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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
Somehow Montanari has slipped below my radar. Until now. With one single book, I'm a converted follower. A must-read.
Unfortunately, this read didn’t do much for me. I found that the plot was quite convoluted and there were simply a lot of intricacies that seemed a bit too far fetched for the tone and reach of the plot.
The Stolen Ones is a crime fiction novel following the investigation of recent slough of murders in Philadelphia. The main detectives, Jessica and Kevin, are tasked with solving the series of murders that have ravaged their town, and are soon brought face to face with Luther, a citizen who grew up in the local “warehouse for the criminally insane.”
I just found this read really hard to get into. The plot seemed a little far fetched which made it hard to hold my attention. While I’m happy I finished it (I enjoyed the ending), I wouldn’t necessarily say this is a recommended read.
However, when I looked at fellow reviews on Goodreads, I did notice that several reviewers mentioned this book was an excellent continuation of the current series (this is the 7th installment of the series following the lives of Jessica and Kevin). Therefore, had I read the others, perhaps I would have had a different experience with this one.
The Stolen Ones is a crime fiction novel following the investigation of recent slough of murders in Philadelphia. The main detectives, Jessica and Kevin, are tasked with solving the series of murders that have ravaged their town, and are soon brought face to face with Luther, a citizen who grew up in the local “warehouse for the criminally insane.”
I just found this read really hard to get into. The plot seemed a little far fetched which made it hard to hold my attention. While I’m happy I finished it (I enjoyed the ending), I wouldn’t necessarily say this is a recommended read.
However, when I looked at fellow reviews on Goodreads, I did notice that several reviewers mentioned this book was an excellent continuation of the current series (this is the 7th installment of the series following the lives of Jessica and Kevin). Therefore, had I read the others, perhaps I would have had a different experience with this one.
stayed up way too late with this one for many nights, excellent right until the end. thrilled to find this author though.
I spent many a minute floating my cursor between the 2 star and 3 star. I came down on the 3-star because I am a pleasant person. Joking, I'm definitelynot. I weighed it up and though I wasn't crazy about the book it was well-written, fairly enjoyable and honestly, there weren't any major issues. Can you really give two stars to a book with no major issues?!
If there were no major issues then what is my beef with this book?
Excitement. Drama. Tension. Frustration. Fear.
These are all emotions that I did not feel as I read this novel. I just floated through it, appreciating the characters and the pace of plot, but never falling into the novel like Alice through the looking glass. If I had to summarise this novel in a word then I would say, “Distant”.
I never felt out-right bored, but neither did I feel the thrill of the investigation, the creepiness of the killer or the shock of the big twist toward the end. Whether this is because the narrative voices chopped and changed frequently, whether the flashbacks to years passed disrupted the flow… I can’t quite put my finger on it. But the novel never excited me.
I did really enjoy the relationship between Jess and Kevin. There was a well-crafted balance and respect there that made the novel enjoyable. Often in these novels there is a detective who can pick a murderer out of a crowd like ‘Where’s Wally?’. Skipping alongside him, and usually just happy to be involved, you have a slower, has-to-have-everything-explained-to-them partner.
While Kevin did seem to have more of the investigator instincts, Jess was the organised and practical one. She felt more grounded, which allowed Kevin to be a tad more liberal with the hunches and realisations without falling into the ridiculous.
I enjoyed the novel. I have certainly and absolutely read worse but this one just bumbled along. Maybe my expectations were just too high?
If there were no major issues then what is my beef with this book?
Excitement. Drama. Tension. Frustration. Fear.
These are all emotions that I did not feel as I read this novel. I just floated through it, appreciating the characters and the pace of plot, but never falling into the novel like Alice through the looking glass. If I had to summarise this novel in a word then I would say, “Distant”.
I never felt out-right bored, but neither did I feel the thrill of the investigation, the creepiness of the killer or the shock of the big twist toward the end. Whether this is because the narrative voices chopped and changed frequently, whether the flashbacks to years passed disrupted the flow… I can’t quite put my finger on it. But the novel never excited me.
I did really enjoy the relationship between Jess and Kevin. There was a well-crafted balance and respect there that made the novel enjoyable. Often in these novels there is a detective who can pick a murderer out of a crowd like ‘Where’s Wally?’. Skipping alongside him, and usually just happy to be involved, you have a slower, has-to-have-everything-explained-to-them partner.
