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alisonannk's review against another edition
3.0
Not your typical police procedural novel. most of the novel centred around the main character and her struggles with mental illness. the synopsis on the back states that the detective has a disconcerting familiarity with corpses. this statement is not backed up until right at the very end of the novel when her condition is revealed. as a result, I felt that it was misleading about the exact nature of her familiarity. That said, it was an enjoyable enough story. Not a page turner but good enough.
whatvictoriaread's review against another edition
2.0
It's rare that I really dislike a book but I couldn't stand this one and it's only my own stubbornness that made me finish it.
The central, female protagonist is the worst one I've ever come across and although I obviously realised what the author was trying to achieve in the last fifteen pages, the other 300 where hard going and not worth the final 'twist'
Suffice to say, I won't be reading another one.
The central, female protagonist is the worst one I've ever come across and although I obviously realised what the author was trying to achieve in the last fifteen pages, the other 300 where hard going and not worth the final 'twist'
Suffice to say, I won't be reading another one.
prgchrqltma's review against another edition
3.0
Like the Rebus and Rutledge series, this one was too far in the head of the heroine for me, so there was not enough external plot and mystery solving. I don't mind a detective with some issues, but I do need something to solve.
angrygreycatreads's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting opening to a new series. DC Griffith is a oddball police officer, a little bit maverick , a little bit socially awkward, a little bit protector of women, and little bit..disturbed. (Think Lisbeth Salanderesque.) The issue at the heart of DC Fiona Griffith’s behavior is not revealed until the end so I won’t discuss that here. The case she investigates involves a sad drug addict and her six year old child. The pair of them are found dead in a squat. The child’s murder was particularly brutal. In the midst of the horrific crime scene, the police find a platinum card of a missing, presumed dead businessman. There are lots of twisting turning bits and Fiona investigates thoroughly, sometimes putting herself in danger, sometimes offending people, and sometimes getting into trouble.
I enjoyed this book a great deal, however I will say that Fiona’s behaviors were almost a distraction from the crime and the investigation. I found myself more engaged by the mystery of Fiona than the case she was working. This may be due to this being the first in the series?? Even once the source of Fiona’s issue is revealed, it simply raises more questions which I assume will be addressed in future books.
I will definitely be following this series, if for no other reason that to see what happens to Fiona.
I enjoyed this book a great deal, however I will say that Fiona’s behaviors were almost a distraction from the crime and the investigation. I found myself more engaged by the mystery of Fiona than the case she was working. This may be due to this being the first in the series?? Even once the source of Fiona’s issue is revealed, it simply raises more questions which I assume will be addressed in future books.
I will definitely be following this series, if for no other reason that to see what happens to Fiona.
claudiaswisher's review against another edition
4.0
Fiona is so fragile and damaged, but that has actually made her strong. I liked the setting, her quirks, and the grittiness of the mystery. Ending makes me eager to read the next.
msliz's review against another edition
A police procedural set in Cardiff was something of a novelty, and my interest was piqued by the main character's rather odd demeanour and behaviour. However, I lost interest when it became clear that there was no way Fiona Griffiths would be working as a police officer - she was too erratic, frequently inappropriate in her interactions with suspects, witnesses and dead victims! , and regularly disregarded protocols and orders to go off and do her own thing. The reason for this became clearer when I skim read to the end, but stretched credulity even further. It's also off-putting when all of the various separate investigations in a crime novel miraculously turn out to be linked and the protagonist solves the mystery through a series of implausible hunches.
stitchinthyme's review against another edition
2.0
I spent a good portion of this book wanting to strangle Fiona. I know that her actions were largely due to mental illness -- even though it wasn't really explained until the end, it was fairly obvious pretty early on -- but she does so many things that range from annoying to illegal to downright creepy that it was hard to have much sympathy for her. I was actually hoping she'd end up at least getting fired, because she was so far off the rails in terms of what it's legal for a cop to do that she really should have been arrested.
I'm really not sure I want to go on with the series at this point. I mean, I was interested enough to finish, at least, and there's a new mystery revealed at the end that I'm curious about, but I spent so much of the book wanting to scream at the protagonist that I'm not sure continuing would be good for my blood pressure.
I'm really not sure I want to go on with the series at this point. I mean, I was interested enough to finish, at least, and there's a new mystery revealed at the end that I'm curious about, but I spent so much of the book wanting to scream at the protagonist that I'm not sure continuing would be good for my blood pressure.
joreads7's review against another edition
4.0
Good, very weird, but pulls it off. The mystery is less interesting then the character.
jresendez610's review against another edition
2.0
Unfortunately I found this book to be extremely slow and boring. I kept hoping it would pick up, but it never did and I had to force myself not to skim. There was good character development of the MC, but the plot and storyline were just not good. Fiona was so all over the place that I never understood what she was doing or why she was investigating certain people. Then I'd even forget the main plot mystery! Once she finally came around to mentioning the case I would think, "oh yeaahhh! I forgot we don't know who killed them yet." And not only would I forget, but I stopped caring. I had zero feelings towards the outcome and the resolution of the case. I also think that if her illness had been explained at the beginning, it wouldn't have been as hard to empathize with her. I knew something was wrong with her, she hinted at it a million times, but it was never explained (until the next to last chapter), and so through the whole book I just didn't get her character. I knew her actions had to do with whatever illness she had, but again, I stopped caring and just thought she was strange and gave up on ever finding out why. When it was finally explained, it was anticlimactic. On a small good note, I did enjoy the very last chapter and thought that it made sense to who she is.
han_cat's review against another edition
3.0
Hmm ... I really enjoyed the first 75% of this book so it's quite hard to rate it as an overall thing. I didn't mind that this isn't typically a crime book, it's written in the first person and is much more about the detective and her life. Actually Fi as a character is really engaging.
I just felt last 25% went a bit out of control, I can see why it was done but it just didn't have the same feeling as the rest of the book. Despite that I will give the 2nd book a go.
I just felt last 25% went a bit out of control, I can see why it was done but it just didn't have the same feeling as the rest of the book. Despite that I will give the 2nd book a go.