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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
I must admit that I was quite disappointed with this book overall. I felt the book in a book was possibly too long for what it was worth.
The outcome (possible spoiler here) of the main plot felt predictable with the many attempts to direct attention elsewhere.
In general, the book was a slow starter but eventually picked up a momentum that made it hard to put down but, while I did sort of enjoy it in the end, I mostly kept reading just to finish it.
The outcome (possible spoiler here) of the main plot felt predictable with the many attempts to direct attention elsewhere.
In general, the book was a slow starter but eventually picked up a momentum that made it hard to put down but, while I did sort of enjoy it in the end, I mostly kept reading just to finish it.
Not all that intriguing. I didn’t find myself pulled into the story and it felt like a bit of a drag to get through.
Favorite aspect of the novel is definitely the inventive framework: a mystery inside a mystery with a dab of snarky commentary about the writing and publishing professions. The repetition of the character types in the novel within the novel was equally impressive. By the time the reader meets these characters a second time, s/he has learned not to trust initial impressions. Horowitz is on his game. I loved this book.
mysterious
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
adventurous
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
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Murder
Excellent read! I wanted to binge read it while forcing myself to slow down and savor the mysteries.
It’s formatted as a novel within a novel where you feel like you get two stories for the price of one.
Highly recommend and look forward to reading more from Horowitz.
It’s formatted as a novel within a novel where you feel like you get two stories for the price of one.
Highly recommend and look forward to reading more from Horowitz.
I was really intrigued by the concept of this book. Unfortunately, the execution wasn’t what I’d hoped. I actually enjoyed the mystery of the book within a book more. There was just something that seemed odd about the main story...Was it supposed to parallel the Pund book? Did Magpie Murders really have anything to do with Conway’s murder? I was left with a lot of questions - and not all of them were because it was a great mystery. It’s almost like the story was trying too hard to be clever, and as a result, fell short.