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titagee's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
booksadoodle's review against another edition
3.0
This is a unique one in the realm of suspense. Set in the North Yorkshire moors in 1921, Sir Lawrence Linwood is murdered, and the provisions of his will stipulate that his estate will go to the heir who solves his murder. The three grown children then begin delving into the secrets of the past, which reveal much more than they anticipated. Definitely a unique spin on a murder-mystery. At times it seemed a bit redundant for repeated descriptions of locations, and the investigative skills of the children leave something to be desired, however, I did enjoy it for the most part. Thank you so much to Christopher Huang, the publisher, and NeGalley for the opportunity to review this e-arc.
mariasuniverse's review against another edition
3.0
I feel that this needed a little more work so that the plot was tighter and the writing more compact, but overall, it was a compelling mystery with a great, at times, Gothic atmosphere. The ending was ridiculously stupid though.
candacesiegle_greedyreader's review against another edition
4.0
You might think for a minute that "Unnatural Ends" is a classic English manor house mystery, but it is much more. Christopher Huang sets his story in 1921, when the agony of WWI is still very fresh in everyone's brain and nerves.
At Linwood Hall, Sir Lawrence Linwood has been murdered. His three adopted children gather to support their spectral mother and do what they can to help in the investigation. Alan, the oldest, is an archeologist who moved to Peru right after surviving the war. Roger is an engineer, fascinated by aircraft, and engaged to young woman with a surprising past. Caroline lives in Paris, working for a newspaper. At the reading of the will they learn that their father left his estate to whoever solves his murder. Sir Lawrence was a terrible father; cruel, overbearing, manipulative, and his children have done their best to stay away from him as adults. At first, Caroline, Alan, and Roger don't want to play, before long they're all doing their own sleuthing. They share their discoveries but new information begins to set them at odds.
The crisp style of
Huang's novel is a perfect fit for the book's time and place. There are plenty of surprises and no whitewashing of the nastiness beneath. He's good, but the novel is too long and concentration may waver at crucial points. Or is that a strategy?
Many thanks to Inkshares and NetGalley for sharing a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
At Linwood Hall, Sir Lawrence Linwood has been murdered. His three adopted children gather to support their spectral mother and do what they can to help in the investigation. Alan, the oldest, is an archeologist who moved to Peru right after surviving the war. Roger is an engineer, fascinated by aircraft, and engaged to young woman with a surprising past. Caroline lives in Paris, working for a newspaper. At the reading of the will they learn that their father left his estate to whoever solves his murder. Sir Lawrence was a terrible father; cruel, overbearing, manipulative, and his children have done their best to stay away from him as adults. At first, Caroline, Alan, and Roger don't want to play, before long they're all doing their own sleuthing. They share their discoveries but new information begins to set them at odds.
The crisp style of
Huang's novel is a perfect fit for the book's time and place. There are plenty of surprises and no whitewashing of the nastiness beneath. He's good, but the novel is too long and concentration may waver at crucial points. Or is that a strategy?
Many thanks to Inkshares and NetGalley for sharing a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
stardust22's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
andreatypesbraille's review against another edition
4.0
Unnatural Ends was truly a captivating page turner. I found myself fully immersed in the mystery surrounding the death of Sir Lawrence Linwood, and the relationships between the 3 Linwood siblings as they try to figure out who killed their father.
thereadingparamedic's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I listened to Unnatural Ends on audio and was absolutely engrossed in it! It tells the story of Lord Linwood, who is murdered, and his three adopted children are called to his estate for the reading of the will. Unbeknown to them, there is a clause in Lord Linwood's will that states that should his death be caused by an unnatural end, the person to inherit his estate will be the person who solves the murder.
In their search, Roger, Alan and Caroline unearth a whole heap of history that they had not bargained for. Growing up, their father had been a tyrant, and it was in his nature to be mean and cruel - but quite to what extent they hadn't realised until they go digging.
