the novel several times because of the slow pace and lack of plot development.
When the Flood Falls lacks suspense. There were several moments that could have been suspenseful, but were ruined by the fact that the reader is given the reason for the misunderstanding in the previous chapter.
What I enjoyed most about this novel was the setting and elements surrounding the characters. When The Flood Falls takes place near Calgary as a new art museum is opening. Young hockey players with the NHL as their goal surround the characters. This mix of characters was interesting and different.
The main character, Lacey, is flawed. Her personality and thought process infuriated me at some points. Barnard takes her time introducing Lacey to the reader by giving her a history and motivations for her actions and decisions. Throughout the novel, Lacey is so focused on her own problems and experiences that she lets it colour her investigative thoughts. This annoyed me to no end, but I appreciated her more as a character by the end of the novel.
Overall, When the Flood Falls has an interesting and well-written mystery hidden beneath all the extra writing. Had Barnard been able to cut down the first 150 pages, I would have enjoyed the novel much more.
**I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.