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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
It felt a little drawn out and I would have liked a faster pace. It did keep me interested and I was invested in the characters. More character heavy than I thought it was going to be; too many at times. Some religious undertones.
I wouldn't call this a thriller, but it is definitely a mystery. Solidly written with compelling characters and a story that pulls you in.
January LaVoy's narration was excellent, as always from her.
January LaVoy's narration was excellent, as always from her.
This is an audio original book by the mystery writer Brian Freeman and I am not a huge mystery fan and I still found it a very interesting and enjoyable read/listen.
My problem with mysteries is that I get to the "big reveal," and I'm always like, "I have absolutely no clue whodunit." I suspect this is because I'm basically a moron, and/or too lazy to assemble all the "facts" of the case and try and figure out who the culprit was. I will say this, after reading it, Brian Freeman almost never wastes any facts/incidents. Everything means something, or so it seems after finishing the book.
As an example of how poorly I figure out mysteries, in this book the murderer is caught and jailed and I'm looking at the time left in the book, and there are like 3 more hours of listening. I'm thinking, "what could this guy possibly do with three more hours?!?"
Well, I will tell you, a lot! There are a lot of good plot twists and turns all the way to the very, or almost the very, last page, which is what made it such an enjoyable book to read.
Also, the book is very well narrated by January LaVoy. She does a lot of different voices and does them very well.
My problem with mysteries is that I get to the "big reveal," and I'm always like, "I have absolutely no clue whodunit." I suspect this is because I'm basically a moron, and/or too lazy to assemble all the "facts" of the case and try and figure out who the culprit was. I will say this, after reading it, Brian Freeman almost never wastes any facts/incidents. Everything means something, or so it seems after finishing the book.
As an example of how poorly I figure out mysteries, in this book the murderer is caught and jailed and I'm looking at the time left in the book, and there are like 3 more hours of listening. I'm thinking, "what could this guy possibly do with three more hours?!?"
Well, I will tell you, a lot! There are a lot of good plot twists and turns all the way to the very, or almost the very, last page, which is what made it such an enjoyable book to read.
Also, the book is very well narrated by January LaVoy. She does a lot of different voices and does them very well.
Great great great. The narration was spot on. The storyline was fully engaging and the ending was predictable but highly emotional. This was a tear jerker throughout. This is beyond "listen to on my commute" material. This is "I need to road trip for a few extra hours" to finish listening.
I detest female protagonists that think like a Hallmark channel heroine. Sooooo annoying. Story is okay, basically read all the way to the end for a decent twist to the ending but man, you could cut out 40% of this book with all the treacly made-for-TV inner monologue and have a much more interesting book.
4 stars! A great story and read about a missing boy that takes place over a 10 year span with rich characters and interesting side plots. This is the 9th Brian Freeman book I've read over the last 2 years and I have to say they've all been excellent. He has definitely become one of my very favorite authors and I can not recommend his books highly enough. All feature strong characters in very cinematic settings with clever plot twists along the way, usually from the first to the very last page. The great news is because I'm such a late comer to his stories, I still have lots to read.
Not my usual style, but I read it for book club and enjoyed it.
Good little mystery. I really like the main character and will definitely read the next in the series. Docking one star because I thought the way the mystery was solved/wrapped up/explained was boring and too contrived as if from a bad movie.
4.5. Rounded up. I have read Brian Freeman’s Jonathan Stride series and enjoyed it. This is a new series with Deputy Shelby Lake. It starts with her backstory and then the crime 10 years previously. We move ahead 10 years and the case is still open. Shelby Lake is an interesting character and her father is the Sheriff but also suffering from early dementia. You won’t see the ending coming. Thoroughly enjoyed this book.
I was given a copy from Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
I was given a copy from Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
4.5. Rounded up. I have read Brian Freeman’s Jonathan Stride series and enjoyed it. This is a new series with Deputy Shelby Lake. It starts with her backstory and then the crime 10 years previously. We move ahead 10 years and the case is still open. Shelby Lake is an interesting character and her father is the Sheriff but also suffering from early dementia. You won’t see the ending coming. Thoroughly enjoyed this book.
I was given a copy from Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
I was given a copy from Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.