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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
This is a wonderful thriller set in Ontario. You really have no way to knowing where it is going to turn.
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
I think I may have set my expectations too high for this one. The summary sounded really good. The characterizations were good for the most part and I enjoyed the configuration of the mystery, but I had quite a few issues. The beginning of the book felt very passive. The main character, a young woman who has inherited her estranged grandmother’s estate, for what it’s worth, navigates her memories of the past while dealing with the present. She sort of has some flashbacks that involve mostly characters that are already dead. It just felt like nothing was happening except to folks that died previously.
By the time I reached the halfway point, it had picked up a bit and I was starting to enjoy the story and the various characters as Gus followed her mother’s case notes and tried to figure out what had happened to her and how it related to the town of Elgin.
“That doesn’t make ___ dangerous. But he could be.”
I love mysteries and I love a strong, intelligent heroine. I don’t love a supposedly strong, intelligent heroine who runs off by herself investigating cases while doing things that are obviously dangerous and/or irresponsible with no backup. I lost count of the TSTL notations I made through the second half of this book. Quote from above as she knocks on the door of someone her mother noted in her case notes was a “grease monkey” meaning hitman/hatchet-man in context, and that she herself believes to have raped a teenage girl. There was a series of these little incidents that were not only questionable but kind of gave away the story through that section. So much so that I was not surprised by any of the “twists” as I neared the end of the book.
By the time I reached the halfway point, it had picked up a bit and I was starting to enjoy the story and the various characters as Gus followed her mother’s case notes and tried to figure out what had happened to her and how it related to the town of Elgin.
“That doesn’t make ___ dangerous. But he could be.”
I love mysteries and I love a strong, intelligent heroine. I don’t love a supposedly strong, intelligent heroine who runs off by herself investigating cases while doing things that are obviously dangerous and/or irresponsible with no backup. I lost count of the TSTL notations I made through the second half of this book. Quote from above as she knocks on the door of someone her mother noted in her case notes was a “grease monkey” meaning hitman/hatchet-man in context, and that she herself believes to have raped a teenage girl. There was a series of these little incidents that were not only questionable but kind of gave away the story through that section. So much so that I was not surprised by any of the “twists” as I neared the end of the book.
~Always cool to read local~
Audiobook narrator did well with most pronunciations!
Audiobook narrator did well with most pronunciations!
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
Wow! I cannot believe this is a debut.
I’m not going to lie this one started off a little slow for me, it took a few chapters for me to get fully invested but once it really got going I was hooked.
Our main character is so real. Flawed and broken. I enjoyed following her.
This book was dark and ominous in the best way. There were a few great twists that I did not see coming (though a few I did see but that can be forgiven)
I’m not going to lie this one started off a little slow for me, it took a few chapters for me to get fully invested but once it really got going I was hooked.
Our main character is so real. Flawed and broken. I enjoyed following her.
This book was dark and ominous in the best way. There were a few great twists that I did not see coming (though a few I did see but that can be forgiven)
Wow! This was really good! I knew within the first 5 pages it would be a story I couldn’t put down. And I was right. The story telling is amazing and the characters are real. Lots of twists and turns. Was going to give it four stars but the last 10% of the book catapulted it. Very, very good! Will definitely recommend to friends to read! #netgalley #darkaugust
I was wide eyed listening to this book. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. On the edge of my seat!
This debut mystery by Canadian author Katie Tallo just might signal the start of a nice career. It has some smaller questionable inclusions, but it has an impressive progression of plot development that has a mighty twist at the end.
A 20-year old is summoned back to her birthplace when her great grandmother Rose dies. She ditches her deadbeat boyfriend whose one benefit is that he taught her how to use a gun. Rose, who ignored Augusta as a child and basically rebuffed her once she became an orphan, has now left her a huge house complete with an old dog that "Gus" has no use for. Don't worry..he grows on her.
Her parents are dead, both cops. Now Gus wants to find out what happened to her mother in particular. This takes her on a fast though rather unlikely progression of unveiling clues that others have apparently completely missed. A small critique is that more than one person magically opens up about the past to this brassy young girl even though these are long-kept, well hidden secrets that have legal ramifications.
The crime itself is well-conceived and unique on several levels. See what YOU think.
A 20-year old is summoned back to her birthplace when her great grandmother Rose dies. She ditches her deadbeat boyfriend whose one benefit is that he taught her how to use a gun. Rose, who ignored Augusta as a child and basically rebuffed her once she became an orphan, has now left her a huge house complete with an old dog that "Gus" has no use for. Don't worry..he grows on her.
Her parents are dead, both cops. Now Gus wants to find out what happened to her mother in particular. This takes her on a fast though rather unlikely progression of unveiling clues that others have apparently completely missed. A small critique is that more than one person magically opens up about the past to this brassy young girl even though these are long-kept, well hidden secrets that have legal ramifications.
The crime itself is well-conceived and unique on several levels. See what YOU think.
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated