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3.52 AVERAGE
3.52 AVERAGE
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Rather simple in plot and writing style, but I enjoyed it regardless for my walks with my dog.
The main character’s horniness for the cop was annoying, tho.
The main character’s horniness for the cop was annoying, tho.
Urban fantasy set in London and I'm into it. Maybe a few too many mentions of 'The Family' and 'Familyvloyalty' etc. I think the dynamic between Lydia and Jason is fun and would like to see that develop more. I would call the story and characters a little wobbly, but I'm still interested in reading the next one.
Fascinating book. I wouldn't read it again. I feel there were too many unanswered questions. That may be part of the point, as this is a series, but it didn't wrap up cleanly. It was not a bad book.
This is a nice mix of the magical and The Family (think Mafia etc). London has four Families who have been living in a state of truce and whose magic has been slowly dissipating (but not their control or tactics ...). After what might have been a Romeo and Juliet scenario, but thankfully ended, Lydia got away from it all and went to live and work in Scotland (learning the ropes in private investigation). Unfortunately, an unhappy client (okay, very unhappy client) threatened her (with death, no less), and it was deemed timely for Lydia to get out of town for a few weeks until the client cooled down. So Lydia, whose Uncle Charlie had coincidentally just then sent her a set of keys to his abandoned shop in London (suggesting she take back her place in the Family Business), thought she could stay in the shop (well, in the flat upstairs) for a few weeks and then go back happily to Aberdeen.
Uh oh.
We all know how that's going to work for her, but that doesn't detract from the story. Things have changed in London in the five years Lydia has been away . . . There's a ghost resident in the flat . . . There's an exceedingly good-looking (and heart-stopping) policeman . . . There's a missing cousin . . . There are renovations . . . There's attempted murder . . . (All of these in no particular order, but all great fun for the reader).
I'll be reading the next in the series.
Uh oh.
We all know how that's going to work for her, but that doesn't detract from the story. Things have changed in London in the five years Lydia has been away . . . There's a ghost resident in the flat . . . There's an exceedingly good-looking (and heart-stopping) policeman . . . There's a missing cousin . . . There are renovations . . . There's attempted murder . . . (All of these in no particular order, but all great fun for the reader).
I'll be reading the next in the series.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I adored this book! I've read all of Sarah Painter's other work, and have enjoyed it all, but this one felt different. It felt like Sarah was having fun while she was writing! It flowed exceptionally well, the pacing was spot on, and the writing glowed.
Nothing wrong with it, just wasn't inspiring enough for me to go to the next book.
3.5 stars.
Great characters and world building, but the mystery plot was so-so and it ended too abruptly. The romance is oddly chick-lit in tone. My favourite character is the ghost from the early 1980s. All in all, the book is good enough to have encouraged me to start the second in the series, which so far, seems to have a better mystery plot and continuing world building and character development.
Great characters and world building, but the mystery plot was so-so and it ended too abruptly. The romance is oddly chick-lit in tone. My favourite character is the ghost from the early 1980s. All in all, the book is good enough to have encouraged me to start the second in the series, which so far, seems to have a better mystery plot and continuing world building and character development.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No