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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
Enjoyed this - hadn't read any before, or watched the series on TV, so it was all new to me. I'm not sure about how the story reveals...I like to have at least a vague chance of whodunnit, but here you're told nothing that will help you solve it, so rely entirely on the detectives to piece it together for you. But good characters, and a fairly well paced read.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I enjoyed this a lot. I flew through it in two and half days - it started briskly and kept me hooked all the way through. It also kept me guessing - I had absolutely no idea where it was heading right until the end. I love Vera as a character, and I thought Holly was interesting as well, if not very likeable (I don't think she's supposed to be). I did feel a bit like it was mentioned how fat Vera is in every other paragraph, but maybe I just take it personally because I'm fat myself! It just stood out - we didn't hear about the other characters' appearance anywhere near as routinely. I feel like one visual description should be enough. But that's just about my only criticism, this is exactly the kind of mystery I like to read.
Overall, I thought this was structured well, paced well, and that the characters were unusual enough to keep you curious without being caricatures. I also like that the North East is getting some attention, it deserves it! This was my first Vera Stanhope book but I would definitely seek out more after having read it. I think it's a good example of its genre and very enjoyable.
Overall, I thought this was structured well, paced well, and that the characters were unusual enough to keep you curious without being caricatures. I also like that the North East is getting some attention, it deserves it! This was my first Vera Stanhope book but I would definitely seek out more after having read it. I think it's a good example of its genre and very enjoyable.
dark
mysterious
medium-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
First, let me say I really enjoyed Ann Cleeves's Shetland series. But about half way through this book I realized I didn't really care what had happened or who had done it. The constant description of Vera as being fat and unattractive started to distract and annoy me. Ok, she's unattractive physically. But she's a good detective and takes care of her team, Joe and Holly--that's what I want to read. The other characters are described more by personality or work habits and I don't know why Vera's physical description is constantly mentioned. I doubt I'll read another Vera Stanhope book.
mysterious
fast-paced
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
medium-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:
Yes
As usual for this series, I really liked this except for the constant fatphobia.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Unsatisfying murder mystery. All dawdle, no suspense.