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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
I enjoyed the timeline that jumped around and the multiple perspectives. I did not enjoy the main character of Matt. And the solution/conclusion was definitely not satisfying.
Really like-able and flawed characters that get good backstory despite many of them being murdered before the start of the book. Even though I was thoroughly invested until the end with the perfect amount of POVs and succinct chapters, the end really fizzled for me. After the big reveal I was kinda like well I guess they could have done it if they wanted to? :/ really good until the last 50 pages
I wanted to keep turning pages, so I enjoyed the read. Pretty good thriller if not a tad too predictable. Some of the reveals were well done because they weren’t overexplained to the reader, which I appreciated. I felt like despite having decent female characters and being feminist on the surface, there were some kind of misogynistic undertones that kind of bristled at me. There was also a general undertone of dislike of how teenagers speak and act that worked from the dad’s perspective, but not the teenage girl’s. The chapters from her POV also felt like they were written by a dad. I don’t know if the author is a man or woman, but regardless, the book read as if written by a straight man who thinks he is/would be a really good husband. Overall I enjoyed the read, but feel that the author has room to grow in putting their shoes in their character’s perspectives (not that it’s an easy thing to do!).
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book was good and moved along quickly. Nicely developed plot and characters. Reads like a made-for-tv mini series mystery, though it’s not hard to suspect the guilty party ahead of time.
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
There are so many plot elements ripped from the headlines (and Netflix) that this book seems destined to come off a little kitschy, but Finlay manages to pull off a compelling thriller that is better than just the sum of its parts. Despite the more obvious true crime documentary and recent thriller touchstones, this is a book that reminded me first and foremost of more recent seasons of the tv series 'Ozark' - and in a good way.
4.5 stars rounded up!
This book was GOOD. By page 3 I was completely captivated. There is so much more to this book than you'd expect, so the cover art is a literal perfect representation of the story you're about to read.
A family is found dead in a vacation home in Mexico, with one remaining son at school in New York and the other incarcerated for the murder of his high school girlfriend.
But did he actually do it?
Was the family death actually an accident?
Did the girlfriend actually die?
Somehow, despite all of these wild questions that seem to take the story in a thousand different directions, Finlay brings them all together like a perfectly wrapped gift under the Christmas tree.
Huge fan of the multiple POVs and timelines and how new pieces of information were scattered throughout and allowed the reader to try and put them together. This is the second novel of Finlay's I've read and he's officially an auto-buy for me.
If you love crime fiction with lots of suspense and some very lovable MCs, read this one!
This book was GOOD. By page 3 I was completely captivated. There is so much more to this book than you'd expect, so the cover art is a literal perfect representation of the story you're about to read.
A family is found dead in a vacation home in Mexico, with one remaining son at school in New York and the other incarcerated for the murder of his high school girlfriend.
But did he actually do it?
Was the family death actually an accident?
Did the girlfriend actually die?
Somehow, despite all of these wild questions that seem to take the story in a thousand different directions, Finlay brings them all together like a perfectly wrapped gift under the Christmas tree.
Huge fan of the multiple POVs and timelines and how new pieces of information were scattered throughout and allowed the reader to try and put them together. This is the second novel of Finlay's I've read and he's officially an auto-buy for me.
If you love crime fiction with lots of suspense and some very lovable MCs, read this one!
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No