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outsmartyourshelf's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
When a man is found drowned below a waterfall, it looks like it could be either suicide or an accident until the police search the victim's home. What seemed like a simple case becomes a twisted tale involving paganism, magic, & Nazi history. In nearby Hay-on-Wye, Robin & Betty Thorogood decide to open a bookshop in the place famous for its literary festival & plethora of specialist & antiquarian bookshops, & inadvertently rent a haunted home. Meanwhile with her holiday plans spoiled, Merrily is rattling around Ledwardine feeling a bit like a spare part - daughter Jane has gone on an archaeological dig with boyfriend Eirion, whilst Merrily's partner, Lol, is on a music tour.
I found this a better read than the previous book, probably due to the absence of the very-irritating-at-times Jane Watkins. Less of Jane's antics meant that there was more time to concentrate on Merrily & her working relationship with DI Frannie Bliss, plus the return of the Thorogoods from an earlier book. The storyline itself was interesting, teased out very slowly in the way the reader comes to expect from these books.
I found this a better read than the previous book, probably due to the absence of the very-irritating-at-times Jane Watkins. Less of Jane's antics meant that there was more time to concentrate on Merrily & her working relationship with DI Frannie Bliss, plus the return of the Thorogoods from an earlier book. The storyline itself was interesting, teased out very slowly in the way the reader comes to expect from these books.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug use
Minor: Incest
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