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jessdone's review
4.0
This is a great detective urban fantasy story set in England. I really like our main character and how she’s drawn back into the orbit of her magical family despite her best efforts to steer clear.
I like the ghost man living in her home and I like her cop on again off-again boyfriend. Heck, I’m ok with the Uncle (he’s a complex character who’s fun to get a beat on) and I like the Fox dude once we meet him.
The larger plot and family lore is enough to hook readers but not so much that it takes away from each book’s individual mystery.
The series balances a fun, pulp-y vibe with some darker elements.
I like the ghost man living in her home and I like her cop on again off-again boyfriend. Heck, I’m ok with the Uncle (he’s a complex character who’s fun to get a beat on) and I like the Fox dude once we meet him.
The larger plot and family lore is enough to hook readers but not so much that it takes away from each book’s individual mystery.
The series balances a fun, pulp-y vibe with some darker elements.
vicrine's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
themanfromdelmonte's review
4.0
End of Round One
I’ll start by saying that I enjoyed this book a lot and wouldn’t have written nearly as much in this review if I hadn’t. Hopefully that will take some of the sting out of it.
The author needs to make the narrative arc more consistent and what I mean by that is that, for example, in this book Uncle Charlie is a proper gangster in a way that he wasn’t in the first three. (This appears to come as news to Lydia.)
Next, where are the other members of the Crow family? Uncle Charlie can’t run things entirely on his own, he must have lieutenants and flunkies but we never meet them.
Then there are the other Families: Lydia has had a Fox boyfriend in the past but she appears to know only him and his dad. The rest of his family are all off stage somewhere.
She knows no Pearls and precious few Silvers, even though there’s an Family alliance with the latter.
The plot device to explain this is that Lydia’s parents have kept her away from the Family milieu but in the age of social media, this just isn’t plausible.
The on-off romance with DCI Fleet (AKA Peter Grant) is nice but where are the police the rest of the time?
The world the author paints (pun not intended) is not rich enough. Lydia simultaneously knows too much and too little and that jars.
I’ll start by saying that I enjoyed this book a lot and wouldn’t have written nearly as much in this review if I hadn’t. Hopefully that will take some of the sting out of it.
The author needs to make the narrative arc more consistent and what I mean by that is that, for example, in this book Uncle Charlie is a proper gangster in a way that he wasn’t in the first three. (This appears to come as news to Lydia.)
Next, where are the other members of the Crow family? Uncle Charlie can’t run things entirely on his own, he must have lieutenants and flunkies but we never meet them.
Then there are the other Families: Lydia has had a Fox boyfriend in the past but she appears to know only him and his dad. The rest of his family are all off stage somewhere.
She knows no Pearls and precious few Silvers, even though there’s an Family alliance with the latter.
The plot device to explain this is that Lydia’s parents have kept her away from the Family milieu but in the age of social media, this just isn’t plausible.
The on-off romance with DCI Fleet (AKA Peter Grant) is nice but where are the police the rest of the time?
The world the author paints (pun not intended) is not rich enough. Lydia simultaneously knows too much and too little and that jars.
tanadeet's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
witless's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
tandemjon's review
4.0
These are slowish books with things enveloping gradually and sudden bursts of activity. I felt for this latest installment that it was a wee bit dull at times but it built nicely to a interesting conclusion. Enjoyable series.
fluchfuchs's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.75
linguisticali's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
3.5
Some really good progression in terms of the family and the tensions between the families. These are great holiday reading. I've caught a few small character inconsistencies listening to them all in a row like this, which is frustrating because it feels like the author and editors aren't fully invested (Lydia mentions the gym several times in one book only to mention refusing to step foot in one the next, and at one point in this one she orders tea despite having consistently and repeatedly said she doesn't like it and will only drink coffee).
meiko's review
5.0
This one was way more satisfying than the previous entry, despite not wrapping up all the loose ends nearly as neat.
Slightly surprised at the amount of growth in the main character, but I suppose it's been building up for 3 books, so there's that.
**Re-read 25th Aug 2023.
Finally ready to go on further adventures.
Slightly surprised at the amount of growth in the main character, but I suppose it's been building up for 3 books, so there's that.
**Re-read 25th Aug 2023.
Finally ready to go on further adventures.
rosescottagee's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0