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goodyeargoodbooks's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars. Ballard never captured me in the same way that Nikki Galena or Jackman and Evans did, but this was a step up from Ballard #1 in terms of whole package, even if Ballard #1 had a better climax.
lizzieleslie'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? No
4.0
books_kpop_and_concerts's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.5
londonlisa's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
mvptp's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The case was good but the story was too slow for my taste. I liked the people even if I don't think they are good detectives and I don't know if I want to continue. I'll add the book to my wishlist and wait until it's on sale
eeclayton's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Five Bloody Hearts is a thriller in which a convicted serial killer warns a detective from prison that a copycat killer might be on the loose. The detective has his doubts about the serial killer's intentions, but an investigation starts, and not surprisingly, some gruesome murders are discovered.
This is the second book in a series, but it can be read as a standalone. Although there are some references to the first book, they are rather vague, and I didn't feel like I should have read it to be able to understand this one.
There were quite a few twists and turns and red herrings that kept me guessing and I liked how the two storylines turned our to be related.
Although the ending made sense, the drama surrounding the big reveal was resolved rather quickly, which made the ending feel a bit underwhelming.
amandatyas's review against another edition
3.0
Rounded up to 3.5, didn’t like as much as the first one but still good.
narniaru's review against another edition
3.0
Five Bloody Hearts sounded very intriguing and at times it was but overall I found the story to be complicated for complicated sake.
There are two lines of plot really and each could have been more interesting given their chance to shine. All in all though, it was nice hanging out with Matt and the other characters and I did stay up late reading the ending, even though it was over far too quickly.
#Netgalley #FiveBloodyHearts
There are two lines of plot really and each could have been more interesting given their chance to shine. All in all though, it was nice hanging out with Matt and the other characters and I did stay up late reading the ending, even though it was over far too quickly.
#Netgalley #FiveBloodyHearts
loxeletters's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.5
*Character names may be misspelt as I only listened to this book on audio.
Even though I didn't particularly like the first book, I decided to give this one a shot since the premise sounded more interesting and the narrator was changed.
Regarding the latter, I found that the new narrator much improved the experience, though I still struggled with some character voices being too similar to distinguish, particularly Ross and Matt in scenes where they were talking on the phone. I still wasn't convinced by any performances of shouting or emotional outbursts. But overall it was still a big improvement, especially in the women's voices department.
Regarding the actual book:
Some of the issues I had with the first book were resolved, e.g. there was a much larger focus on psychology, and the ending twist was less outlandish than previously. That being said, I found the solution to the Lithuanian plotline to be quite underwhelming.
While Lizz unfortunately didn't play a big role during most of the book, I found I really enjoyed scenes with Rory the pathologist. Super fun character. I also enjoyed seeing more of Brynn. However, I found that I grew to dislike Matt quite a bit. In the end, some of those issues were acknowledged, but still.
I also found that this book had much less of a thrill, potentially because the detectives weren't personally threatened at any point. As with the previous book, the danger to the victims wasn't conveyed convincingly to me.
Finally, I was seriously bothered by the amount of telling (instead of showing) that was happening in this book. There was a scene towards the end that really encapsulated it, where two detectives are said to be questioning a detained character, and the book just jumps to them coming out of the interview and talking about what happened, instead of showing it to the reader in real-time.
It's very possible that this was already present in the previous book, and I just didn't notice it under more glaring content issues. Maybe it's a new development. But it drove me up the walls.
Overall, a definite improvement to the first book, but I don't see myself picking up the post-retirement instalments.
Even though I didn't particularly like the first book, I decided to give this one a shot since the premise sounded more interesting and the narrator was changed.
Regarding the latter, I found that the new narrator much improved the experience, though I still struggled with some character voices being too similar to distinguish, particularly Ross and Matt in scenes where they were talking on the phone. I still wasn't convinced by any performances of shouting or emotional outbursts. But overall it was still a big improvement, especially in the women's voices department.
Regarding the actual book:
Some of the issues I had with the first book were resolved, e.g. there was a much larger focus on psychology, and the ending twist was less outlandish than previously. That being said, I found the solution to the Lithuanian plotline to be quite underwhelming.
While Lizz unfortunately didn't play a big role during most of the book, I found I really enjoyed scenes with Rory the pathologist. Super fun character. I also enjoyed seeing more of Brynn. However, I found that I grew to dislike Matt quite a bit. In the end, some of those issues were acknowledged, but still.
I also found that this book had much less of a thrill, potentially because the detectives weren't personally threatened at any point. As with the previous book, the danger to the victims wasn't conveyed convincingly to me.
Finally, I was seriously bothered by the amount of telling (instead of showing) that was happening in this book. There was a scene towards the end that really encapsulated it, where two detectives are said to be questioning a detained character, and the book just jumps to them coming out of the interview and talking about what happened, instead of showing it to the reader in real-time.
It's very possible that this was already present in the previous book, and I just didn't notice it under more glaring content issues. Maybe it's a new development. But it drove me up the walls.
Overall, a definite improvement to the first book, but I don't see myself picking up the post-retirement instalments.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Confinement, and Blood
Moderate: Suicide, Grief, Chronic illness, Animal death, and Stalking
hellie1234's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5