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4.23 AVERAGE
4.23 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
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
dark
mysterious
tense
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:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Rape, Torture
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
mysterious
What a read. Great characters and wow what a story. Full of developments and you don't want to put it down - you want to find out what is happening next. Real interesting twist at the end too
Libro que me ha encantado. Suspende durante todo el libro que te mantiene en vilo. Personajes bien desarrollados
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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
This is a dark police procedural set in the Cambrian countryside of the Lake District. I emphasize the word dark as the Big Bad is burning people alive and the descriptions of the crimes are somewhat detailed. The horror adds to the urgency of solving the crimes and nobody feels that urgency more than Detective Sargent Washington Poe. Having stepped away from policing involuntarily because a serial abductor was tortured and killed as a result of a mistake he made, Poe is called back to active duty when his name is found cut into the chest of victim #3. Is he a target or has the serial killer invited him into the investigation for some other reason?
Along with disgraced DS Poe, Tilly Bradshaw, a civilian crime analyst working for the police is assigned to the case. I really enjoyed the character of Tilly. She's incredibly intelligent and is neurodiverse which makes her social interactions at best awkward, at worst, just downright rude, although rarely intentionally. She is the light to Poe's dark.
The mystery in this one is just okay. It's interesting seeing the investigation and evidence come together (like any police procedural) although the motivation and conclusion, aside from a few unexpected details, can both be figured out relatively easily. What really made this one enjoyable, and the reason that I will be continuing on in the series as soon as possible, are the characters of Poe and Bradshaw. Apart, they are interesting. Together, they are an investigative duo that I want to get to know better. I am looking forward to seeing where their next case leads them as well as learning more about each of them.
Read if you like dark detective fiction, remote and isolated countryside and/or interesting investigators with mysterious pasts.
Fun, pacey, reasonably dark murder mystery. Great entertainment and set in a very familiar location! At first I found the references to real places I know so well a little distracting, but managed to put that dynamic to one side and really get into the story. Great characters, quirky and different. Enjoyed this book and looking forward to the rest in the series.
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
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:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Murder, Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Torture, Police brutality, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Rape, Suicide, Excrement, Medical content, Car accident, Abortion, Death of parent, Alcohol
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes