loxeletters's reviews
197 reviews
The Way I Used to Be by Amber Smith
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Five Bloody Hearts by Joy Ellis
dark
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.5
*Character names may be misspelt as I only listened to this book on audio.
Even though I didn't particularly like the first book, I decided to give this one a shot since the premise sounded more interesting and the narrator was changed.
Regarding the latter, I found that the new narrator much improved the experience, though I still struggled with some character voices being too similar to distinguish, particularly Ross and Matt in scenes where they were talking on the phone. I still wasn't convinced by any performances of shouting or emotional outbursts. But overall it was still a big improvement, especially in the women's voices department.
Regarding the actual book:
Some of the issues I had with the first book were resolved, e.g. there was a much larger focus on psychology, and the ending twist was less outlandish than previously. That being said, I found the solution to the Lithuanian plotline to be quite underwhelming.
While Lizz unfortunately didn't play a big role during most of the book, I found I really enjoyed scenes with Rory the pathologist. Super fun character. I also enjoyed seeing more of Brynn. However, I found that I grew to dislike Matt quite a bit. In the end, some of those issues were acknowledged, but still.
I also found that this book had much less of a thrill, potentially because the detectives weren't personally threatened at any point. As with the previous book, the danger to the victims wasn't conveyed convincingly to me.
Finally, I was seriously bothered by the amount of telling (instead of showing) that was happening in this book. There was a scene towards the end that really encapsulated it, where two detectives are said to be questioning a detained character, and the book just jumps to them coming out of the interview and talking about what happened, instead of showing it to the reader in real-time.
It's very possible that this was already present in the previous book, and I just didn't notice it under more glaring content issues. Maybe it's a new development. But it drove me up the walls.
Overall, a definite improvement to the first book, but I don't see myself picking up the post-retirement instalments.
Even though I didn't particularly like the first book, I decided to give this one a shot since the premise sounded more interesting and the narrator was changed.
Regarding the latter, I found that the new narrator much improved the experience, though I still struggled with some character voices being too similar to distinguish, particularly Ross and Matt in scenes where they were talking on the phone. I still wasn't convinced by any performances of shouting or emotional outbursts. But overall it was still a big improvement, especially in the women's voices department.
Regarding the actual book:
Some of the issues I had with the first book were resolved, e.g. there was a much larger focus on psychology, and the ending twist was less outlandish than previously. That being said, I found the solution to the Lithuanian plotline to be quite underwhelming.
While Lizz unfortunately didn't play a big role during most of the book, I found I really enjoyed scenes with Rory the pathologist. Super fun character. I also enjoyed seeing more of Brynn. However, I found that I grew to dislike Matt quite a bit. In the end, some of those issues were acknowledged, but still.
I also found that this book had much less of a thrill, potentially because the detectives weren't personally threatened at any point. As with the previous book, the danger to the victims wasn't conveyed convincingly to me.
Finally, I was seriously bothered by the amount of telling (instead of showing) that was happening in this book. There was a scene towards the end that really encapsulated it, where two detectives are said to be questioning a detained character, and the book just jumps to them coming out of the interview and talking about what happened, instead of showing it to the reader in real-time.
It's very possible that this was already present in the previous book, and I just didn't notice it under more glaring content issues. Maybe it's a new development. But it drove me up the walls.
Overall, a definite improvement to the first book, but I don't see myself picking up the post-retirement instalments.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Confinement, and Blood
Moderate: Suicide, Grief, Chronic illness, Animal death, and Stalking
Beware the Past by Joy Ellis
dark
mysterious
tense
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
*Character names may be misspelled as I only listened to the audiobook.
This book... I was quite interested from the start, as I enjoy serial killer stories, especially diving into their psychology. E.g., I love Andreas Gruber's works in this regard. However, I was disappointed. Until the very end, the detectives had no clue as to who the murderer is, and little psychological analysis was happening. They were simply being strung along by the "mastermind" killer. While not unrealistic, it doesn't make for a good story imo.
