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lunaeclipse's review
4.0
A bit forced in the beginning. So much snark that it was painful to read. By midway the smart aleck commentary is there, as if it's for filler. Thankfully though it's less. By page two hundred, I had a mixed feeling of both being interested in the story, but counting the pages to the end.
However, the story is good, and even though I had a hard time getting past the snark, Sam is a rounded character. The only character out of the whole book that felt flat to me was her policeman boyfriend, Jake.
I wish Jake had more of a presence than what felt like the occasional one or two liner.
I have not read the other two books that preceded this book, but I will, this does seem like a good series to get into.
However, the story is good, and even though I had a hard time getting past the snark, Sam is a rounded character. The only character out of the whole book that felt flat to me was her policeman boyfriend, Jake.
I wish Jake had more of a presence than what felt like the occasional one or two liner.
I have not read the other two books that preceded this book, but I will, this does seem like a good series to get into.
nataliealane's review against another edition
5.0
My sister recently recommended A Cast of Vultures by Judith Flanders, and I finished it in a matter of days! Sam Clair, a middle aged editor, finds herself dragged into a murder mystery when her elderly friend Viv’d neighbor goes missing, and she’s convinced something horrible had happened to him. Sam’s cop boyfriend gets dragged in along the way.
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It was a gripping book! I loved the dry, witty humor, glimpses into the publishing/editing world, and friendships. I didn’t realize until I went to log my progress in Goodreads that it was actually the 3rd book in a series! I was never lost or confused, so I think it’s same time say you don’t have to read these in order. I definitely want to read the other 2 books then! I hope Viv appears more in them or in future books because I did enjoy her character. We know how I feel about old lady detectives!
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It was a gripping book! I loved the dry, witty humor, glimpses into the publishing/editing world, and friendships. I didn’t realize until I went to log my progress in Goodreads that it was actually the 3rd book in a series! I was never lost or confused, so I think it’s same time say you don’t have to read these in order. I definitely want to read the other 2 books then! I hope Viv appears more in them or in future books because I did enjoy her character. We know how I feel about old lady detectives!
marianl's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
The writing style is witty and funny and that’s what makes this book so enjoyable. The characters are lovable and make up for the okay plot.
kgraham10's review
4.0
Cozy mystery. I love the cast of characters. The stories are interesting and the book publishing world is interesting.
I wish Jake was more three dimensional.
I wish Jake was more three dimensional.
emilydrojas's review against another edition
3.0
I loved the witty inner dialogue of the narrator in this book.
lumbermouth's review
4.0
Look, I know what I said after reading the second one. But it was just sitting on the new releases shelf (despite being a year old), LOOKING at me. So I gave it a try. And maybe book 2 was a sophomore slump? Because where I found book 2 tedious and overly convoluted, this one just felt like a fun mystery, the kind where instead of calling people and going to meetings and having hourlong conversations about who's related to whom and what their motivations could possibly be, Sam just mostly went about her life and a mystery unfolded around her. I will maintain that Judith Flanders is perhaps not the best writer of action scenes, because I spent most of the Big Action Scene being confused about architecture, but that's kind of my biggest complaint with this one. Redeemed!
wordnerdy's review
4.0
http://wordnerdy.blogspot.com/2017/02/2017-book-23.html
I really, really enjoy Flanders' Sam Clair series, about an editor who finds herself mixed up in mysteries. Her writing is just really funny and engaging, and Sam is a likable and entertaining character. Flanders also tooooootally nails the intricacies of the publishing world--and I'm just as interested in her assistant and their office politics as I am in the case of the moment (this one involves a friend's missing neighbor, though things quickly grow more complicated--as they are wont to do, in a mystery!). I could quibble a bit with the plotting of this mystery, which relies on a lot of coincidences, BUT I enjoyed this book so much--seriously, really strong writing and characterization--that I don't even care. I can't wait for more from Flanders. A/A-.
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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released on February 21st.
I really, really enjoy Flanders' Sam Clair series, about an editor who finds herself mixed up in mysteries. Her writing is just really funny and engaging, and Sam is a likable and entertaining character. Flanders also tooooootally nails the intricacies of the publishing world--and I'm just as interested in her assistant and their office politics as I am in the case of the moment (this one involves a friend's missing neighbor, though things quickly grow more complicated--as they are wont to do, in a mystery!). I could quibble a bit with the plotting of this mystery, which relies on a lot of coincidences, BUT I enjoyed this book so much--seriously, really strong writing and characterization--that I don't even care. I can't wait for more from Flanders. A/A-.
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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released on February 21st.
faehearted's review against another edition
4.0
I absolutely adore this series! It's nice to have an older (ahem) character who is not a mother. The writing is absolutely devourable, with both the dialogue and the character's internal monologue being clever and witty, but also very human and relatable. The only downside is that I read them too fast...