Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
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:
No
It's been a long time since I read a mystery like this, and I forgot how much I enjoy them. The story was well-paced and told in multiple perspectives and time frames, which kept it interesting. I also enjoyed that it featured platonic best friends who did not end up in a relationship.
Read it Because:
I read the entire Spellman Files series a few years ago and really enjoyed it.
Read it Because:
I read the entire Spellman Files series a few years ago and really enjoyed it.
thank you Ballantine and NetGalley for the chance to read The Accomplice from Lisa Lutz. I read this author's earlier book The Passenger and remember being entranced by her atmospheric writing style and a slow burn plot that was unexpectedly twisty and dark at times. The Accomplice is similar in tone, dealing again with messy relationships and maybe hidden agendas/secrets, and a slow burn but engaging character driven thriller. I am a reader who does not mind a well done, intentional slow burn, and I was expecting this given the author's previous books, so I really appreciated the writing style and mood of the book. The changing POVs took a few chapters to get used to, at times I am not a fan of that writing device, but here it works well as it moves the plot forward and also adds to the tension and uncertainty that Ms. Lutz creates. I am definitely recommending this to slow burn fans and readers who like a change of pace thriller, one that focuses on developing characters and their relationships over offering a confusing and unnecessarily twisty plot.
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
mysterious
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I never got my footing with this book, and not in a "wow look at that twist" kind of keeping me on my toes way. I felt like it thought it was supposed to be about the current murder but then the flashback storyline seemed to completely overshadow the present. I wanted to wave my hand at the book and remind it there was a dead woman whose murderer needed to be found and could we get back to it. I also didn't seem to have the same confusion about Owen and Luna being friends. So the various characters trying to grasp it seemed completely out of place. What was more confusing was why the ultimately had kept so much from each other. That was totally counter to both their assertions that they were the closest of friends and told each other everything. Perhaps the parts I needed were edited out because I normally feel a lot more in step with books by this author.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for a copy of the book. This review is my own opinion.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for a copy of the book. This review is my own opinion.
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Luna and Owen meet in a Business Ethics class in college and form an almost immediate bond, becoming the best of friends—you know the kind that 1977’s Harry Burns says is impossible, but that 1987’s Harry finds himself wanting. Without the romance of 1988/89. They’re inseparable, a package deal—not just in college but after that.
Twelve years after their first meeting, Luna finds the murdered body of Owen’s wife while out running. Obviously, the police focus on Owen initially, but Luna knows it wasn’t him (not because of evidence, but because Owen wouldn’t).
Still, it’s hard not to think about a sort-of similar thing that happened back in college. And some of the things from Luna’s past and…well, now things are a real mess. While worrying about Owen, dealing with some personal turmoil that arises at the same time, and answering questions from the police—Luna starts to re-examine that time in college and asks some questions she maybe should’ve asked a decade ago.
As the Publisher puts it:
The Accomplice brilliantly examines the bonds of shared history, what it costs to break them, and what happens when you start wondering how well you know the one person who truly knows you.
The novel is told in alternating timelines, an approach that really works in this case. The primary timeline is 2019 with the murder and its investigation and aftermath. The other starts with Luna and Owen’s first meeting and then progresses through their college years, tracking the course of their friendship—focusing on that “sort-of similar thing.”
Owen and Luna/Luna and Owen
My opinion of the two of them vacillated a lot over the course of the novel—particularly Owen (which had nothing to do with him as a suspect, just him).
But the two of them together? There’s something special about their friendship…I can’t put it into words, but when they’re interacting, it’s just a pleasure to read. The same applies to them when they’re not interacting, but are looking out for each other. These two are great friends—easily forgiving each other, putting up with shortcomings (but being very aware of them), understanding each other better than their spouses, etc.
When either of them are being questioned by the police, for example, they’re much more concerned about explaining the actions and clarifying problems for the other than they are with staying out of trouble with the police themselves. Even if, and this is the part that counts, they aren’t feeling particularly fond of the other at the time.
Actual, living, breathing friendship. It’s a great thing to see, and it’s why I cared at all about this novel—sure, the puzzles were interesting, the dialogue was crisp, and so on. But you get drawn in, and kept in, by their friendship. Would I have read a slice-of-life novel about these two? Yes, and at times the book feels like it. Would I have read about these two taking a joint-family vacation where hilarity ensues instead of this crime? Absolutely. But this is better.
