Scan barcode
cmx's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Audible free, new author to me, very very heavy on the internal dialogue, nevertheless I kind of got the story, the geography, the engineering, etc. going to be reading the next one so I guess I liked it enough. Ultimately not an easy story to see through to the final result
sandin954's review against another edition
3.0
For the most part I really enjoyed this debut book. The plotting was fairly well done, the setting and sense of place were quite good, and the main character was intriguing enough. I did have a few problems with the pacing and while the main character's backstory was interesting I felt it could have been condensed down just a bit. All in all though a good read and I want to continue on with the series.
donnaehm's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-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? Yes
3.0
menfrommarrs's review against another edition
4.0
Solid, straight-forward mystery, no tricks.
I can picture the scenery; in fact that photograph of the house on the cover MUST be Sam's.
His berserker behavior when settling his divorce was a riot. Warning: Disillusioned couples...nail everything down!!!
Sam is a perfect drop-out, BUT Eddie, Sam's dog, steals the show.
I can picture the scenery; in fact that photograph of the house on the cover MUST be Sam's.
His berserker behavior when settling his divorce was a riot. Warning: Disillusioned couples...nail everything down!!!
Sam is a perfect drop-out, BUT Eddie, Sam's dog, steals the show.
tbsims's review against another edition
4.0
a mystery but with great dialog, interesting and complex characters, a back-and-forth timeline
Definitely want to read more.
"he wore a light blue guayaberas shirt and wrinkle-free beige pants made of some long-chain polymer." "Let's find another venue...all i gotta do is see a couch and start bearing my soul", "i could think better when other things overwhelmed my senses."
Definitely want to read more.
"he wore a light blue guayaberas shirt and wrinkle-free beige pants made of some long-chain polymer." "Let's find another venue...all i gotta do is see a couch and start bearing my soul", "i could think better when other things overwhelmed my senses."
ncrabb's review against another edition
3.0
Sam used to hear the old woman moaning in her sleep. It made for some interesting night music for the broken burnout who chucked it all and ran to his late parents’ run-down cottage on Southampton’s North Sea to drink and drink some more. He had been a lot of things—boxer, an accomplished engineer, a guy who genuinely loved his daughter, but all of that is gone, and it’s just Sam and his dog, Eddie. The old woman’s nightly moaning is the perfect backdrop to his largely wasted life.
When she stops moaning, and doesn’t start again after a prolonged period, Sam investigates. She was kind of an acquaintance of his father’s, after all. He finds the old girl floating face down in a bath tub whose drain hole had been plugged by an industrial plug whose purpose is to keep water in an enclosure much longer than would a conventional drain plug. It’s that one thing that makes Sam wonder if the old woman’s death was really an accident.
He becomes the administrator of her estate, and he begins to investigate her death, suspecting that it was not accidental.
You’ll want to read this if you enjoy snappy dialogue that can be occasionally a bit snarky and edgy. Sam, encased as he is in his cynicism, can be laugh-out-loud funny at times. You’ll come to like him despite his dissipated lifestyle, and you’ll understand how things got the way they are.
Additionally, you’ll read this because Knopf writes female characters with such vivid memorable details that they will intrigue you. Amanda, the beautiful banker, is a multi-layered woman whose mom died not long before Sam began his investigation. Jackie, the pot-smoking attorney, was my least favorite of the women described here. It seems none of the women Sam encounters is real big on wearing bras, and there’s something about his brokenness that encourages these women to practice their sometimes-ardent kissing skills on him. This ended satisfactorily enough, and it left plenty of room for the second book in the series.
When she stops moaning, and doesn’t start again after a prolonged period, Sam investigates. She was kind of an acquaintance of his father’s, after all. He finds the old girl floating face down in a bath tub whose drain hole had been plugged by an industrial plug whose purpose is to keep water in an enclosure much longer than would a conventional drain plug. It’s that one thing that makes Sam wonder if the old woman’s death was really an accident.
He becomes the administrator of her estate, and he begins to investigate her death, suspecting that it was not accidental.
You’ll want to read this if you enjoy snappy dialogue that can be occasionally a bit snarky and edgy. Sam, encased as he is in his cynicism, can be laugh-out-loud funny at times. You’ll come to like him despite his dissipated lifestyle, and you’ll understand how things got the way they are.
Additionally, you’ll read this because Knopf writes female characters with such vivid memorable details that they will intrigue you. Amanda, the beautiful banker, is a multi-layered woman whose mom died not long before Sam began his investigation. Jackie, the pot-smoking attorney, was my least favorite of the women described here. It seems none of the women Sam encounters is real big on wearing bras, and there’s something about his brokenness that encourages these women to practice their sometimes-ardent kissing skills on him. This ended satisfactorily enough, and it left plenty of room for the second book in the series.
vkemp's review
3.0
Sam Acquillo lives in Southhampton, the part the summer people never see. He sits on his porch, watching the Peconic River, drinking himself to death. He punched out a lawyer at his previous job as an industrial engineer and destroyed his house while his wife and he were divorcing. Court-mandated psychological counseling did not help too much and his daughter lives in Manhattan and no longer speaks to him. He doesn't want to feel anything, anymore. Feelings get you into trouble. Sam keeps an eye on his next-door neighber and finds her dead in her bathtub one day. The only problem is, Regina has terrible arthritis and did not use the tub at all. So, why was she there? Sam uncovers a conspiracy dating back years and gets shot at and beaten up and along the way discovers he might have some feelings left over. He also finds some friends in unexpected places.
There were many things I did not like about this book, but I read it all and I will definitely read the next one to see how Knopf develops as a writer. I liked the character and want to see him succeed so will be rooting for him.
There were many things I did not like about this book, but I read it all and I will definitely read the next one to see how Knopf develops as a writer. I liked the character and want to see him succeed so will be rooting for him.
expendablemudge's review
4.0
This almost-four-star review has been revised and can now be found at Expendable Mudge Muses Aloud.
Better copyediting! Look at the blurb above! Yeesh.
Better copyediting! Look at the blurb above! Yeesh.
More...