Scan barcode
marryallthepeople's review against another edition
2.0
I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/11030091
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/11030091
sohaila_mueller's review against another edition
3.0
Mina's true skill lies in creating wonderfully believable characters & depositing a sentence that captures a sentiment so true you almost do a double take. Unfortunately, I was less enthralled by the plot itself of this first installment, which did not hold me in much suspense. I found myself often wishing I could "skip to the good part" as far as the investigation was concerned.
chasing_dallas's review against another edition
2.0
I found the book slow in the beginning and they started to pick up a bit. The dueling Paddy stories didn't work for me because I never felt they tied together really and it was just too much. A decent murder mystery but a little predictable at times. I would give it 2.5 stars but not quite worthy of 3.
afterwhat's review against another edition
3.0
The first two pages of this book were excruciating. Horrifying. I was pretty close to quitting, as I just couldn't handle that prologue.
But it was just two pages, and the rest of the book was a pretty standard amateur detective novel. I found the setting, 1981 Glasgow, really interesting. The culture, the way of life, the attitudes--all completely foreign, to me. Our heroine, Paddy, was frustrating, sad, sympathetic, but not likable. The mystery was interesting, but after a certain point, a little predictable. And some parts were fairly boring. It was a good read, but I'm not beeline get for the sequel.
But it was just two pages, and the rest of the book was a pretty standard amateur detective novel. I found the setting, 1981 Glasgow, really interesting. The culture, the way of life, the attitudes--all completely foreign, to me. Our heroine, Paddy, was frustrating, sad, sympathetic, but not likable. The mystery was interesting, but after a certain point, a little predictable. And some parts were fairly boring. It was a good read, but I'm not beeline get for the sequel.
linguisticali's review against another edition
3.0
Unsurprisingly, author who is not Tana French is no Tana French.
An interesting mystery, but the sections from the historical case added nothing, and Paddy's naive gosh-I-can't-believe-anyone-thinks-I'm-pretty and obsession with her weight wore thin by the end.
Plus some bits were too violent for me, and it's hard to skim past in audiobook format without missing chunks of story.
An interesting mystery, but the sections from the historical case added nothing, and Paddy's naive gosh-I-can't-believe-anyone-thinks-I'm-pretty and obsession with her weight wore thin by the end.
Plus some bits were too violent for me, and it's hard to skim past in audiobook format without missing chunks of story.
hcq's review
1.0
Meh. An Irish mystery, masquerading as a Scottish one--boo. Enough with the Catholics vs. the Protestants, already. I just don't care anymore.
I finished this because I wanted to know who killed whom, and only for that. I didn't like the double story (which seemed really forced--the stuff from the '60s felt really shoehorned in), I didn't care about the lead character, or her family, or her family troubles...dull, dull.
I finished this because I wanted to know who killed whom, and only for that. I didn't like the double story (which seemed really forced--the stuff from the '60s felt really shoehorned in), I didn't care about the lead character, or her family, or her family troubles...dull, dull.
kleonard's review
1.0
Tying together two disparate narratives in an awkward and unnecessary fashion, this book is full of inane characters who behave without thinking and some junky moralizing.
misspickles's review
4.0
Riveting thriller with an engaging young protagonist. I look forward to seeing more of Paddy Meehan.
kribu's review
3.0
Basically, I think this review pretty much says what I thought.
But just so that this wouldn't be a "oh, look at that other person's words instead" sort of review ... this was, well, okay. I liked it.
It had a solid enough story - young protagonist, girl from a Catholic family in very early 1980s Glasgow, really wanting to follow her dream and be a journalist instead of doing what her family circle expects and demands of her, i.e. settle down young with a suitable man, get married and dedicate the rest of her life to popping out lots of kids and taking care of home, gets rather deeply into a horrible crime she's researching due to having a semi-personal connection with it and having hunches about the police not getting things quite right.
The characters and setting worked. They felt realistic, Paddy in particular, but also quite a few of the secondary characters, even those we met quite briefly, came across as real people, with pasts and futures and lives of their own, instead of just being there to advance the plot. That's always a good thing.
The mystery/crime part worked, too, although I kept feeling a bit annoyed at how slow Paddy was at times when I'd made the relevant realisations pages if not chapters earlier. But then, it's much easier to read someone else's story than figure things out when they're happening in your own!
What did not work for me was "the other" Paddy Meehan's story. Yeah, it ... well, I see, I think, what the author wanted to achieve, and it was an interesting idea - having this girl share her name with (and thus have some interest in) a falsely imprisoned and therefore pretty well-known small-time crook - but the execution just ... yeah. No. I didn't care about the other Paddy Meehan, I wasn't interested in his life or thoughts, and having entire chapters dedicated to him when I was much more interested in what was going on in girl-Paddy's life ... that just pulled me out of the story and made me grit my teeth to make my way through those bits to get back to the more interesting stuff again.
Anyway. I did enjoy the book okay - not sure I'll want more, but it's nicely standalone, so I don't really feel any need to.
But just so that this wouldn't be a "oh, look at that other person's words instead" sort of review ... this was, well, okay. I liked it.
It had a solid enough story - young protagonist, girl from a Catholic family in very early 1980s Glasgow, really wanting to follow her dream and be a journalist instead of doing what her family circle expects and demands of her, i.e. settle down young with a suitable man, get married and dedicate the rest of her life to popping out lots of kids and taking care of home, gets rather deeply into a horrible crime she's researching due to having a semi-personal connection with it and having hunches about the police not getting things quite right.
The characters and setting worked. They felt realistic, Paddy in particular, but also quite a few of the secondary characters, even those we met quite briefly, came across as real people, with pasts and futures and lives of their own, instead of just being there to advance the plot. That's always a good thing.
The mystery/crime part worked, too, although I kept feeling a bit annoyed at how slow Paddy was at times when I'd made the relevant realisations pages if not chapters earlier. But then, it's much easier to read someone else's story than figure things out when they're happening in your own!
What did not work for me was "the other" Paddy Meehan's story. Yeah, it ... well, I see, I think, what the author wanted to achieve, and it was an interesting idea - having this girl share her name with (and thus have some interest in) a falsely imprisoned and therefore pretty well-known small-time crook - but the execution just ... yeah. No. I didn't care about the other Paddy Meehan, I wasn't interested in his life or thoughts, and having entire chapters dedicated to him when I was much more interested in what was going on in girl-Paddy's life ... that just pulled me out of the story and made me grit my teeth to make my way through those bits to get back to the more interesting stuff again.
Anyway. I did enjoy the book okay - not sure I'll want more, but it's nicely standalone, so I don't really feel any need to.