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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
First the good...Barbara Nickless' books are always a pleasure to read. I love the characters of Detective Addie Bisset and Dr. Evan Wilding and look forward to the next chapter of their story (which hopefully will turn romantic). But there is bad...in an effort to convey Evan's brilliance, the author used far too many obscure and archaic references for my taste. It slowed the book's pacing to a crawl in some spots. I'd give this 3.5 stars - 4 for great writing and characters but 3 for choppy pacing and pretentious wordsmithing.
Really enjoyed this. The characters are unique and the mystery was intriguing. Reading the next in the series for sure!
This was a fun read packed with a ton of research, science and CSI vibes. I did not expect to go into this book and learn so much about Vikings but here we are! I don’t think this book is for everyone but I think that if you enjoy a good weird mystery and like learning about history, this would be one for you! It’s a big puzzle that did leave me surprised in the end!
dark
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
The body has a noose around its neck, the throat has been slashed and the head has been bashed in with a blunt object. It is found in winter on the banks of the Calumet River in Chicago. There are wooden slats surrounding the head with runes inscribed on them. They translate into a poem in the Old English style (aka Beowulf) regarding a series of murders as part of a Viking blood feud. Shortly after the investigation begins, it turns out that there was a similar death a few months before so 2 of 5 murders have already begun this deadly chain of events.
The two Chicago police detectives on the case are Adrianne (Addie) Bissett and Patrick McBrady. They immediately call in Dr. Evan Wilding, a forensic semiotician to decode the etchings and advise on the symbols from the crime scene and their meaning to the Killer. Dr. Wilding is “a person with dwarfism” as well as a brilliant academician who comes with a goshawk named “Ginny” and a graduate research assistant named Diana who has a physique like an Amazon and is learning axe throwing.
The author apparently has a previous successful series and this is the start of a new one. It is long and gets off to a slow start with some lagging spots throughout. The Wilding character is used to provide information on the subjects of semiotics, Old English poetry, runology, Viking history, bog bodies, and axe throwing. The reveal of the murderer was a surprise as there was no connection between the murderer and any of the main characters or the investigation elements. The main characters were likable and I did get to care what happened to them. But they were not what I would consider to be well developed. I will probably read more of the series at some point but I won’t make an effort to seek it out.
I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway with a request for an honest review. My appreciation to Goodreads, the author and publisher. This review is my honest opinion.
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
The book kept me captivated most of the book. I felt the end was a little rushed and it took me out of the story. I didn’t guess who was the serial killer, but I wasn’t far off. Still an enjoyable read though.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder