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brodwell_'s review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy
poppymainwaring0's review against another edition
3.0
A good book, especially if you like crime thrillers. Completely different to any I’ve read before, but engaging and totally thrilling.
narniaru's review against another edition
4.0
Not sure if your'e meant to enjoy this book all that much because the subject matter is real but what I did really like was the honest take on it. I thought it very interesting to see why and how people become collectors of this nature. The murderer wasn't all that interesting himself (you know who he is three chapters in) but maybe that was part of the point of the book- to not glorify the murderers. I now need to go read the other books in this series.
skwiecien's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
czarnedziury's review against another edition
3.0
Not the best crime story I've read but still an enjoyable and quick read. Characters aren't pretentious assholes which is nice. Good mix of crime fiction and true crime. I liked it, would recommend.
sooz_767's review against another edition
3.0
This book is pretty much split into 2 halves - the first half is choppy, slow and a bit of a slog then half way through it changes up a gear and it's hard to stop reading! It took me a week to read the first half then a couple of hours to read the second so that tells you something.
The story itself was quite good and interesting, not something I've read too much about previously but the structure of the book and some of the writing let me down a bit. There were some sentences which just didn't read correctly, so that was slightly jarring too.
All in all, it was okay but really middle of the road for me.
The story itself was quite good and interesting, not something I've read too much about previously but the structure of the book and some of the writing let me down a bit. There were some sentences which just didn't read correctly, so that was slightly jarring too.
All in all, it was okay but really middle of the road for me.
anetq's review against another edition
5.0
Super well written story, and very economically told. The DI figuring it all out is held up in bed (with pre-eclampsia), but she solves it from there by sending the father to be (a former crime scene photographer gone journalist) into the field -> Not your usual couple of detectives, which makes for a fresh take on things.
This is a crime novel, but it is also a look into the dark web, the things that can be bought there, and that strange place between fascination and revulsion that make some people shop for murderabilia - and as everybody knows: It's all about cutting out the middleman and buying straight from the source if you can...
(2017 McIlvanney Prize Nominee)
This is a crime novel, but it is also a look into the dark web, the things that can be bought there, and that strange place between fascination and revulsion that make some people shop for murderabilia - and as everybody knows: It's all about cutting out the middleman and buying straight from the source if you can...
(2017 McIlvanney Prize Nominee)
kalkie's review against another edition
4.0
A good thriller with an unusual twist. A little overwritten in places, but an enjoyable read all the same.
toellandback's review
5.0
Ex-policeman turned photographer/journalist Tony Winter is always on the look out for a good story and when his photo of the aftermath of a very public death goes viral, he soon spots that something isn’t quite right.
His partner, pregnant policewoman Rachel Narey, is confined to bed rest after collapsing but she cant help but get involved with Winter's story, especially after a second body is discovered in an equally public manner! Winter is then torn between Narey getting the rest she needs but also the fact that her off the record investigations are uncovering secrets deep into the internet – the dark web - where you need an invite to even enter, let alone browse.
She finds that various items from famous and not so famous murderers and murder cases are being sold and collected, and is shocked at her own addiction to the sites, whilst getting herself deeper and deeper into danger.
This is a cracking story that moves along at a fast pace throughout and the primary two characters are likeable, unlike some of the ones that Narey encounters in her murder orientated “eBay”, most of which are largely repellent and without scruples, yet even more shocking, ordinary members of the public with normal lives and jobs.
It's a difficult subject matter, but handled well, even when true life murders are brought into the story with Jack The Ripper and Fred & Rose West both mentioned among others. The descriptions of the sleeping nightmares experienced by Narey are particularly graphic and could unsettle some people, but it helps the reader understand how much she's affected by what she's found, yet can't bring herself to stop, despite the frequent misgivings of Winter.
If I have one, minor criticism, it's that the book does come to probably the most abrupt end that I can recall, but it's not going to detract from a gripping story throughout and if the tales of the dark web are anything like reality, then we really don’t know what's being bought, sold and collected in the real world. Like all of the Craig Robertson books I've read, Murderabilia is highly recommended.
His partner, pregnant policewoman Rachel Narey, is confined to bed rest after collapsing but she cant help but get involved with Winter's story, especially after a second body is discovered in an equally public manner! Winter is then torn between Narey getting the rest she needs but also the fact that her off the record investigations are uncovering secrets deep into the internet – the dark web - where you need an invite to even enter, let alone browse.
She finds that various items from famous and not so famous murderers and murder cases are being sold and collected, and is shocked at her own addiction to the sites, whilst getting herself deeper and deeper into danger.
This is a cracking story that moves along at a fast pace throughout and the primary two characters are likeable, unlike some of the ones that Narey encounters in her murder orientated “eBay”, most of which are largely repellent and without scruples, yet even more shocking, ordinary members of the public with normal lives and jobs.
It's a difficult subject matter, but handled well, even when true life murders are brought into the story with Jack The Ripper and Fred & Rose West both mentioned among others. The descriptions of the sleeping nightmares experienced by Narey are particularly graphic and could unsettle some people, but it helps the reader understand how much she's affected by what she's found, yet can't bring herself to stop, despite the frequent misgivings of Winter.
If I have one, minor criticism, it's that the book does come to probably the most abrupt end that I can recall, but it's not going to detract from a gripping story throughout and if the tales of the dark web are anything like reality, then we really don’t know what's being bought, sold and collected in the real world. Like all of the Craig Robertson books I've read, Murderabilia is highly recommended.
judefire33's review against another edition
1.0
A very disjointed story i could not get into it abf plodded thru to the end!