And then there were a load of other issues. A lot of stuff simply didn't make sense/seemed unrealistic, such as:
- not releasing the killer's picture to the press until the two cops got abducted
- showing Gemma's POV when she was assaulted by the killer, but apparently it was all fake? Unless I'm misremembering, it really didn't reflect her involvement in the whole plot at all
- the entire plot twist. It just seemed... so contrived? We really didn't get enough perspective into Gemma and Richard's past to justify the entire spiel
- both Gemma and Richard somehow being crazily good actors so nobody ever noticed... Right.
Otherwise, as many people in the audible reviews pointed out, the narrator was horrible. His interpretation of women's voices was ridiculous, and the emotional scenes were not convincing to me. Not to mention that almost every single character sounded the same, to the point that it was hard to tell who was speaking in scenes without dialogue tags.
Further, I found it a bit ridiculous to refer to the criminals as "villains." Also didn't really appreciate the positive framing of the Iraq war/military, but that's probably realistic for the time and the characters. Just irked me as a bit overly simplistic.
And yeah, the ending was just so frustrating. Not only was the plot twist not convincing, but everything was sorted out too cleanly.
Two stars because I liked Lizz and I enjoyed the first half or so of the story. For example, I appreciated that it *mostly* skipped over that frustrating "not taking this case seriously until somebody dies" phase/trope.
This book... I was quite interested from the start, as I enjoy serial killer stories, especially diving into their psychology. E.g., I love Andreas Gruber's works in this regard. However, I was disappointed. Until the very end, the detectives had no clue as to who the murderer is, and little psychological analysis was happening. They were simply being strung along by the "mastermind" killer. While not unrealistic, it doesn't make for a good story imo.
And then there were a load of other issues. A lot of stuff simply didn't make sense/seemed unrealistic, such as:
Spoiler
- not releasing the killer's picture to the press until the two cops got abducted
- showing Gemma's POV when she was assaulted by the killer, but apparently it was all fake? Unless I'm misremembering, it really didn't reflect her involvement in the whole plot at all
- the entire plot twist. It just seemed... so contrived? We really didn't get enough perspective into Gemma and Richard's past to justify the entire spiel
- both Gemma and Richard somehow being crazily good actors so nobody ever noticed... Right.
Otherwise, as many people in the audible reviews pointed out, the narrator was horrible. His interpretation of women's voices was ridiculous, and the emotional scenes were not convincing to me. Not to mention that almost every single character sounded the same, to the point that it was hard to tell who was speaking in scenes without dialogue tags.
Further, I found it a bit ridiculous to refer to the criminals as "villains." Also didn't really appreciate the positive framing of the Iraq war/military, but that's probably realistic for the time and the characters. Just irked me as a bit overly simplistic.
And yeah, the ending was just so frustrating. Not only was the plot twist not convincing, but everything was sorted out too cleanly.
Two stars because I liked Lizz and I enjoyed the first half or so of the story. For example, I appreciated that it *mostly* skipped over that frustrating "not taking this case seriously until somebody dies" phase/trope.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Murder, Infidelity, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Cancer, Sexual content, Stalking, Torture, Addiction, and Blood
Minor: Miscarriage
The Silent House by Nell Pattison
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Even though I'm usually not a big fan of crime novels where civilians get involved with the investigation, I quite enjoyed this one. The MC is mature and refuses to get seriously involved for a long time of the book, which I appreciated. When she does involve herself more, there is a solid reason as to her change of mind.
The books features a colourful cast of characters, many of which are eligible suspects. I kind of guessed the murderer, but to be fair I had multiple theories and only one was true haha.
Listening to the audiobook I was pleasantly surprised by the second narrator, who is deaf (I think) and thus gave the narration a very authentic feel. In the beginning (esp. the prologue) I admit I struggled to understand her, probably also because I'm not a native speaker. But I got used to it quickly.
The main narrator I found a bit lacking in the emotional scenes, and I found myself disagreeing with her interpretations of the thoughts/speech sometimes.
Overall this was a solid read which gave a very interesting insight into the deaf community in a small English town. I might pick up the next book in physical form.
The books features a colourful cast of characters, many of which are eligible suspects. I kind of guessed the murderer, but to be fair I had multiple theories and only one was true haha.
