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annie_brewer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
A solid mystery! Really enjoyed the small town atmosphere, very accurate of rural Australia.
I appreciate that the police work was mostly just collecting the information through questioning. The barrier to get people talking was excellently conveyed, but the solving of the case felt achievable once all the information was acquired. This seemed like a very accurate representation of how cases with limited resources could be resolved albeit doesn't provide the reader with an overly satisfying revelation.
I did find that Falk was a very average protagonist. He seemed to not have any motivations, nor large personality flaws, and was overall a bit underwhelming. The secondary characters were also a bit basic, but maybe were written to be reserved to add to the tension within the novel in regards to the drought, financial struggles and the distrust of the protagonist.
This was quite a slow paced read, but the duel timeline mystery of Falk's past was very interesting and kept me hooked.
Excited to read the next installments! Hopefully we learn a bit more about Falk and he becomes more developed.
Graphic: Murder, Gun violence, Child abuse, and Child death
Moderate: Alcoholism, Violence, Alcohol, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Addiction
jess2obsess's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Murder, Rape, Incest, Gun violence, Death, Suicide, Violence, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Blood, Sexual assault, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Suicidal thoughts, and Animal death
Minor: Infidelity
summerlouisereads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
It is a great book though.
I only wish that Gretchen and him got together and that the ending was more dramatic: the reveal of the murderer was slipped into the story so easily I was kinda shocked it wasn’t built up more. And when we found out how Ellie died, I wanted her father to go down for that murder and it was like he got away with it and everything he did to Falk after.
Nice read though, good story line, just too long and too stretched out.
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, and Death
wandering_canuck's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I read this in one sitting. I was captivated from the opening sentence to the last word. I picked up this book only because it was a prompt for a reading challenge and I expect it to make my top 10 of 2024.
Exceptional writing. Harper builds a vivid landscape, where the
This is how a mystery-thriller should be written. The story was well fleshed out. Harper avoids the pitfalls of convenience and coincidence to make the story fit the outcome. Two whodunits within one novel, and both told in a way that left you guessing until the end. Though there are no loose ends left to be tied up, I never once felt I was being led by the hand. Her writing kept me engaged and I happily buckled in to ride out the story until the very end.
This book was simply brilliant and would make a great book club read. I'll definitely pick up another of her novels. She has me hooked!
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Murder, Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Physical abuse, Violence, Child abuse, Bullying, Gun violence, and Alcohol
Moderate: Child death, Sexual assault, Suicide, Death of parent, Addiction, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Toxic friendship
emfield's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Death, Child death, Violence, Alcoholism, and Murder
Moderate: Addiction, Blood, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, Dementia, Child abuse, and Excrement
Minor: Animal cruelty, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, and Animal death
the_tea_collector22's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Gun violence, Alcoholism, and Death
bertrandlm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Child death and Murder
Moderate: Sexual assault and Domestic abuse
Minor: Suicide
paigegraf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Death of parent and Child death
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Sexual violence
hannahleewhite's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Murder and Child death
Moderate: Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Alcoholism, and Suicidal thoughts
smrankin5's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Murder, Emotional abuse, Incest, Death, Gun violence, Child death, Death of parent, and Grief