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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
and again with the printed first in england business liking english authors costs me so much money
So I had to go do that thing where I order the book from england because let's be honest I needed to know right the fuck now if jonas was still crazy or not. And hey you know what I still don't know the fucking answer, or I might it's hard to be sure.
right so the book, this book is as good as the others. It's a more common premise for a mystery novel (I mean kidnapping children that's a thing villans in mystery novels do) but bauer still messes about with the premise to make it very interesting. There is less action in this book than in her other books, but a lot of depth, it's also pushing much further into story as opposed to what we were getting which was very much just serial mystery.
Steven is becoming a very interesting character as is jonas, while reynolds and rice are still surface and less than exciting.
a very high three
So I had to go do that thing where I order the book from england because let's be honest I needed to know right the fuck now if jonas was still crazy or not. And hey you know what I still don't know the fucking answer, or I might it's hard to be sure.
right so the book, this book is as good as the others. It's a more common premise for a mystery novel (I mean kidnapping children that's a thing villans in mystery novels do) but bauer still messes about with the premise to make it very interesting. There is less action in this book than in her other books, but a lot of depth, it's also pushing much further into story as opposed to what we were getting which was very much just serial mystery.
Steven is becoming a very interesting character as is jonas, while reynolds and rice are still surface and less than exciting.
a very high three
I sped though Finders Keepers in two days, finishing it in the small hours of the morning. Although I suspected as much, I was disappointed after I finished, when I discovered that it's the third of a trilogy. Is it worth reading the others, I wonder?
Well, Bauer easily gets the award for Best Trilogy-That-Nobody-Knew-Was-A-Trilogy (okay, maybe SOME people knew, I sure as hell didn't - I like the way the three books were linked without being dependent on each other or being all cliff-hanger-ish). I haven't read anything by her that hasn't been really good, but honestly, this seemed brilliant to me - it's a mystery, but there is so much other great stuff here: relationships between siblings and between children and parents, two great police characters who are not heroic or perfect in the least but are extremely well-written characters, a sweet and real first love story, and a villain who is more sad than frightening. There's also a wonderful sense of place. It's a really well-written novel that just happens to be a mystery.
This book had it's problems, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it once I finally got my hands on it. Something about Ms. Bauer's writing that just sucks me in and doesn't let go.
I was thrilled to see the same cast of characters, plus some new ones. I love Jonas!
What left me cold was the ending/resolution. I hated Rice's pursuit of Jonas. Just after he had been released from the hospital, too! I thought she was a bit better than that. And the letter opener...Maybe I missed something (or the conclusions I am drawing I do not want).
I really hope there is a 4th book. And Jonas is there.
I was thrilled to see the same cast of characters, plus some new ones. I love Jonas!
What left me cold was the ending/resolution. I hated Rice's pursuit of Jonas. Just after he had been released from the hospital, too! I thought she was a bit better than that. And the letter opener...Maybe I missed something (or the conclusions I am drawing I do not want).
I really hope there is a 4th book. And Jonas is there.
For me not as gripping as the first Jonas Holly book. It also contains a crime and a villain that's just a bit bizarre. I still enjoyed it though it wasn't quite as easy a read.
enjoyable read but not great great felt the book missed a little something to say what a great book but the continuing story of the village of shipcott on exmoor, would be interested to read the next book in the series though as the character of jonas holly can be explored more
This book irritated me beyond belief but this irritation is aimed squarely at the publisher, not the author. This is the third book in a trilogy but no-where on the jacket is this mentioned and the book does not read well as a stand alone - there are too many references to what has gone before and to things the author believes the reader knows about.
Publishers, seriously, tell me when a book is part of a series no matter how loosely connected and I'll more than likely buy every one, trick me like this and all you'll do is lose any future sales for the author.
About the actual book:
The plot itself is pretty good, most of the characters are well written with clear voices.
The pacing is excellent and the prose flows nicely.
The setting is an integral part of the story but not really described in that much detail - the author either assumes you know Exmoor or the description happened in the previous books which the author assumes you've read.
The ending is terrible - a last minute ride to the rescue? I actually cringed when I saw this unfolding.
Throughout the book I was constantly reminded that there were histories and nuances of the characters I wasn't aware of and this spoiled it for me.
Publishers, seriously, tell me when a book is part of a series no matter how loosely connected and I'll more than likely buy every one, trick me like this and all you'll do is lose any future sales for the author.
About the actual book:
The plot itself is pretty good, most of the characters are well written with clear voices.
The pacing is excellent and the prose flows nicely.
The setting is an integral part of the story but not really described in that much detail - the author either assumes you know Exmoor or the description happened in the previous books which the author assumes you've read.
The ending is terrible - a last minute ride to the rescue? I actually cringed when I saw this unfolding.
Throughout the book I was constantly reminded that there were histories and nuances of the characters I wasn't aware of and this spoiled it for me.
Finders Keepers is Belinda Bauer's third book, and the third with recurring characters, which is a feature I absolutely love. Not a straight character-led series, Belinda Bauer revolves her stories around one village on Exmoor, Shipcott, and several of the residents. Her writing is fast-paced but suspense-building, and the characters are wonderfully detailed and built up.
This particular book starts with the disappearance of a child, with a note left in her place stating "You don't love her". I'll just add though, you need to have read at least Dark Side (her second novel) and preferably Blacklands (her first) to really understand what is going on here. There is a lot of referring back to Dark Side in this book, and you wouldn't really know what was going on for a good deal of it if you come across this book first.
As the plight of the kidnapped becomes more desperate, we learn more and more secrets about the police and other Shipcott residents, until the book comes to its frightening and unexpected crescendo. The 'reveal' was done very well, and the subtle change in writing style after it was excellent.
The ending was odd. Interesting and chilling in a way, but definitely odd! Nevertheless, it has made me desperate to read her fourth book, although I fear it may be at least 6 months, probably more like over a year away.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, as much as her previous two, which is as good a recommendation as any because those two were excellent. Belinda Bauer is fast becoming one of my favourite authors and I cannot wait for her next book!
This particular book starts with the disappearance of a child, with a note left in her place stating "You don't love her". I'll just add though, you need to have read at least Dark Side (her second novel) and preferably Blacklands (her first) to really understand what is going on here. There is a lot of referring back to Dark Side in this book, and you wouldn't really know what was going on for a good deal of it if you come across this book first.
As the plight of the kidnapped becomes more desperate, we learn more and more secrets about the police and other Shipcott residents, until the book comes to its frightening and unexpected crescendo. The 'reveal' was done very well, and the subtle change in writing style after it was excellent.
The ending was odd. Interesting and chilling in a way, but definitely odd! Nevertheless, it has made me desperate to read her fourth book, although I fear it may be at least 6 months, probably more like over a year away.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, as much as her previous two, which is as good a recommendation as any because those two were excellent. Belinda Bauer is fast becoming one of my favourite authors and I cannot wait for her next book!