Listening to the audiobook I was pleasantly surprised by the second narrator, who is deaf (I think) and thus gave the narration a very authentic feel. In the beginning (esp. the prologue) I admit I struggled to understand her, probably also because I'm not a native speaker. But I got used to it quickly.
The main narrator I found a bit lacking in the emotional scenes, and I found myself disagreeing with her interpretations of the thoughts/speech sometimes.
Overall this was a solid read which gave a very interesting insight into the deaf community in a small English town. I might pick up the next book in physical form.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Violence, Toxic relationship, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Drug abuse, Grief, Alcoholism, Medical content, and Death of parent
Minor: Racial slurs, Abortion, and Cancer
I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman
challenging
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
First: This reminded me, in many ways, of The Wall by Marlen Haushofer, even though the books are quite different. I kept thinking about the parallels and differences while reading, which was super interesting.
On to the actual book:
It's hard for me to articulate my feelings on it. I can appreciate its subtlety, some of the symbolism only becoming apparent to me upon reading the preface. I also enjoyed the writing style, which kept me reading for long stretches at a time. I enjoyed the concept, too, the setting and most of the execution, though I would have wished for some things to be fleshed out a bit more. Logically, it makes sense that the protagonist will brush over some years in her account, but as a reader, it left me lacking connection to most of the characters, and feeling removed from the story. Again, this can be intentional, seeing as there is a great distance to everything the MC reports, but I found that in this regard, it was not enriching to the book.
Finally, however, I really appreciated the way the book poses questions and refuses to answer them - a bold move, which left me feeling empty and perfectly conveyed the hopelessness the character was experiencing.
Overall, it's a strange little book that I enjoyed especially on the artistic and philosophical level (which I imagine this book set out to achieve), moreso than on the entertainment level.
On to the actual book:
It's hard for me to articulate my feelings on it. I can appreciate its subtlety, some of the symbolism only becoming apparent to me upon reading the preface. I also enjoyed the writing style, which kept me reading for long stretches at a time. I enjoyed the concept, too, the setting and most of the execution, though I would have wished for some things to be fleshed out a bit more. Logically, it makes sense that the protagonist will brush over some years in her account, but as a reader, it left me lacking connection to most of the characters, and feeling removed from the story. Again, this can be intentional, seeing as there is a great distance to everything the MC reports, but I found that in this regard, it was not enriching to the book.
Finally, however, I really appreciated the way the book poses questions and refuses to answer them - a bold move, which left me feeling empty and perfectly conveyed the hopelessness the character was experiencing.
Overall, it's a strange little book that I enjoyed especially on the artistic and philosophical level (which I imagine this book set out to achieve), moreso than on the entertainment level.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Infertility, and Confinement
Moderate: Cancer, Abandonment, and Suicide
The Good Terrorist by Doris Lessing
challenging
funny
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
I have a very complicated relationship with this book.
After reading the quotes on the blurb, I interpreted the book as a criticism on terrorism but more importantly on communism - not so much the theory, as the "lifestyle." And the "communists" shown in this book are terrible people. I hated so many of the character, especially Jasper. But they also feel incredibly contrived. The idea that every single person living in the squat is just this selfish and stupid is simply not believable to me. It felt very much like a straw man.
After I read up a bit on the background of the book, mainly the fact that Lessing at some point was a socialist, and that she me at this book as an exploration of how people become amateur terrorists, I've gained a new appreciation for it. That doesn't change the fact that I could not suspend my disbelief for these characters. Some commentators say this book is a satire - Lessing only ever referred to it as humorous - and I can somewhat understand that point of view. Still, I feel it doesn't work as a satire because the "joke" relies on the reader believing that communists/squatters are selfish, anti-intellectual and hypocritical. Which I do not.
All of this aside: I adored the character of Alice. Not necessarily as a person, but the complexity and believability was incredible. Similarly, I felt that Jasper as a villain worked really well. And I also appreciated Lessing's prose a lot, which is why I kept reading even at points where the characters seemed absolutely ridiculous to me.
Overall, then, I'm not sure how to rate this book. I enjoyed it, and I also didn't.