This book is dark, there's all sorts going on, and for that I really, really liked it! I try to listen to a couple of audiobooks a month and I do often find my mind wanders, but this one kept me really interested! If you're a fan of historical crime fiction, I can very much recommend.
In their search, Roger, Alan and Caroline unearth a whole heap of history that they had not bargained for. Growing up, their father had been a tyrant, and it was in his nature to be mean and cruel - but quite to what extent they hadn't realised until they go digging.
This book is dark, there's all sorts going on, and for that I really, really liked it! I try to listen to a couple of audiobooks a month and I do often find my mind wanders, but this one kept me really interested! If you're a fan of historical crime fiction, I can very much recommend.
blessedjess's review against another edition
4.0
The cover of this book drew me in and it really didn't disappoint. When a wealthy father passes away, his three adopted adult children come back to pay their respects and find out who will inherit the family estate. But during the reading of the will, their dead father announces his murder and challenges the children to figure out who killed them. The one who solves the mystery will be the heir. Each adult child starts their own journey of not only trying to solve the murder but contending with their memories of their domineering father. This book felt very like an Agatha Christie murder mystery and I enjoyed the journey! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free e-copy for an honest review.
abookishtype's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Sir Lawrence Linwood’s unlamented death summons his three adopted children from Peru, France, and London for a funeral and a will reading. There were already hints at the beginning of Christopher Huang’s intriguing novel, Unnatural Ends, that there is something sinister about the Linwoods but these hints turn into red flags when Sir Lawrence leaves instructions in his will that his entire estate will go to whichever one of them solves his murder. That stunner is just the first of many bombshells...
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type.
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type.
antiopelle's review against another edition
5.0
Linwood Hall is perched on a cliff, overlooking the Yorkshire moors on one side, and towering over the villagers of Linwood Hollow on the other. Today it is spring of 1921, and the house is preparing the austere burial of its master. The three adult children, all adopted, are coming back for the funeral of their Father. Together with Mother, they are instructed about the will: Linwood Hall is to be sold and the proceedings are to be divided into three equals part, meaning the estate will no longer be in the family after countless generations. That is unless Father died of unnatural causes, in which case the whole estate will go to the child who solves the murder. As father has in fact been brutally murdered, this is the start of an investigation that will delve into the deeply buried secrets of the Linwood family.
Of course, there is the mystery to be solved, but first and foremost, this book is filleting the psychological repercussions of a dysfunctional family: what does it mean to be adopted, how can a child bounce back from a cruel upbringing without any love or tenderness, how strong are the ties that keep siblings together, how can a husband break his intelligent and independent wife? After reading some contemporary quick and dirty "domestic thrillers", I vowed to avoid the genre entirely for a few years, but here we have a clever and interesting take on the genre. The settings are perfect for a fall read, going back and forth between the dark estate in the moors and the bustling city center of London in the pouring rain, while delving into humans darkest motivations and actions. If I were to point out any flaw, it would be the length of the book, because even when reading very nice prose at a perfect pace, sometimes it is just too long.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a different approach to a genre that I thought was largely over its peak.
A sincere thanks to NetGalley, Inkshares and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Of course, there is the mystery to be solved, but first and foremost, this book is filleting the psychological repercussions of a dysfunctional family: what does it mean to be adopted, how can a child bounce back from a cruel upbringing without any love or tenderness, how strong are the ties that keep siblings together, how can a husband break his intelligent and independent wife? After reading some contemporary quick and dirty "domestic thrillers", I vowed to avoid the genre entirely for a few years, but here we have a clever and interesting take on the genre. The settings are perfect for a fall read, going back and forth between the dark estate in the moors and the bustling city center of London in the pouring rain, while delving into humans darkest motivations and actions. If I were to point out any flaw, it would be the length of the book, because even when reading very nice prose at a perfect pace, sometimes it is just too long.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a different approach to a genre that I thought was largely over its peak.
A sincere thanks to NetGalley, Inkshares and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.