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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
Loved the book. The plot twist was great. Once I started reading I couldn’t put the book down.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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:
Complicated
Little hints made this one a bit predictable, but it’s still an enjoyable little mystery.
Great atmosphere, weaves in historical and spiritual/ritual influences in Britain over time, and characters I'd like to follow through the rest of the series.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The mystery was OK, but I didn't enjoy the internalised fatphobia or the "I've wasted my body's potential because I haven't had a child" ideology. Miss me with that.
I fell in love with Ruth by page 2. She is now one of my favorite characters in mystery. The story had me at the edge of my seat. I can't wait to start the next book!
Very well written and engaging with a bit of a heart stopping finale.
Fantastic book. Each chapter leaves you with more and more questions about who the murderer is. I love archaeology and studied it at college so tie the subject in with a mystery book and you get 5 stars from me!
This book was terrible. The author constantly describes the main character, Ruth, as fat. She weighs the equivalent of 168 pounds (12.5 stone). The fat shaming is just so unnecessary. As is the descriptions of her being out of breath at the littlest physical exertion. I ran a marathon at 220 pounds, so clearly being heavier doesn’t equate to being out of shape. Seriously, it just got to the point where that (and the fact that EVERY CHARACTER was unfaithful to their partners) overshadowed the story-which was mediocre at best. There are so many better crime novelists out there. Martha Grimes comes to my mind.
What a shame that in this day and age people still feel the need to fat shame. Not everyone can be the idealized skinny white girl. Times have changed. (I did read in some of the reviews that people actually thought the author was championing the idea of a fat main character. I didn’t see it that way at all, ESPECIALLY when the authors idea of fat is 168 pounds.) One last point. The main character starts this book with two indoor/outdoor cats. At some point one cat is murdered and it never occurs to her to keep the other strictly indoor for a while. That, to me, just shows a lack of real character development.
What a shame that in this day and age people still feel the need to fat shame. Not everyone can be the idealized skinny white girl. Times have changed. (I did read in some of the reviews that people actually thought the author was championing the idea of a fat main character. I didn’t see it that way at all, ESPECIALLY when the authors idea of fat is 168 pounds.) One last point. The main character starts this book with two indoor/outdoor cats. At some point one cat is murdered and it never occurs to her to keep the other strictly indoor for a while. That, to me, just shows a lack of real character development.
Okay there’s a part about a cat that was really upsetting to me. Just getting that out there. But other than that, I loved this. The moody setting was great and I loved the archaeological aspects of the story and the location, tying together past and present. Ruth is tough and smart and worth getting to know (even though I didn’t always agree with her choices, I understand them for her character). There were a lot of valid suspects that kept me guessing up until the really satisfying conclusion, and I’m excited to read more in this series.