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alsudik's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
sinadria's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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? No
3.75
reading_w_dee's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
argentbradamante's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
kattheblackbelt's review
3.0
Rating: 3
This was okay. I really did enjoy the ancient culture part of it but I didn't so much enjoy the "supernatural" reincarnation part of the novel and if anything it took me out of the book each time.
This was okay. I really did enjoy the ancient culture part of it but I didn't so much enjoy the "supernatural" reincarnation part of the novel and if anything it took me out of the book each time.
kkjduke's review
3.0
Rating: 3
This was okay. I really did enjoy the ancient culture part of it but I didn't so much enjoy the "supernatural" reincarnation part of the novel and if anything it took me out of the book each time.
This was okay. I really did enjoy the ancient culture part of it but I didn't so much enjoy the "supernatural" reincarnation part of the novel and if anything it took me out of the book each time.
errantdreams's review
2.0
Blind Alley: An Eve Duncan Forensics Thriller is a book I found via the online public library, so I went into it not realizing it was part of a series. It made some sense despite that, though; Ms. Johansen made this book stand alone fairly well.
Jane and Trevor are interesting characters. I did feel that Jane warmed up to Trevor too easily, but when you remind yourself that the grown-up-seeming Jane is actually still a teenager, it makes enough sense. Jane displays a nice duality: she’s mature enough to sound older than her age, but she’s inexperienced enough that she’s still feeling her way through what is the right thing to do, how does she make that happen, and how far does she have to go? I can see why she and Trevor have a sort-of weird beginnings-of-a-crush going on. Trevor is such an unrepentant pain, blithely lying his way into an investigation, spying on Jane; but he also rushes off to help Jane when it might not be in his best interest to do so.
By the time Trevor and Jane come up with an elaborate plan to attract and catch Aldo, the serial killer, Aldo has made it clear to Jane that now he knows who she is and he has all the time in the world to attack her. However, he’s shown himself to have absolutely *no* patience (he killed a handful of additional women when he had difficulty getting to Jane), so I don’t buy that he'll wait.
Because of that, the trap Trevor and Jane set seems outlandishly and unnecessarily complex. It involves convincing (or hacking into) a handful of publications to plant false information. It requires flying to another country. It’s an intricate setup that could fall apart in any of a bunch of steps, and I totally fail to see how it’s a better plan than setting up a death trap back home. Because I couldn’t suspend disbelief in this it felt… hollow. It felt like seeing a page on which someone has been writing, but halfway through they switch to writing in a different script and using a green magic marker instead of a blue pen.
There are also some bald info-dumps. Some of the dialogue feels… stilted.
Ultimately I found the book to be... okay.
For a longer review including premise, visit my site: http://www.errantdreams.com/2014/10/review-blind-alley-iris-johansen/
Jane and Trevor are interesting characters. I did feel that Jane warmed up to Trevor too easily, but when you remind yourself that the grown-up-seeming Jane is actually still a teenager, it makes enough sense. Jane displays a nice duality: she’s mature enough to sound older than her age, but she’s inexperienced enough that she’s still feeling her way through what is the right thing to do, how does she make that happen, and how far does she have to go? I can see why she and Trevor have a sort-of weird beginnings-of-a-crush going on. Trevor is such an unrepentant pain, blithely lying his way into an investigation, spying on Jane; but he also rushes off to help Jane when it might not be in his best interest to do so.
By the time Trevor and Jane come up with an elaborate plan to attract and catch Aldo, the serial killer, Aldo has made it clear to Jane that now he knows who she is and he has all the time in the world to attack her. However, he’s shown himself to have absolutely *no* patience (he killed a handful of additional women when he had difficulty getting to Jane), so I don’t buy that he'll wait.
Because of that, the trap Trevor and Jane set seems outlandishly and unnecessarily complex. It involves convincing (or hacking into) a handful of publications to plant false information. It requires flying to another country. It’s an intricate setup that could fall apart in any of a bunch of steps, and I totally fail to see how it’s a better plan than setting up a death trap back home. Because I couldn’t suspend disbelief in this it felt… hollow. It felt like seeing a page on which someone has been writing, but halfway through they switch to writing in a different script and using a green magic marker instead of a blue pen.
There are also some bald info-dumps. Some of the dialogue feels… stilted.
Ultimately I found the book to be... okay.
For a longer review including premise, visit my site: http://www.errantdreams.com/2014/10/review-blind-alley-iris-johansen/
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