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shenanniegans's review
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
booksofgloom's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
aubreybrooke's review
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
1.5
joncohnauthor's review
4.0
Really fun and quick read that sucks you into a number of crime and horror tropes that ultimately pay off in somewhat unexpected ways.
Insurance detective Sam has been sent to a private school on a remote island, tasked with finding a stolen book of great value. I don't think its much of a spoiler to say this book is indeed more important than the school initially lets on, and the hunt for "whodunnit" quickly turns into a "whydunnit," which then finally, turns into something else entirely.
Lets be real, this is a very short book. It's more or less hyper focused on the plot, and despite that, we still get a surprising amount of personality in our pool of characters. Our central POV comes from our Detective Sam, who more or less acts like a non-wizard version of Harry Dresden from the Dresden Files books (not that I have anything wrong with that). We also have a number of highly eccentric teachers, along with a group of student characters led by Harriett, a D&D nerd who also likes to see herself as a detective in training. It's hard for her character to not give off Stranger Things vibes, but again using tropey shorthand to get you into a character's mindset is not always a bad thing, especially when a story moves as quickly as this one.
One thing I especially enjoyed *Minor/Moderate spoilers ahead in this paragraph* is how Stephen Lloyd used our knowledge of tropes to lure me into thinking I knew exactly what was going on just enough to think I was clever, only to reveal that was a breadcrumb leading to something else that I in no way saw coming. I really appreciate it when authors play with expectations like this, especially since upon reflection it doesn't feel like he was playing unfair with the audience. The pieces are all laid out for you, it's just up to you to make the right connections.
My only criticism of the book was that it felt like it was at times pulling back on some horror elements in order to have more mass appeal as a supernatural crime thriller. Between that, and I think the story could have been a little longer, this was a really fun, if not disposable, popcorn book that I had an absolute blast while reading.
Insurance detective Sam has been sent to a private school on a remote island, tasked with finding a stolen book of great value. I don't think its much of a spoiler to say this book is indeed more important than the school initially lets on, and the hunt for "whodunnit" quickly turns into a "whydunnit," which then finally, turns into something else entirely.
Lets be real, this is a very short book. It's more or less hyper focused on the plot, and despite that, we still get a surprising amount of personality in our pool of characters. Our central POV comes from our Detective Sam, who more or less acts like a non-wizard version of Harry Dresden from the Dresden Files books (not that I have anything wrong with that). We also have a number of highly eccentric teachers, along with a group of student characters led by Harriett, a D&D nerd who also likes to see herself as a detective in training. It's hard for her character to not give off Stranger Things vibes, but again using tropey shorthand to get you into a character's mindset is not always a bad thing, especially when a story moves as quickly as this one.
One thing I especially enjoyed *Minor/Moderate spoilers ahead in this paragraph* is how Stephen Lloyd used our knowledge of tropes to lure me into thinking I knew exactly what was going on just enough to think I was clever, only to reveal that was a breadcrumb leading to something else that I in no way saw coming. I really appreciate it when authors play with expectations like this, especially since upon reflection it doesn't feel like he was playing unfair with the audience. The pieces are all laid out for you, it's just up to you to make the right connections.
My only criticism of the book was that it felt like it was at times pulling back on some horror elements in order to have more mass appeal as a supernatural crime thriller. Between that, and I think the story could have been a little longer, this was a really fun, if not disposable, popcorn book that I had an absolute blast while reading.
shellwitty's review
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-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
3.75
raforall's review
4.0
Review in the April 2022 issue of Library Journal
Three Words That Describe This Book: isolated setting, sinister, multiple pov
DRAFT REVIEW:
Sam is a military vet, with serious PTSD, turned insurance company investigator, called to an isolated boarding school off the coast of Massachusetts to settle a claim they have made on an irreplaceable rare book. Harriet is a headstrong, DnD loving school newspaper reporter who is sick and tired of being bullied. At first alone, in alternating storylines, and then slowly converging as they work together, Sam and Harriet come to realize that there is more going on at Danforth Putman than meets the eye. There is an occult force underpinning the centuries old school, one that has wielded its power through that missing book, one that may be connected directly to the Devil himself. A compelling Horror Thriller with very wide appeal, Lloyd works a strong sense of place, claustrophobic and unsettling, to draw readers into the disturbing mystery before unleashing a stunning, sinister, and thought provoking twist that will both devastate and leave readers begging for another Sam and Harriet adventure*.
Verdict: While it would be easy underestimate this novel a YA Riverdale** or Stranger Things knock off, especially since Lloyd is an award winning TV writer, the story is definitely more adult, as if Jack Reacher was called to the creepy school in Sarah Read's THE BONE WEAVER'S ORCHARD.
NOTES:
This one surprised me. It was going along like a boilerplate= Horror-Thriller but it evolved into something more thought provoking and deeply sinister than I was expecting. Ending was 100% nailed! This debut will have wide appeal.
Riveredale is jokingly referred to and I think that is good. But this is more Jack Reacher goes to visit the school in Sarah Read's THE BONE WEAVER'S ORCHARD.
