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A review by allyexa
The Close by Jane Casey
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
I picked up this book from the library shelf after not having read any of the previous 9 (!) and fell right into it.
Don’t get me wrong, there are so many problems with it: every character is a trope, poor choices and unbelievable coincidences seem to move the plot forward, police are written as the saviors keeping us from unspeakable evil, and the killer gets his own POV chapters, which I never need. Not to mention that the main will they/ won’t they relationship is not one I’m too eager to root for.
But this is where all the tropes come to the rescue. As someone who grew up in 90s rom-coms and 2000s multi-season crime dramas, all the prolonged tension, horrible communication, and missed opportunities in the main relationship are almost comfortable to read about. Like watching old reruns on a sick day from work. Also, Josh Derwent seems all the more attractive, considering the absolute creeps that make up the rest of the male characters in the book.
And i thought the plot was handled deftly as well. Three different mysteries were being puzzled out in this book, and they all coalesced satisfactorily.
So, I don’t know. A fast read, entertaining, but not great.
6/15/24
Don’t get me wrong, there are so many problems with it: every character is a trope, poor choices and unbelievable coincidences seem to move the plot forward, police are written as the saviors keeping us from unspeakable evil, and the killer gets his own POV chapters, which I never need. Not to mention that the main will they/ won’t they relationship is not one I’m too eager to root for.
But this is where all the tropes come to the rescue. As someone who grew up in 90s rom-coms and 2000s multi-season crime dramas, all the prolonged tension, horrible communication, and missed opportunities in the main relationship are almost comfortable to read about. Like watching old reruns on a sick day from work. Also, Josh Derwent seems all the more attractive, considering the absolute creeps that make up the rest of the male characters in the book.
And i thought the plot was handled deftly as well. Three different mysteries were being puzzled out in this book, and they all coalesced satisfactorily.
So, I don’t know. A fast read, entertaining, but not great.
6/15/24