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kirstym25's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Kidnapping, Hate crime, and Violence
Moderate: Death, Murder, and Rape
geraldinerowe's review against another edition
adventurous
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? Yes
3.5
This was my first Val McDermid and I was expecting good things. At first I was a little disappointed with the writing style. It was a little bit pot-boiler thriller style, and there were some rather lazy clichés (I don't believe anyone would really say "There must be some mistake" when told a loved-one has died, but it was used three times in this book). However, once the plot got going I couldn't stop reading. It's the first book in a long time that has made me read irresponsibly late into the night. I felt very smug through the last half of the book as I thought I'd guessed who the murderer was. I was wrong. I don't read a lot of crime fiction - my annual Sara Paretsky is usually enough for me - but I might add a Val McDermid into the mix occasionally from now on.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Rape
velvet_young's review against another edition
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Death, Violence, Homophobia, and Hate crime
Minor: Rape and Sexual assault
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