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shawcrit's review against another edition
3.0
It took me a long time to finish this because it is so incredibly disturbing that I found myself violently throwing my kindle away from me every so often. But it is a testament to Mo Hayder's excellent writing that I continued to pick it up. This is probably the most difficult book I have ever read because of the content. But the writing style - jumping between different perspectives that leave you hanging - is really captivating, making you want to continue reading to find out what the hell is going to happen. I probably won't read another Mo Hayder book, however. I'm not sure if I can stomach it.
urtchen's review against another edition
4.0
Mo Hayder is trying really hard. And the story is captivating. I have a hard time liking Caffery and his girlfriend, sadly so, because they hold a big part of the book with their personal relationship. I think the end, when the reader is left with this big cliffhanger, could have been clearer. I have to read the next book, because I want to know what happened to Ewan.
I really wanted to know if Benedicte and her family are going to be okay. I felt for them, the thought of being locked up in an overheated house without food or water is quite scary. Also, I'm not okay with Klare being the offender because "he's crazy.". That's not enough for me. I like my psychopaths with a backstory, and I'm wondering why we can't have one for the bad guy when we can have the long, loooong backstory for the good guy.
Other than that, I needed about 30% of the book to get hooked, but then I was hooked. It is well written, the story is really sad and captivating and scary. It is always hard to read about paedophile sex offenders, but what Hayder managed was giving me goosebumps, because the thought of the crime is so unimaginable. So if you like to get the view of the world turned around, read it. And then hug your child. Tight.
I really wanted to know if Benedicte and her family are going to be okay. I felt for them, the thought of being locked up in an overheated house without food or water is quite scary. Also, I'm not okay with Klare being the offender because "he's crazy.". That's not enough for me. I like my psychopaths with a backstory, and I'm wondering why we can't have one for the bad guy when we can have the long, loooong backstory for the good guy.
Other than that, I needed about 30% of the book to get hooked, but then I was hooked. It is well written, the story is really sad and captivating and scary. It is always hard to read about paedophile sex offenders, but what Hayder managed was giving me goosebumps, because the thought of the crime is so unimaginable. So if you like to get the view of the world turned around, read it. And then hug your child. Tight.
unlyke_li's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-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
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Rape, Child abuse, and Child death
velvetsun's review against another edition
3.0
3-3.5 stars
What kept me from giving this a higher rating were two things;
1. The fact that it took me a while to get into the story
2. The way she chose to wrap things up regarding the Ewan storyline.
I was not at all happy with the direction the Ewan storyline ended up going in. I thought it might have been an interesting twist, but the fact that she chose to end it the way she did? Nope. Not a fan. Yes, i suppose we were supposed to look at the literal ending of the book as something hopeful and positive, but i couldn't look past that one element. It was just so hard for me to read. Because when it was revealed what happened to Jack's brother...it turned out that Mo Hayder had found a way to make the reality even worse than what the readers had been imagining since the first book.
Mo Hayder is an amazing storyteller, and i love that she never shies away from writing a dark, disturbing story. But, there were a few aspects to the story that were just a little too disturbing for me. And while i respect the way she chose to have the story unfold, i wish she had made a few different decisions.
What kept me from giving this a higher rating were two things;
1. The fact that it took me a while to get into the story
2. The way she chose to wrap things up regarding the Ewan storyline.
I was not at all happy with the direction the Ewan storyline ended up going in. I thought it might have been an interesting twist, but the fact that she chose to end it the way she did? Nope. Not a fan. Yes, i suppose we were supposed to look at the literal ending of the book as something hopeful and positive, but i couldn't look past that one element. It was just so hard for me to read. Because when it was revealed what happened to Jack's brother...it turned out that Mo Hayder had found a way to make the reality even worse than what the readers had been imagining since the first book.
Mo Hayder is an amazing storyteller, and i love that she never shies away from writing a dark, disturbing story. But, there were a few aspects to the story that were just a little too disturbing for me. And while i respect the way she chose to have the story unfold, i wish she had made a few different decisions.
matthewdafoe's review against another edition
5.0
Hoooollyyyyyyy shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiittttttttt.
Writing: 5/5 - Plot: 5/5 - Ending: 5/5
Let me preface and say immediately that this book is BRUTAL. This is not for the faint of heart. Seriously, I'll have the trigger warnings below for this one. If you cannot handle any of these TW, do not read this book. You will not enjoy it. It is deeply, deeply, disturbing, and the complete opposite of a feel-good book.
This book was written incredibly well, with echoes of Karin Slaughter for me. Ironically, cause this is Karin's favorite book. I was happy to be back with Detective Jack Caffery in this one, as he works his way through a fresh case, and the events from his own past make it hard for him to view this case with the necessary detachment. But you've been warned, Mo does not hold back on the gnarly, grizzly details that most authors shy away from. I thought this book was paced far more even than the first one.
I felt the plot was more complex than the first too and had so many layers going on here. The way Mo intertwined everything was top-notch. I don't want to give too much away once again. But this is an incredibly well-plotted crime thriller that is sure to chill you to your bone.
This is surely an ending I will never forget, ever. It was an excellent twist, but Jesus Christ, it made me angry (in the best way), and is so bleak of an ending. If you are expecting a crime thriller that's brutal but has a happy ending, this is NOT it.
TW:
Violence, Child Sexual Abuse, Child Pornography, Animal Cruelty, Incest, Pedophilia, and Rape of Adults, Gore, and even then I'm probably missing a few.
Writing: 5/5 - Plot: 5/5 - Ending: 5/5
Let me preface and say immediately that this book is BRUTAL. This is not for the faint of heart. Seriously, I'll have the trigger warnings below for this one. If you cannot handle any of these TW, do not read this book. You will not enjoy it. It is deeply, deeply, disturbing, and the complete opposite of a feel-good book.
This book was written incredibly well, with echoes of Karin Slaughter for me. Ironically, cause this is Karin's favorite book. I was happy to be back with Detective Jack Caffery in this one, as he works his way through a fresh case, and the events from his own past make it hard for him to view this case with the necessary detachment. But you've been warned, Mo does not hold back on the gnarly, grizzly details that most authors shy away from. I thought this book was paced far more even than the first one.
I felt the plot was more complex than the first too and had so many layers going on here. The way Mo intertwined everything was top-notch. I don't want to give too much away once again. But this is an incredibly well-plotted crime thriller that is sure to chill you to your bone.
This is surely an ending I will never forget, ever. It was an excellent twist, but Jesus Christ, it made me angry (in the best way), and is so bleak of an ending. If you are expecting a crime thriller that's brutal but has a happy ending, this is NOT it.
TW:
Violence, Child Sexual Abuse, Child Pornography, Animal Cruelty, Incest, Pedophilia, and Rape of Adults, Gore, and even then I'm probably missing a few.
andrew61's review against another edition
4.0
Extremely grim subject but a good crime novel, definitely will read more as liked the character, as usual very troubled.
suzanne_x's review
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
- 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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Pedophilia, Rape, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Drug abuse, Stalking, Emotional abuse, Suicide, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
tiredandspice's review against another edition
The story was compelling and kept me intrigued, but I was shocked to learn the author is a woman based on 1. The way all women were described/characterized, and 2. Jack reeks of “idealized self-insert character written by a dweeby guy”.
That said, people keep strongly recommending Devil of Nanking, and I plan on checking that out. But I don’t think I’ll be revisiting the Jack Caffery series
That said, people keep strongly recommending Devil of Nanking, and I plan on checking that out. But I don’t think I’ll be revisiting the Jack Caffery series