Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
2.5 stars. I was really disappointed with this book. I liked the mystery well enough (which is what kept me reading) but I didn't care for the characters at all. They were all so acrimonious and irritating. If not for that, I think I would have really liked this book and would have been looking forward to reading more of the series.
I really wanted to like this book. Up until half, it wasn't so bad except for the excessive foreshadowing. About that, how many times can one write " for what would be the longest night of my life " or " God knows what would have happened if... " ? Towards the end, i was more and more hopeless I was ever going to finish it. I forced myself to do so and went on with my other readings.
This was actually a really fun and refreshing read. It was different from other suspense/mysteres/thrillers and it was a wild ride from page 1 until the end. The author kept me second guessing every character and the eventual outcome was somewhat of a surprise. Of course, there were some obvious elements to the story as well and at first it kinda felt like a Sherlock Holmes & Johm Watson wannane duo, especially because it's two guys with somewhat similiar fields of expertise, but after a while I realized it was nothing like Sherlock Holmes. Both McGray and Frey were interesting characters, and I loved the fact that the story was written as if it's being told by Frey years later on. There were quite a few sentences that stressed me out A LOT and made me want to turn the pages again and again. It was a really fun read and the plot was very well thought out as well. Would definitely recommend this.
Oh my lord, what an incredible murder mystery!! :D definitely for you if you love figuring out red herrings, Brits vs Scots, and suspense keeping you on the edge of your seat until the very last page!!
3.5. I listened via audible. Not sure if this tainted my experience coz I didn’t enjoy the narrators voice.
However. Was ok. I didn’t like the way the author described women. It was creepy. Thankfully didn’t occur much in the book but it felt predatory.
However. Was ok. I didn’t like the way the author described women. It was creepy. Thankfully didn’t occur much in the book but it felt predatory.
The first in a series following Inspector Frey and his new boss, Nine-Nails McGray, The Strings of Murder is a intriguing, head-scratching mystery.
A cursed violin, the dark streets of Victorian Edinburgh, a group of characters each more suspicious as the last - how will the two detectives find the murderer?
I really enjoyed this first step into Frey and McGray’s world. There was equal character development to plot, and neither felt compensated for the other. The dynamic between the two felt as stilted and frustrating as the author intended.
The mystery was so full of twists and turns - de Muriel is a genius, keeping each development as fresh and interesting and urging the reader to continue.
I accidentally read the fourth book in the series first, which although didn’t impact the whole story arc, did lessen the impact of this first instalment. I can guarantee that the intrigue and tension only gets better throughout this series so I really would recommend that you pick up the next book.
I would also say - I read this quite slowly due to illness and other life circumstances rudely interrupting my reading time, and I think this book benefits from a binge read. If you’ve got a long weekend coming up, this is the perfect read.
Overall I very much recommend this and the author’s other work. I’ll be picking up the next instalment very shortly and I can’t wait to see what happens.
A cursed violin, the dark streets of Victorian Edinburgh, a group of characters each more suspicious as the last - how will the two detectives find the murderer?
I really enjoyed this first step into Frey and McGray’s world. There was equal character development to plot, and neither felt compensated for the other. The dynamic between the two felt as stilted and frustrating as the author intended.
The mystery was so full of twists and turns - de Muriel is a genius, keeping each development as fresh and interesting and urging the reader to continue.
I accidentally read the fourth book in the series first, which although didn’t impact the whole story arc, did lessen the impact of this first instalment. I can guarantee that the intrigue and tension only gets better throughout this series so I really would recommend that you pick up the next book.
I would also say - I read this quite slowly due to illness and other life circumstances rudely interrupting my reading time, and I think this book benefits from a binge read. If you’ve got a long weekend coming up, this is the perfect read.
Overall I very much recommend this and the author’s other work. I’ll be picking up the next instalment very shortly and I can’t wait to see what happens.
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes