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junglejelly's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
A short but great book. While I adored the writing, I found the chapters too short for my preference.
3 dark tales of women told in the themes of motherhood, friendship, womanhood and mental health. Each of which ending in a thought provoking way.
A must read!
3 dark tales of women told in the themes of motherhood, friendship, womanhood and mental health. Each of which ending in a thought provoking way.
A must read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Violence, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Child death, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Suicide, Child abuse, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Infidelity, Grief, Forced institutionalization, Pregnancy, Infertility, Death of parent, Fatphobia, and Car accident
thesapphiccelticbookworm's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Misogyny, Murder, Abortion, and Child death
Moderate: Child abuse, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Adult/minor relationship, and Pedophilia
Minor: Death of parent, Homophobia, Mental illness, Grief, Body horror, War, Rape, and Incest
shelfofunread's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Having thoroughly enjoyed Johana Gustawsson’s Roy and Castells series, I was delighted to learn that she was venturing into Gothic territory. Her latest novel, The Bleeding, weaves together the stories of three women who, although, separated by both time and distance, all share a link to a series of macabre murders.
Québec, 2002, and Lieutenant Maxine Grant has only just returned from maternity leave when she’s thrust straight into the brutal murder of renowned university professor Philippe Caron . Reeling from the loss of her own husband, raising a baby single-handedly, and struggling to bridge the gap that has opened up with her teenage daughter, the last thing Maxine wants or needs is a complex and high-profile murder investigation.
But when seven dismembered hands are found hidden within Caron’s respectable home, it soon becomes apparent that there is more to this murder than meets the eye. As Maxine investigates further, a dark trail of black magic, ritual, and death will take her further into the past: into the life of a bullied schoolgirl in post-war Québec and, eventually, back to a grieving and desperate mother in Belle Époque France.
In this grim but spell-binding tale, Johana Gustawsson has once again worked her magic to create a page-turning and compulsive story of three women who, in different ways and at different times, will stop at nothing to protect the people and things they hold dear.
Although I can’t say that I necessarily liked the three central characters – Maxine, Lina, and Lucienne – I did find them fascinating and, whilst I didn’t always agree with their actions, I could understand their frustrations with societal structures that were determined to diminish and demean them. As a result, all three women – and Maxine especially – become relatable, even whilst their actions and moral choice are, on occasion, deeply disturbing.
I don’t want to say too much about the story but, whilst not overtly graphic in its descriptions, Gustawsson’s gaze is unflinching in its depiction of the ritualistic murder previously mentioned, and there are some autopsy scenes that readers of a squeamish disposition might find challenging. There are also some horror elements to the narrative, with the story delving into black magic and gruesome ritual on more than one occasion, plus content warnings for story elements involving child death, fire, adult/minor relationships, abortion, and pregnancy.
Weaving together an intricate web of connections over two continents and three time periods is no mean feat but, in The Bleeding, Gustawsson manages it with both ease and style. As you might expect from a novel that spans several different lives, there is a bit of groundwork to establish the three narratives – and quite a lot of names to take in over the first 50 pages or so! As a result, the narrative might seem slower and denser at first than the ‘thriller’ label suggests but, stick with it, and you’ll soon find the pages flying. I finished the book over a weekend, unable to put it down as more and more dark connections became apparent.
Combining Gustawsson’s trademark plotting with a new cast of compelling characters and a sinister Gothic vibe that will send shivers down the spine, The Bleeding is sure to delight fans of Gustawsson’s previous work and will, hopefully, introduce many new readers to the dark delights of the Queen of French Noir!
NB: This book review also appears on my blog at https://theshelfofunreadbooks.wordpress.com as part of the blog tour for the book. My thanks go to the publisher for providing a copy of the book in return for an honest and unbiased review.
Québec, 2002, and Lieutenant Maxine Grant has only just returned from maternity leave when she’s thrust straight into the brutal murder of renowned university professor Philippe Caron . Reeling from the loss of her own husband, raising a baby single-handedly, and struggling to bridge the gap that has opened up with her teenage daughter, the last thing Maxine wants or needs is a complex and high-profile murder investigation.
But when seven dismembered hands are found hidden within Caron’s respectable home, it soon becomes apparent that there is more to this murder than meets the eye. As Maxine investigates further, a dark trail of black magic, ritual, and death will take her further into the past: into the life of a bullied schoolgirl in post-war Québec and, eventually, back to a grieving and desperate mother in Belle Époque France.
In this grim but spell-binding tale, Johana Gustawsson has once again worked her magic to create a page-turning and compulsive story of three women who, in different ways and at different times, will stop at nothing to protect the people and things they hold dear.
Although I can’t say that I necessarily liked the three central characters – Maxine, Lina, and Lucienne – I did find them fascinating and, whilst I didn’t always agree with their actions, I could understand their frustrations with societal structures that were determined to diminish and demean them. As a result, all three women – and Maxine especially – become relatable, even whilst their actions and moral choice are, on occasion, deeply disturbing.
I don’t want to say too much about the story but, whilst not overtly graphic in its descriptions, Gustawsson’s gaze is unflinching in its depiction of the ritualistic murder previously mentioned, and there are some autopsy scenes that readers of a squeamish disposition might find challenging. There are also some horror elements to the narrative, with the story delving into black magic and gruesome ritual on more than one occasion, plus content warnings for story elements involving child death, fire, adult/minor relationships, abortion, and pregnancy.
Weaving together an intricate web of connections over two continents and three time periods is no mean feat but, in The Bleeding, Gustawsson manages it with both ease and style. As you might expect from a novel that spans several different lives, there is a bit of groundwork to establish the three narratives – and quite a lot of names to take in over the first 50 pages or so! As a result, the narrative might seem slower and denser at first than the ‘thriller’ label suggests but, stick with it, and you’ll soon find the pages flying. I finished the book over a weekend, unable to put it down as more and more dark connections became apparent.
Combining Gustawsson’s trademark plotting with a new cast of compelling characters and a sinister Gothic vibe that will send shivers down the spine, The Bleeding is sure to delight fans of Gustawsson’s previous work and will, hopefully, introduce many new readers to the dark delights of the Queen of French Noir!
NB: This book review also appears on my blog at https://theshelfofunreadbooks.wordpress.com as part of the blog tour for the book. My thanks go to the publisher for providing a copy of the book in return for an honest and unbiased review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore and Murder
Minor: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Confinement, Child death, Adult/minor relationship, Abortion, and Pregnancy
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