Reviews with content warning for Murder - The Shadow Box

Reviews tagging 'Murder'

The Shadow Box by Luanne Rice

6 reviews

asourceoffiction's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

I loved how this felt like a unique set up to a thriller; the victim survives and she's pretty sure she knows who her would-be murderer is. From where she goes into hiding, she has to piece together what she needs to take him down. It kept the book interesting, as did a parallel case that also subverted expectation.

I also enjoyed the way flashbacks and the different characters' perspectives started to flesh out the story. It built up a picture where Claire couldn't tell who to trust, even as I began to see that some of the players were (thankfully) on the right side. There were some predictable areas (hard to avoid when you have a suspect from page 1), but plenty of surprises alongside.

By the end the drama is ramped right up and it's very cleverly done. The corruption ran deep, and the resolution was possibly a little clean given how many people suffered, but I enjoyed getting sucked into the narrative and the gorgeous New England setting.

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astoriareader's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense fast-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

5.0

SYNOPSIS

Claire, an artist that makes shadow boxes, is attacked & left for dead at her house in a wealthy neighborhood in Connecticut. She isn’t sure who to trust. Her husband is her prime suspect. He is a prosecutor in the midst of trying to be elected governor.
On the same day, Claire’s friend is murdered, and the teams investigating start to think the two incidents may be connected.

MY THOUGHTS

This is my first novel by Luanne Rice, and I will absolutely be looking for more of her work.
Fast paced. I devoured this one, and I finished in 24 hours. It starts off with an amazing opening, and thankfully, it remains strong through the last page.
Expertly plotted. Characters & story line felt very realistic.
Love a female protagonist.
Writing was easy to read. Short chapters. Rice does a great job setting the scene, and it was easy to visualize everything that happens.
Alternating POVs. We hear from Claire, as well as two brothers, Tom & Conor. Tom is a Coast Guard working on the friend’s murder, and Conor is part of LEO team investigating Claire’s incident.
Alternating timelines. Chapters are labeled as being either before or after Claire’s attack.
Rice did a nice job presenting living with an emotionally abusive partner. The flashbacks were nicely sprinkled throughout the story, and you can see how insidious abuse can be.

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️a must read. finished in a day. female protagonist. multiple POVs. set in wealthy part of Connecticut. TW: abusive relationships.

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shay_janae's review against another edition

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dark inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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thissarahgray's review

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mysterious tense fast-paced

3.5

An easy read thriller that's less about figuring out who did what and more about the motives driving their actions.

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cjxx26's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense 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? No

3.75

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trash_reader_'s review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I was hooked from the first sentence. I love Luanne Rice's work so much and this book was no exception. Constant drama and action. I was hanging on every word. I finished the entire book in one day and didn't even realize I was reading half the time. I loved the drama, I loved the resilience of the characters and how they were written. The scenery was beautiful and the character building was flawless. Luanne Rice went and made another masterpiece and reminded me why she was my favorite author.

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