While Kevin did seem to have more of the investigator instincts, Jess was the organised and practical one. She felt more grounded, which allowed Kevin to be a tad more liberal with the hunches and realisations without falling into the ridiculous.
I enjoyed the novel. I have certainly and absolutely read worse but this one just bumbled along. Maybe my expectations were just too high?
A mysterious man by the name of Luther is murdering people who seemingly have no connection. And what does his killings have to do with an old psychiatric asylum? And what does it have to do with another serial killer who has been operating since the 1930s in Estonia? And what does it have to do with a couple of young girls 16 years ago being visited by a mysterious man in his closet? And what does it have to do with a young real estate agent, Rachel? Detectives Kevin Byrne and Jessica Balzano get involved when a recent cold case is given to them in relation to a man with a railroad spike driven into his head.
This book is just all over the place. It's clear the author himself had a timeline of when everything was happening, and why it was happening, but that all gets lost, because he chops it all up and delivers it in little bits of pieces, featuring different characters in different time periods. Basically, I was sitting in the dark for the most of the book until the final quarter finally starts to explain how all the discrete elements fit together, because the author was being delibrately confusing. Even then, it was all a bit muddled, something to do with dream therapy that makes a person think they're somebody else and carries out killings. But why Kross (the ultimate villian) was doing any of this remains frustratingly vague, even once the book is over.
Montanari is a fine writer and this had a few good moments here and there, but it was a struggle to get through, and I can't help but feel it stole ten days of my life that I could have spent reading other more interesting, less deliberately confusing books.
This book is just all over the place. It's clear the author himself had a timeline of when everything was happening, and why it was happening, but that all gets lost, because he chops it all up and delivers it in little bits of pieces, featuring different characters in different time periods. Basically, I was sitting in the dark for the most of the book until the final quarter finally starts to explain how all the discrete elements fit together, because the author was being delibrately confusing. Even then, it was all a bit muddled, something to do with dream therapy that makes a person think they're somebody else and carries out killings. But why Kross (the ultimate villian) was doing any of this remains frustratingly vague, even once the book is over.
Montanari is a fine writer and this had a few good moments here and there, but it was a struggle to get through, and I can't help but feel it stole ten days of my life that I could have spent reading other more interesting, less deliberately confusing books.
Started off great, but I felt like it was more unfocused that the other Byrne/Balzano books, which I've loved. I don't know if it was the book or me, but I had a hard time connecting a lot of the dots in this one. Even after finishing, some of the points didn't completely make sense to me . The whole dream experiments, historical passages, and flashbacks didn't all come together for me. :(
Spoiler
(So that guy visiting the girls as kids was a good cop all along, not our killer?)
My first Byrne and Balzano book. I had a hard time putting the book down. I love books dealing with psychiatric patients. It wasn’t quite what I thought it would be but I enjoyed it. Thought the characters were terrific. The story flowed well and it was definitely thrilling. My only hang up was trying to wrap the dream therapy idea around my head. Other than that, it’s complex and intense.
dark
mysterious
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:
No
The story links back to a serial killer who was previously carrying out murders in other countries and has passed this proclivity on to another country.
From the start we are introduced to the killer which of course the detectives and unaware of. This added character helps with the darkness of the killer and really makes them seem threatening. It links to the idea of dream therapy throughout the book.
I like the main detectives, I felt they were believable and human. I was pleasantly surprised when the current mystery was linked to a previous case.
Overall the case was well thought out, made sense and kept you hooked.
My reason for 4 star is just down to the ending which I felt was a little rushed and the lack of emphasis on the second killer. I actually had to flick back through the book to remember who they were.
From the start we are introduced to the killer which of course the detectives and unaware of. This added character helps with the darkness of the killer and really makes them seem threatening. It links to the idea of dream therapy throughout the book.
I like the main detectives, I felt they were believable and human. I was pleasantly surprised when the current mystery was linked to a previous case.
Overall the case was well thought out, made sense and kept you hooked.
My reason for 4 star is just down to the ending which I felt was a little rushed and the lack of emphasis on the second killer. I actually had to flick back through the book to remember who they were.