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oliviaclaire's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This Is How It Ends is an interesting crime thriller featuring two strong female leads. It is told through the narratives of both Ella, in the past leading up to the crime and Molly, in the present as the investigation unfolds. My only concern with this method of telling the story was that Ella's chapters in the past were not chronological so they would leap back and forth and sometimes lead me to confuse myself.
For me, the book's strengths lie in Eva Dolan's ability to convince you that you are ahead of the characters in solving elements of the story before pivoting giving some great twists. I was convinced that I had worked out that Quinn was the character at the bottom of the lift shaft well before Molly, almost to the point that I felt the characters were being a bit slow, only to be proven completely wrong...
Having said this I feel like the final couple of twists are huge and without enough hints or groundwork laid out for their reveal. It's a clever angle and I enjoyed it but it felt a bit sudden, as if no matter how many times I reread the book I wouldn't find the breadcrumbs to lead me to this conclusion. A solid story and something very different in the crime thriller space, I just feel that it could have been made slightly easier on the reader.
For me, the book's strengths lie in Eva Dolan's ability to convince you that you are ahead of the characters in solving elements of the story before pivoting giving some great twists.
Having said this I feel like the final couple of twists are huge and without enough hints or groundwork laid out for their reveal. It's a clever angle and I enjoyed it but it felt a bit sudden, as if no matter how many times I reread the book I wouldn't find the breadcrumbs to lead me to this conclusion. A solid story and something very different in the crime thriller space, I just feel that it could have been made slightly easier on the reader.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Blood, and Murder
Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual harassment
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