Reviews tagging 'Kidnapping'

Murder on the Red River by Marcie R. Rendon

4 reviews

rready's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Racism, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Colonisation

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Alcohol

ash_bees's review

adventurous challenging emotional reflective tense medium-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? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicide, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

yaoipaddle's review

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

I found Cash's personal life and story more interesting than the mystery/crime. I worry that her characterization is a little repetitive, but I would be willing to give the further books a chance.

I never felt like I was interested in trying to solve the crime myself or guess much of the motive since it seemed like... well we already know what it'll be. The book has a clear message it wants to share with the reader and the crime is a vehicle for that message.

I would recommend this book for someone looking to read more books with indigenous characters and culture. It also has a nice female lead even though at times she is a lil bit "not like other girls". If you solely want it for mystery/crime then I wouldn't really recommend this one.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual violence, Violence, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Kidnapping and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Rape

jourdanicus's review against another edition

mysterious sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

This is another one I was so looking forward to reading... A murder mystery with an Indigenous main character sounded like my jam, especially since I really enjoyed Winter Counts when I read it in 2021. Unfortunately for me this plot panned out far too slowly and the story really did not hold my attention well. I'm usually more than fine with a character driven novel, but I needed something deeper than step-by-step descriptions of Cash doing her laundry, driving back and forth from her apartment, and so on.

This book had potential. I felt that the characters were believable and the plot had potential but it wasn't developed enough; it unfolded too slowly and without enough tension building especially for what was supposed to be a murder mystery. I did like the setting and time period, I feel the 70s don't get enough attention in fiction. I liked Cash as a character and was rooting for her! I am looking forward to more in the series, hopefully the author's writing style continues to grow.

Edit: Oh yeah, and there was a bit about Cash having sort of...visions or dreams of what happened to the murder victim and his family. I desperately wanted more of that! It was disappointing that it was only a small piece of the story, and like I said, more time was spent on descriptions of housework and baths :(

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol

Moderate: Misogyny, Racism, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Sexual content and Medical content