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knittingdoc's review
4.0
Hmmm
Well, it is rather a twist, isn't it? I think I sort of expected the twist, but not quite. It was a twist on a twist.
Well, it is rather a twist, isn't it? I think I sort of expected the twist, but not quite. It was a twist on a twist.
mlj3395's review against another edition
4.0
This kept me guessing. I gave it only 4 because the end started to confuse me a bit. I truly enjoyed the read!
xonicolaxox's review against another edition
5.0
I was hooked from early on in this novel. The characters were written so well, and each had many different layers to uncover throughout. I felt like I was having the same thoughts and feelings as Theo Hazel, trying to work out the truth behind the murder based on the information he was collecting from various sources alongside him. The last few chapters especially had me on the edge of my seat with the final chapter u-turning everything both myself and Theo Hazel thought to be the truth. Overall, I would highly recommend this well-written and thought-provoking novel.
nixerix's review
3.0
2.5 stars, rounded up to 3. Based on the title and cover of the book, I was expecting more of a medical mystery/thriller, but I was sorely disappointed when the book very loosely focused on that theme. It focused much more on parenthood, which is not only done to death, but something that just really doesn't interest me. I felt misled.
I quite liked our main character Rose (especially in the present day), as what her thoughts, feelings and actions were remained a bit of a mystery all throughout. She was well written. Our other main character Theo I cared for a lot less. He's a weak and very gullible/naive man. The whole love story with him and Rose felt very forced, cliché and lacked any kind of substance. They don't even have chemistry. Some of the other major characters weren't given enough time in the story to really flesh out all that well, although you definitely get a feeling for which characters you do or don't like anyways.
Most of the story is told through dialogue and story-telling rather than any kind of action. Lots of tell, very little show. There's a lot of names here to keep track of that you may forget about, as there's lots of minor characters sprinkled in everywhere. There were multiple sex scenes that were unnecessary filler that I found myself just glossing right over.
I will say that I do like the way this author writes. Her vocabulary is advanced, the flow and pacing were both very good. The past and present were written in a way that complimented each other and the story was easy to follow because the past and present were woven together so well. I would give this author another chance and hopefully the next one catches my interest a little bit more.
I quite liked our main character Rose (especially in the present day), as what her thoughts, feelings and actions were remained a bit of a mystery all throughout. She was well written. Our other main character Theo I cared for a lot less. He's a weak and very gullible/naive man. The whole love story with him and Rose felt very forced, cliché and lacked any kind of substance. They don't even have chemistry. Some of the other major characters weren't given enough time in the story to really flesh out all that well, although you definitely get a feeling for which characters you do or don't like anyways.
Most of the story is told through dialogue and story-telling rather than any kind of action. Lots of tell, very little show. There's a lot of names here to keep track of that you may forget about, as there's lots of minor characters sprinkled in everywhere. There were multiple sex scenes that were unnecessary filler that I found myself just glossing right over.
I will say that I do like the way this author writes. Her vocabulary is advanced, the flow and pacing were both very good. The past and present were written in a way that complimented each other and the story was easy to follow because the past and present were woven together so well. I would give this author another chance and hopefully the next one catches my interest a little bit more.
lucyy2024's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
sabrinaslivingliterature's review against another edition
4.0
Publication Date: 20th May 2021
*Trigger warning*
*Death of a child, mention of teen suicide and brief mention of breast cancer*
Rose Marlowe is a hard-working nurse, a loving wife, and a merciless killer. Or so she says. Despite her confession, it is hard to believe that this beautiful, kind woman could have killed her vulnerable patient in cold blood. The story follows Theo Hazel, an author who is desperate to find his next title to pay off his debts as he uncovers the truth about Rose.
I was lucky enough to be sent this book by Netgalley and this book was amazing, I have not read a thriller that genuinely left me reeling in a long time. All the twists were perfectly executed and I was left with no idea what was going to be the result until the last chapter. The book initially gave me the same feeling as Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier which I love as there is obviously something wrong about what Rose is sharing, she is in prison after all, but you can't quite figure out what its going to be. This is book is a compulsive page turner and a testament to the amazing writing of J.A. Corrigan.
*Trigger warning*
*Death of a child, mention of teen suicide and brief mention of breast cancer*
Rose Marlowe is a hard-working nurse, a loving wife, and a merciless killer. Or so she says. Despite her confession, it is hard to believe that this beautiful, kind woman could have killed her vulnerable patient in cold blood. The story follows Theo Hazel, an author who is desperate to find his next title to pay off his debts as he uncovers the truth about Rose.
I was lucky enough to be sent this book by Netgalley and this book was amazing, I have not read a thriller that genuinely left me reeling in a long time. All the twists were perfectly executed and I was left with no idea what was going to be the result until the last chapter. The book initially gave me the same feeling as Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier which I love as there is obviously something wrong about what Rose is sharing, she is in prison after all, but you can't quite figure out what its going to be. This is book is a compulsive page turner and a testament to the amazing writing of J.A. Corrigan.
ellelainey's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.25
DNF'd at page 48.
