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happyemely's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
laila4343's review against another edition
4.0
More like a 3.5, but it's Jess Walter so I'm rounding up.
This was his first novel. Interesting to see his progress from then to now. I truly think this man can write anything. Literary crime thriller. Good story, good writing, just really dark. If you're not a fan of Jess Walter - AND YOU SHOULD BE - but like crime writers like Michael Connelly, then I say give this one a try.
This was his first novel. Interesting to see his progress from then to now. I truly think this man can write anything. Literary crime thriller. Good story, good writing, just really dark. If you're not a fan of Jess Walter - AND YOU SHOULD BE - but like crime writers like Michael Connelly, then I say give this one a try.
annevoi's review against another edition
4.0
This, Walter's first novel (of seven), is a mystery-thriller, but it's also very much about the place it's set in—Spokane, Washington, Walter's hometown—and the relationships of people depicted in it. So it's not just about (a) murder, (b) police investigation, (c) murder solved. It's more than that. With a twist at the end that I expected but was not at all disappointed to see. It wasn't one of those out-of-left-field twists; it felt organic to the whole.
The basic plot involves the search for a killer, which quickly overlaps with the discovery of one, then two, and ultimately five murdered prostitutes, laid out along a riverbank as if to gather attention—perhaps even of the FBI variety. There are a couple of detectives, good at what they do, who have an unrequited thing for each other. There are a couple of FBI profilers who despise each other. The killer at the start is observed and followed, but although he remains elusive to the cops, we get to know him a little, and to sympathize with him. And through all of this, the neighborhoods and shady areas and river of Spokane draw us along.
Walter is a great observer—of detail, but also of character and desire and where a person stands on the sliding spectrum from earnestness to wiseassery, energy to exhaustion. The people in his books always seem very real to me. I admire that in any writer, but I admire Walter for always pushing the envelope and trying out new situations, characters, and motivations.
The basic plot involves the search for a killer, which quickly overlaps with the discovery of one, then two, and ultimately five murdered prostitutes, laid out along a riverbank as if to gather attention—perhaps even of the FBI variety. There are a couple of detectives, good at what they do, who have an unrequited thing for each other. There are a couple of FBI profilers who despise each other. The killer at the start is observed and followed, but although he remains elusive to the cops, we get to know him a little, and to sympathize with him. And through all of this, the neighborhoods and shady areas and river of Spokane draw us along.
Walter is a great observer—of detail, but also of character and desire and where a person stands on the sliding spectrum from earnestness to wiseassery, energy to exhaustion. The people in his books always seem very real to me. I admire that in any writer, but I admire Walter for always pushing the envelope and trying out new situations, characters, and motivations.
lindy_b's review against another edition
2.0
This was hyped up to me and I can appreciate why: the running commentary on crime as media phenomenon and serial killers as celebrities and the portrayal of the screwedupness of police, in general, is notable. The main character, Caroline, participates in two instances of police brutality, other major character , and of course . At the same time, Caroline's positioning as the only named female member of the police force situates her to see that all the men in the force do is measure their dicks, refuse accountability, harass women, and lie to protect their masculine egos. At the end of the day, it's not really accurate to say that serial killers are psychological aberrations when most men are misogynists.
That being said, the subplots involving the cops' personal lives (such as the one about Caroline's mom) were often poorly integrated into the rest of the book and cheesy. The central romance was not enjoyable. The 1990s-style race blindness is extremely noticeable and has not aged well. Finally, I wish that Walter had recognized benevolent misogyny (?) as a form of misogyny as how it contributes to men's senses of masculinity and not left it uninterrogated when it is, in fact, an essential component to the plot.
Spoiler
tampers with crime scenesSpoiler
the main serial killer is an ex-cop whose status initially protected himThat being said, the subplots involving the cops' personal lives (such as the one about Caroline's mom) were often poorly integrated into the rest of the book and cheesy. The central romance was not enjoyable. The 1990s-style race blindness is extremely noticeable and has not aged well. Finally, I wish that Walter had recognized benevolent misogyny (?) as a form of misogyny as how it contributes to men's senses of masculinity and not left it uninterrogated when it is, in fact, an essential component to the plot.
kimveach's review against another edition
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
For some time, I have wanted to read this "local" (Spokane is about 105 miles from me) author. This 22-year-old book still holds up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Cursing, Death, Stalking, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Police brutality, Sexism, Trafficking, Drug use, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Addiction, Alcohol, Cancer, Death of parent, Infidelity, Mental illness, Violence, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexual content, Gore, Grief, Medical content, and Sexual violence
cheryl1213's review against another edition
4.0
He wished to write a literary thriller. Seems to me, he did. It isn't perfect...as someone else noted, it is very much a first novel (and not the sort that becomes an only novel...which I tend to love and find frustrating since they don't lead to future reads). Still, a solid mystery with a lot o FCC humanity. The copy I have includes some discussion w Waters who also talks about seeing the woman, not just the prostitute. He helps one do that sort of thing....even w the imperfect folks.
Also, after Beautiful Ruins, I assumed Jess was female. I knew better here, and yet kept forgetting. Stupendous ability to slide inside all his characters (several star as protagonists in various chapters).
4 stars. Honestly, literary thriller is enough to tell you if you'll like it. Nothing too demanding but more artful in its language than is typical of the second element of the subgenre (or metagenre? Or something else? I can't quite get even a made up name)
Also, after Beautiful Ruins, I assumed Jess was female. I knew better here, and yet kept forgetting. Stupendous ability to slide inside all his characters (several star as protagonists in various chapters).
4 stars. Honestly, literary thriller is enough to tell you if you'll like it. Nothing too demanding but more artful in its language than is typical of the second element of the subgenre (or metagenre? Or something else? I can't quite get even a made up name)
rafaeljennings's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
jessreads82's review against another edition
The second Jess Walter book I didn’t finish (other book was The Zero) and it pains me to say this, becuase I love his writing! This being his first book, I can see the vein of his later writing in this story, but this story lacks the intrigue for me to want to continue reading. I just keep trying becuase it’s Jess Walter, but then I end up searching the internet or taking a nap instead of reading….fans of murder mysteries might enjoy it more, but it just moves too slow for me to continue
martha_w's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this one, especially because of the Spokane setting. I wish Walter would revisit this character.