After reading the quotes on the blurb, I interpreted the book as a criticism on terrorism but more importantly on communism - not so much the theory, as the "lifestyle." And the "communists" shown in this book are terrible people. I hated so many of the character, especially Jasper. But they also feel incredibly contrived. The idea that every single person living in the squat is just this selfish and stupid is simply not believable to me. It felt very much like a straw man.
After I read up a bit on the background of the book, mainly the fact that Lessing at some point was a socialist, and that she me at this book as an exploration of how people become amateur terrorists, I've gained a new appreciation for it. That doesn't change the fact that I could not suspend my disbelief for these characters. Some commentators say this book is a satire - Lessing only ever referred to it as humorous - and I can somewhat understand that point of view. Still, I feel it doesn't work as a satire because the "joke" relies on the reader believing that communists/squatters are selfish, anti-intellectual and hypocritical. Which I do not.
All of this aside: I adored the character of Alice. Not necessarily as a person, but the complexity and believability was incredible. Similarly, I felt that Jasper as a villain worked really well. And I also appreciated Lessing's prose a lot, which is why I kept reading even at points where the characters seemed absolutely ridiculous to me.
Overall, then, I'm not sure how to rate this book. I enjoyed it, and I also didn't.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Mental illness, Misogyny, Police brutality, Blood, Death, Classism, Gore, Homophobia, and Xenophobia
I Hate Men by Pauline Harmange
challenging
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.5
This book isn't extremely profound - as the author acknowledges in the afterword - but it is a great introduction into misandry. I first read this book last year, digitally, and have been meaning to pick up a physical copy. Hopefully, I can now make my friends actually read this!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Hate crime, Misogyny, and Sexism
Minor: Lesbophobia, Domestic abuse, Rape, and Sexual assault
Justizpalast by Petra Morsbach
challenging
funny
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Dieses Buch hat mir gut gefallen! Das Thema Gerichtsprozesse finde ich super spannend, weswegen ich das Buch ausgewählt hatte. Für mich war die richterliche Perspektive neu und sehr lehrreich. Den Schreibstil fand ich ansprechend anspruchsvoll, und die Hauptcharaktere mochte ich gern.
Leider war die große Anzahl an Charakteren doch etwas zu verwirrend für mich, sodass ich immer wieder erst gründlich nachdenken musste, bevor mir wieder einfiel, welche Geschichte hinter welchem Namen steckt. Das hat sicherlich auch mit dem nicht linearen Zeitstrahl zu tun, der mich zwar auch öfters verwirrt, ansonsten aber nicht weiter gestört hat. Tatsächlich trägt dieser Stil ganz gut dazu bei, die Unübersichtlichkeit des Richterlebens darzustellen. Letztlich haben mich die 4th-Wall-Brüche, die ab und zu in der zweiten Hälfte des Buchs auftauchten, ein wenig irritiert; sie passen aber eigentlich sehr gut zu dem Schreibstil und Ton des Buchs.
Leider war die große Anzahl an Charakteren doch etwas zu verwirrend für mich, sodass ich immer wieder erst gründlich nachdenken musste, bevor mir wieder einfiel, welche Geschichte hinter welchem Namen steckt. Das hat sicherlich auch mit dem nicht linearen Zeitstrahl zu tun, der mich zwar auch öfters verwirrt, ansonsten aber nicht weiter gestört hat. Tatsächlich trägt dieser Stil ganz gut dazu bei, die Unübersichtlichkeit des Richterlebens darzustellen. Letztlich haben mich die 4th-Wall-Brüche, die ab und zu in der zweiten Hälfte des Buchs auftauchten, ein wenig irritiert; sie passen aber eigentlich sehr gut zu dem Schreibstil und Ton des Buchs.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer and Terminal illness
Moderate: Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Suicide, and Grief
Minor: Dementia and Alcoholism
A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab
adventurous
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Grief, Homophobia, Alcohol, and Blood
White Oleander by Janet Fitch
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Infidelity, Rape, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, and Suicide
Moderate: Medical content, Murder, Pregnancy, Drug use, Abandonment, Gun violence, and Alcoholism