This was boring, predictable and uninteresting. I honestly can't fathom how this is billed as "compelling" and "visceral". The characters were all one-dimensional, unrealistic and acted completely over the top and in ways that made no sense. It feels like it was trying to be The Silent Patient [book:The Silent Patient|40097951] but it failed to be that interesting.
Right from the start, I got nothing from Rose. She had no personality, and viewed everything through a clinical and impersonal lens. The arrogance of self-diagnosing people with various imagined symptoms was an unnecessary reminder that she was training to be a doctor, because...actually, it was mentioned nearly every page. Rose likes to think she knows everything, but she's such a snob that "nursing" would kill her if she failed her Drs exams... Um, do you hear yourself? Nurses are the backbone to every hospital. They do FAR more than most doctors, with less than half the credit.
Theo wasn't much better. While Rose had this ridiculous, convoluted backstory to reveal, Theo was a bland, struggling author, such a stereotype that he had to write his stories with a copy of Truman Capote's 'In Cold Blood' right next to him. *insert eye roll* The eventual relationship between Rose and Theo - which I didn't read long enough to read, but knew was inevitable and proved by skipping to the end - was pointless, made him shallow, and was a huge disappointment. Why can a man reporter not investigate a female prisoner without falling head-over-ass in love with her?
The POV swaps *really* weren't necessary. The Prologue is told in 3rd person, present tense. Rose is told in 1st person. Then Theo is told in 3rd person, present tense. Why?
The flashbacks of Rose meeting Daniel for the first time were...I just don't get it. It's not interesting, it's not important, and it really isn't needed.
Worse, this is where we get some really odd phrasings and conversations. "My gut inverted" - Lady, you need to see a doctor if that's happening. Honestly, I found most of her interactions with Daniel to be weird, but they were all So convenient! Half their conversations make no sense.
Worse, she met this guy, had ONE conversation with him and was *instantly* fascinated and agrees to go to dinner with him after work. She tells no one where she's going, gets into his car and THEN!! thinks about how she could be driven to a secluded place, kidnapped and raped?! Are you for real? Then, at dinner with this man she's just TAKEN TO HER HOUSE, she doesn't want to drink too much, because - kidnap, torture and rape.
When Theo finally meets her - and I say finally, because despite being the crux of the plot and the entire point of the blurb, it doesn't happen until around 30 pages in - he says "hearing it from her lips, the cast comes alive, names on paper become real." Well, I really wish I could say the same, but this book couldn't live up to even that quote.
Sorry, but Rose is just SO pretentious and bland, with zero personality, that I couldn't stomach reading any more.
This was boring, predictable and uninteresting. I honestly can't fathom how this is billed as "compelling" and "visceral". The characters were all one-dimensional, unrealistic and acted completely over the top and in ways that made no sense. It feels like it was trying to be The Silent Patient [book:The Silent Patient|40097951] but it failed to be that interesting.
Right from the start, I got nothing from Rose. She had no personality, and viewed everything through a clinical and impersonal lens. The arrogance of self-diagnosing people with various imagined symptoms was an unnecessary reminder that she was training to be a doctor, because...actually, it was mentioned nearly every page. Rose likes to think she knows everything, but she's such a snob that "nursing" would kill her if she failed her Drs exams... Um, do you hear yourself? Nurses are the backbone to every hospital. They do FAR more than most doctors, with less than half the credit.
Theo wasn't much better. While Rose had this ridiculous, convoluted backstory to reveal, Theo was a bland, struggling author, such a stereotype that he had to write his stories with a copy of Truman Capote's 'In Cold Blood' right next to him. *insert eye roll* The eventual relationship between Rose and Theo - which I didn't read long enough to read, but knew was inevitable and proved by skipping to the end - was pointless, made him shallow, and was a huge disappointment. Why can a man reporter not investigate a female prisoner without falling head-over-ass in love with her?
The POV swaps *really* weren't necessary. The Prologue is told in 3rd person, present tense. Rose is told in 1st person. Then Theo is told in 3rd person, present tense. Why?
The flashbacks of Rose meeting Daniel for the first time were...I just don't get it. It's not interesting, it's not important, and it really isn't needed.
Worse, this is where we get some really odd phrasings and conversations. "My gut inverted" - Lady, you need to see a doctor if that's happening. Honestly, I found most of her interactions with Daniel to be weird, but they were all So convenient! Half their conversations make no sense.
Worse, she met this guy, had ONE conversation with him and was *instantly* fascinated and agrees to go to dinner with him after work. She tells no one where she's going, gets into his car and THEN!! thinks about how she could be driven to a secluded place, kidnapped and raped?! Are you for real? Then, at dinner with this man she's just TAKEN TO HER HOUSE, she doesn't want to drink too much, because - kidnap, torture and rape.
When Theo finally meets her - and I say finally, because despite being the crux of the plot and the entire point of the blurb, it doesn't happen until around 30 pages in - he says "hearing it from her lips, the cast comes alive, names on paper become real." Well, I really wish I could say the same, but this book couldn't live up to even that quote.
Sorry, but Rose is just SO pretentious and bland, with zero personality, that I couldn't stomach reading any more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death
Minor: Death, Grief, Cancer, Confinement, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Infertility, Mental illness, Murder, and Toxic relationship
readdrinkandbehappy's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- 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
2.0
xomadisyn's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25