Some mutual friends
There’s another couple that Owen and Luna knew from college (names withheld because they’re not a couple when first mentioned). There is something about them that stood out from the rest of the characters in the book.
He’s just a hoot in college—and she’s the best friend that Luna has other than Owen (arguably better than Owen, but that’s not something Luna would consider).
But their after-college activities are fantastic—it’s not in Lutz’s wheelhouse to do something like this, but man, I’d love a novel about their life. Their dynamic—as well as their business/products—steals every scene they’re in for the 2019 timeline. I want more of them. I know I’m not going to get that, but it’s on my wishlist, just a few notches down from flying cars and a way to make this blog my full-time job.
So, what did I think about The Accomplice?
I keep seeing Lutz’s The Passenger referenced in relation to this book—while that’s not a bad book to compare this to, I think How to Start a Fire fits better in terms of tone and storytelling. If you go into this expecting something like the former, it’s going to take you a minute to re-calibrate expectations.
There are good portions of this book that aren’t all about “what’s X’s secret?”, “who’s the killer?”, “what horrible—or at unscrupulous—activity has Y been up to?”, etc. And those are just fun—it’s light, clever, winning—you want to get to know these people, be their friends—shake your head at their eccentricities. Then every few pages, you get a reminder that–where’s there’s light, there’s likely a shadow, and it might be best not to look into them.
Bouncing back and forth between the two timelines (and, eventually, a third that proves really illuminating toward both character and plot), Lutz reveals more of the characters, peels back the secrets, and advances the plot so easily, so naturally, that it must have been excruciating work. The easier it is on the reader, the harder it likely was on the author—and hopefully, Lutz took a nice break after finishing this. This is the kind of weaving that Lutz excels at—as seen in The Swallows, How to Start a Fire, and (yes) The Passenger—and she’s getting better at it, I tell you, you won’t see any of this coming.
It’s not too surprising to see me recommending a Lutz novel (the surprise would be me not), but there’s something different about this one. Set aside a couple of days and get to know Owen and Luna.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Owen and Luna have been best friends since college, their friendship weathering many secrets and tragedies and betrayals -- and suspicion, as the pair are touched by murder more often than can just be coincidence. Or can it? Lisa Lutz's newest thriller will have you shifting allegiances and doubting your gut instincts as you follow two murder investigations happening nearly twenty years apart. The twisty reveal at the end feels warranted (and not as outlandish as in many other recent thrillers), and the characters are compelling: they feel real and flawed and complicated, which doesn't necessarily mean likable (but that's sometimes helpful in this genre!). I prefer a more limited perspective for thriller narration, but Lutz uses omniscience to her advantage. Overall, this is a quick, exciting read that will satisfy anyone looking for a juicy mystery.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’ve been a fan of the author since the first Spellman book (still not quite over Henry tbh) Even though the story styles have changed so much over the years, she still has the ability to keep me reading.
The whole book keeps you wondering about all the various secrets people keep, and *everyone* has a secret. Secrets and lies - ones they tell other people and ones they tell themselves. Just because a person feels the most guilty, doesn’t mean they are.
(And just because a character might not *technically* feel likable, doesn’t stop them from being interesting and making me feel for them)
The majority of the book flips between the ‘present day’ (2019 actually) and back 15 years or so ago when they were still in college. Discussions of time further back, and a few chapters in the middle times. This story spans some years, but it’s always clear ‘when’ you are, so it’s not confusing.
Received arc of book as a Goodreads giveaway
The whole book keeps you wondering about all the various secrets people keep, and *everyone* has a secret. Secrets and lies - ones they tell other people and ones they tell themselves. Just because a person feels the most guilty, doesn’t mean they are.
(And just because a character might not *technically* feel likable, doesn’t stop them from being interesting and making me feel for them)
The majority of the book flips between the ‘present day’ (2019 actually) and back 15 years or so ago when they were still in college. Discussions of time further back, and a few chapters in the middle times. This story spans some years, but it’s always clear ‘when’ you are, so it’s not confusing.
Received arc of book as a Goodreads giveaway
ARC. Great story. Fast read. Character doubt. Satisfying ending.