A review by swampkun
A Song for Lonely Wolves: A dark detective story of old Korea by Lee Evie

4.0

I’d give this one a hearty 3.5/5. A good detective mystery that leans into one of my favorite settings, but the characters feel a little flat. As much as I appreciate the protagonist’s hardheadedness, sense of justice, and determination, I feel like she should be balanced out with characters that are more talkative or have more engaging personalities. Instead, all of the characters are even more stern and stoic than she is (and the ones that aren’t are relegated to the background or their deathbed.) It left the overall tone of the book serious to the point of boring at a few points. For someone like me who values character-driven narratives and a few moments of humor to break up the tension, this was the book’s biggest flaw.

However, it did set up an interesting overarching story that has me curious for the sequels. What’s more, the book is well-written—the author definitely has talent.