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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
It became too predictable half way through because there was only one person who could realistically be the one who did it. It's also a little too casual about cheating, affairs and getting the affair pregnant. I hope the next books in the series are less soapy and more focused on the mystery.
adventurous
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The mystery is fine, but I was so very annoyed at the constant mentions of Ruth's appearance and weight. She considers it herself repeatedly, even though she appears to be an otherwise deeply intelligent professor and thoughtful person, and all the men she encounters regard her weight before her qualifications, expertise, acumen.
If you can ignore this, you might enjoy the series, I would rather not read another book from this fat shame-y detective series that can't be bothered writing actual believable flaws for it's heroine, preferring instead just to call her chubby/frumpy every couple of chapters.
If you can ignore this, you might enjoy the series, I would rather not read another book from this fat shame-y detective series that can't be bothered writing actual believable flaws for it's heroine, preferring instead just to call her chubby/frumpy every couple of chapters.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Written after I finished the last book in the 15-book series:
I wasn't sure how into this series I would be so it took me awhile to get back to it after I read The Crossing Places. As I read further along in the series, I really liked how the main character, Dr. Ruth Galloway, is written as a very human human. She has her foibles and her hangups, and she plugs along with her life just the way most of us do. (I didn't like how the author emphasized her weight in the first few books; by the later books, it was still understood that it was something that made her human, but somehow it wasn't criticized in the same way.)
I won't make any spoilers, but over the course of the series, as you might expect, the relationships among the characters and their personalities drive the series plot, with the mysteries and murders as more incidental to the stories. In some of the books I liked the mystery more and in some of the books I liked the character-driven plot more.
By about book 8, I found the series to be getting a bit long-winded, with some of the situations feeling stilted. My honest advice would be to read through book 8 and then jump to book 15 (or maybe 13). I don't think you'd miss much that is key to the overall plot but you get to read the more fun mysteries and also learn what happens to all of the characters.
I wasn't sure how into this series I would be so it took me awhile to get back to it after I read The Crossing Places. As I read further along in the series, I really liked how the main character, Dr. Ruth Galloway, is written as a very human human. She has her foibles and her hangups, and she plugs along with her life just the way most of us do. (I didn't like how the author emphasized her weight in the first few books; by the later books, it was still understood that it was something that made her human, but somehow it wasn't criticized in the same way.)
I won't make any spoilers, but over the course of the series, as you might expect, the relationships among the characters and their personalities drive the series plot, with the mysteries and murders as more incidental to the stories. In some of the books I liked the mystery more and in some of the books I liked the character-driven plot more.
By about book 8, I found the series to be getting a bit long-winded, with some of the situations feeling stilted. My honest advice would be to read through book 8 and then jump to book 15 (or maybe 13). I don't think you'd miss much that is key to the overall plot but you get to read the more fun mysteries and also learn what happens to all of the characters.