A great entry into the satanic subgenre. Excited to write this review and let people know about this one.
Three Words That Describe This Book: isolated setting, sinister, multiple pov
DRAFT REVIEW:
Sam is a military vet, with serious PTSD, turned insurance company investigator, called to an isolated boarding school off the coast of Massachusetts to settle a claim they have made on an irreplaceable rare book. Harriet is a headstrong, DnD loving school newspaper reporter who is sick and tired of being bullied. At first alone, in alternating storylines, and then slowly converging as they work together, Sam and Harriet come to realize that there is more going on at Danforth Putman than meets the eye. There is an occult force underpinning the centuries old school, one that has wielded its power through that missing book, one that may be connected directly to the Devil himself. A compelling Horror Thriller with very wide appeal, Lloyd works a strong sense of place, claustrophobic and unsettling, to draw readers into the disturbing mystery before unleashing a stunning, sinister, and thought provoking twist that will both devastate and leave readers begging for another Sam and Harriet adventure*.
Verdict: While it would be easy underestimate this novel a YA Riverdale** or Stranger Things knock off, especially since Lloyd is an award winning TV writer, the story is definitely more adult, as if Jack Reacher was called to the creepy school in Sarah Read's THE BONE WEAVER'S ORCHARD.
NOTES:
This one surprised me. It was going along like a boilerplate= Horror-Thriller but it evolved into something more thought provoking and deeply sinister than I was expecting. Ending was 100% nailed! This debut will have wide appeal.
Riveredale is jokingly referred to and I think that is good. But this is more Jack Reacher goes to visit the school in Sarah Read's THE BONE WEAVER'S ORCHARD.
A great entry into the satanic subgenre. Excited to write this review and let people know about this one.
lilibetbombshell's review
4.0
There are two literary colloquialisms that came to mind when I finished this book: one, this is definitely a case where you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover (because this book is so much more fun than the cover suggests); and two, if there was a book I thought would make a great movie, it’s this one. Though, given Stephen Lloyd formerly wrote for various tv shows, this doesn’t surprise me. Heck, if this was a tv show, I’d watch it. A little bit Buffy (the overarching plot), a little bit Harry Potter (which you can see in the school’s librarian to an extremely creepy effect), a little bit Riverdale (in our dogged female lead, school journalist, Harriet), a little bit Supernatural (which we can see in our Vietnam vet insurance investigator, Sam), a little bit Stranger Things (puzzles, dungeons, D&D, quests, side quests)? A sprinkle of Constantine (spoilers!)?
This book is a horror book and a suspense book, but it never takes itself too seriously. There’s a dry wit to it, as well as a mean sense of humor that tickles that awful place inside of me that likes to see gory and awful stuff happen to horrible characters in books. There are deaths you wouldn’t get to see in books or movies that take place in present-day because of how technology has changed (this book takes place in 1980, which we know because one character is wearing a huge Reagan pin all the time and complains about people who love Jimmy Carter), and those deaths are such a delight because if you’re a fan of slasher films or horror films you know just how that vivid imagery would look on film and it’s delightful.
That’s another thing: this book has some seriously vivid imagery that just knocked my socks off and made this book incredibly engaging to read. This book isn’t about narrative style or atmosphere or deep-diving into anything. It’s just a fun, page-turning, propulsive, tilt-a-whirl, gory, creepy, wry, slick, and incredibly clever book that fans of genre tv will love and fans of genre fiction will find to be a fast and light read.
About that cover: it’s far too serious for how fun this book is and I think they should’ve taken that into consideration, because covers do matter in book sales, especially when it comes to social media influencing.
About that movie or tv show: can you guys get on that?
Thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Group Putnam, and G. P. Putnam’s Sons for early access to this title in exchange for a fair and honest review. .
This book is a horror book and a suspense book, but it never takes itself too seriously. There’s a dry wit to it, as well as a mean sense of humor that tickles that awful place inside of me that likes to see gory and awful stuff happen to horrible characters in books. There are deaths you wouldn’t get to see in books or movies that take place in present-day because of how technology has changed (this book takes place in 1980, which we know because one character is wearing a huge Reagan pin all the time and complains about people who love Jimmy Carter), and those deaths are such a delight because if you’re a fan of slasher films or horror films you know just how that vivid imagery would look on film and it’s delightful.
That’s another thing: this book has some seriously vivid imagery that just knocked my socks off and made this book incredibly engaging to read. This book isn’t about narrative style or atmosphere or deep-diving into anything. It’s just a fun, page-turning, propulsive, tilt-a-whirl, gory, creepy, wry, slick, and incredibly clever book that fans of genre tv will love and fans of genre fiction will find to be a fast and light read.
About that cover: it’s far too serious for how fun this book is and I think they should’ve taken that into consideration, because covers do matter in book sales, especially when it comes to social media influencing.
About that movie or tv show: can you guys get on that?
Thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Group Putnam, and G. P. Putnam’s Sons for early access to this title in exchange for a fair and honest review. .
jessidbee's review
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
wulfhorstmom's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5