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bzliz's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I find it hard to rate this less than 3 stars because I had a good time reading it but I don’t think the story was very good. I know it’s YA but the mystery wasn’t very mysterious this time. Maybe I’ve watched too many crime shows in my time but I immediately solved every mystery this book put forth except for the biggest crime: why are the authors shoving these two girls at whatever boy is convenient? They are so obsessed with each other and it feels illegal to not have Alice and Iris become a queer, crime-solving power couple.
I gave a pass to the case solved summary at the end of the last book but this one annoyed me. I read the book, why am I getting a TLDR at the end? Also these people are way too whiny if someone doesn’t answer their text immediately.
I gave a pass to the case solved summary at the end of the last book but this one annoyed me. I read the book, why am I getting a TLDR at the end? Also these people are way too whiny if someone doesn’t answer their text immediately.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, and Blood
Minor: Pregnancy and Toxic relationship
bookcheshirecat's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
3.5
“This is so Agatha Christie: a secret passage, a hidden staircase, sneaking around in the dark with a storm raging outside. A shiver of pleasure runs through me.”
➽ The Night in Question is another Agathas mystery! After helping solve the Brooke Donovan case, Alice and Iris are back for another mystery. Once again, tragedy strikes Castle Cove when a student is attacked at the Sadie Hawkins dance and falls into a coma. As the resident sleuthing duo, Alice and Iris decide to investigate the case itself, especially since it took place in the infamous Levy Castle. It's almost two cases in one, because the famous film star Mona Moody used to live there and her death in the 1940s was never solved. Iris is a big fan of her, so we get quotes from Mona for her chapters. As always, Alice is determined to use the knowledge of Agatha Christie in order to find out who hurt one of her former best friends.
➽ I liked seeing the friction the case caused between Iris and Alice. Both have formed an unlikely friendship in the last book and lead very different lives. Iris' family is struggling financially and even though her abusive father is now behind bars, the threat won't ever go away. Iris is still dealing with the aftermath of his abuse and how it makes it difficult to trust others. Meanwhile, Alice has all the money she could ever want, but feels abandoned by her parents. When they unexpectedly reappear only to take an interest in her failing grades, she's furious. I understood Alice's hurt and how her parent's absence weighed on her. It's hypocritical to her that they suddenly want to get involved again. Alice and Iris each have their own issues to deal with, but Alice's wealth and connections definitely give her an advantage. The police aren't thrilled that they're getting involved again, so it's Iris who has the most to lose if things go sideways.
➽ Sadly, the mystery didn't grip me this time and I much preferred the first book. The case didn't feel like it developed organically and felt more forced. I wish the focus hadn't been on yet another former friend of Alice's and instead someone else in town could have been the focus. For most of the book, I didn't feel intrigued and rather bored while Alice and Iris butted heads trying to solve the case. The hints of romance didn't do it for me either. Alice is obsessed with someone who's already got a girlfriend and the weird love triangle developing around Iris didn't interest me. I feel like having the case of Mona Moody alongside the main story could have been interesting, but it wasn't executed well. It felt like we were following two completely different stories. Unfortunately, I almost had to agree with the police that Alice and Iris had no right to go breaking laws and playing detective. I know the Castle Cove police sucks, but in this book, Alice's rulebreaking got on my nerves after a while. She just crossed too many lines.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Violence, and Blood
Minor: Toxic relationship, Confinement, Domestic abuse, and Infidelity
victoria_elaine's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
This was a cute little read but nothing groundbreaking. I lowkey guessed who did it in like the first chapter when Iris got Ashley and Alice confused - I knew that would play a role. I think the mystery could’ve been written better, as the first book was a little more shocking (though still predictable. I also wish we saw more of Iris and Spike (book 3 fingers crossed) and maybeeee Alice and Raf 🤭 Overall a nice read but I wouldn’t go out of my way to praise it
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Domestic abuse
eliza_beth_23's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Moderate: Medical content, Murder, Gun violence, Alcohol, and Death
Minor: Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Infidelity, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Confinement
janeblue's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Violence, and Child abuse
abitofcourage's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Child abuse
lindsayerin's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
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? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Blood and Violence
Minor: Domestic abuse
rondasue27's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder and Violence
avidreaderandgeekgirl's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
It took me a while to read this book, but not because it wasn't good! Most of the times I picked it up I got really into it. It did lull at certain points.
The characters weren't as lovable in this book as in the first, their character development at least of Alice and Iris from the first book made them a bit more unlikable. I would have liked more of Spike since he seems to becoming a romantic lead but he's still only a minor character in this book.
I was glad they solved the Mona Mooney mystery and I hope they solve Remmy Jackson's murder next! I did figure out the Mona story about halfway through the book, but since I read it over so long not the current day one, if I'd read it faster I would have figured it out easily.
Overall a solid but not amazing book.
The characters weren't as lovable in this book as in the first, their character development at least of Alice and Iris from the first book made them a bit more unlikable. I would have liked more of Spike since he seems to becoming a romantic lead but he's still only a minor character in this book.
I was glad they solved the Mona Mooney mystery and I hope they solve Remmy Jackson's murder next! I did figure out the Mona story about halfway through the book, but since I read it over so long not the current day one, if I'd read it faster I would have figured it out easily.
Overall a solid but not amazing book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Classism, Domestic abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Murder, Misogyny, Violence, and Sexism
Minor: Pregnancy, Gun violence, and Confinement
linnea1801's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I really enjoyed this book. At first I didn’t realise it was a sequel so I was a bit confused but it didn’t stop me from enjoying the book. I did suspect that Henderson was the murderer way before it was revealed. Something that stopped me enjoying the book more was the sheer stupidity of the main characters. Every time they went to a sketchy place to investigate and told nobody about their plans I was screaming internally. To be fair they are teenagers but still… that’s just dumb.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Infidelity, and Gun violence