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alexjarvis's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.25
I liked the premise but unfortunately nothing else. This books was very repetitive and slow. All the characters were unlikable - I did like Fiona in the beginning, but she just kept repeating the same thoughts so many times that eventually I just found her irritating. I only finished the book because I wanted to know who the murderer was, but that also turned out to be pretty disappointing.
I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed the narration.
I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed the narration.
theashleighdunn's review against another edition
3.0
Fiona is a police detective taking a break from work by staying in her childhood home with her aunt. This small village/farm is getting flooded, they all seek safety in one of the neighbors' houses that’s at a safe high level. This is when Fiona finds out along the way another neighbor is murdered. Who did it?
I found this book a bit repetitive and slow, so it was a tough one for me.
I found this book a bit repetitive and slow, so it was a tough one for me.
megan_reads14's review against another edition
3.0
Just want to give NetGalley and Bookouture a big thank you for the opportunity to listen to the ARC for this book!
Fiona is a police detective that decided to take some time off and visit her childhood home and stay with her Aunt. Then a big storm named Odin begins to flood this tiny town and her and the aunt pack up as much as they can and drive to safety. Before leaving she goes to check on her neighbors when she makes an awful discovery that puts her back in police mode to find out the culprit of this act.
When Fiona and her Aunt try to leave town, they find out there’s no way and decide to hunker down in a neighbors house that’s above the supposed flood level. But now she’s realizing that the killer could be in that very house with her!
I honestly expected more suspense and all out of this book as I was reading it since it was a nurse rmystery but I felt like it had some repetitive and way too descriptive of certain things that made me lose interest at certain points.
I did, however, enjoy the one point of view that was had by Fiona and the “who done it” of the story as I wasn’t able to guess who actually did it. I will end up reading the next book and giving it a shot though.
Thank you again for the chance to listen to this book, I look forward to the next one!
Fiona is a police detective that decided to take some time off and visit her childhood home and stay with her Aunt. Then a big storm named Odin begins to flood this tiny town and her and the aunt pack up as much as they can and drive to safety. Before leaving she goes to check on her neighbors when she makes an awful discovery that puts her back in police mode to find out the culprit of this act.
When Fiona and her Aunt try to leave town, they find out there’s no way and decide to hunker down in a neighbors house that’s above the supposed flood level. But now she’s realizing that the killer could be in that very house with her!
I honestly expected more suspense and all out of this book as I was reading it since it was a nurse rmystery but I felt like it had some repetitive and way too descriptive of certain things that made me lose interest at certain points.
I did, however, enjoy the one point of view that was had by Fiona and the “who done it” of the story as I wasn’t able to guess who actually did it. I will end up reading the next book and giving it a shot though.
Thank you again for the chance to listen to this book, I look forward to the next one!
sammanthax's review against another edition
3.0
Set in a rural location in Scotland, Storm Odin wreaks havoc on the village residents. With no way out due to the flooding and a murderer on the loose, can Fiona work out who the killer is before they kill again?
This thriller was a little slow for me and felt repetitive in places. I didn’t particularly warm to any of the characters either.
The author did a good job of setting the scene though, and I didn’t guess who the killer was.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my advanced copy.
This thriller was a little slow for me and felt repetitive in places. I didn’t particularly warm to any of the characters either.
The author did a good job of setting the scene though, and I didn’t guess who the killer was.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my advanced copy.
shauntelle_reads's review against another edition
3.0
The premise of this book was very interesting, but the book was slightly repetitive. Maybe it was because it was told from Fiona’s perspective, but there was so much detail of her thoughts throughout the book. The wiring was very descriptive, which I appreciated, but I felt we were in Fiona’s “head” too much. It also ended in an abrupt manner. Overall it was a good read. This is my first book by this author, and I will definitely read something else by this author.
Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
abercrombie1986's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
This is pure intensity from the moment I started until the end. It’s a little bit of a locked room type mystery as a storm and flood trap the characters and when they start dying, there is a limited amount of suspects. No one knows that Fiona is a police officer as she is trapped with the others and so she starts to investigate without any backup.
This is a great setup for the Fiona MacLeish series. She is a likable character and determined to find justice. I wish she showed us a little more than slowing down the pace to tell us everything she was thinking as she works out the evidence, but other than that, a very enjoyable first book in this new series.
I switched back and forth between reading and listening to this one and I enjoyed Helen McAlpine’s narration and accent.
nadenetotallyaddictedtoreading's review
challenging
slow-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
2.75
Unfortunately, The Flood did provide the suspenseful, twisty and exciting read I hoped for. It did not work for me. Advertised as a totally unputdownable crime novel, I expected it to be a one siting read. However, this was not the case. The slow pace and the repetitiveness of the story line contributed to me putting the book down several times throughout the course of my reading. I almost DNFed it, however, my curiosity to learn the identity of the villain and their motives had me holding out until the end.
The prologue made me excited to dive into the story. However, the deeper I went, the more my excitement dwindled. The story lacked suspense and there were no exciting moments. One would expect there to be some amount of adrenaline pumping moments in light of the fact that the story took place in the middle of a storm. Also, I hoped there would have been some plot twists, but this was not the case.
The characters were interesting. I was especially intrigued by Fiona and her backstory. I am curious to learn if she will learn who is responsible for the tragedy that changed the course of her life. For that reason alone, I may consider continuing the series.
The prologue made me excited to dive into the story. However, the deeper I went, the more my excitement dwindled. The story lacked suspense and there were no exciting moments. One would expect there to be some amount of adrenaline pumping moments in light of the fact that the story took place in the middle of a storm. Also, I hoped there would have been some plot twists, but this was not the case.
The characters were interesting. I was especially intrigued by Fiona and her backstory. I am curious to learn if she will learn who is responsible for the tragedy that changed the course of her life. For that reason alone, I may consider continuing the series.
bookanonjeff's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Atmospheric Novel Can Get Repetitive At Times. This is one of those detective novels - not really a police procedural, since it is almost a "locked room" scenario (with the "room" in question being a sequestered area of a small town) with only a single detective available - where the setting seems as much as character as any of the actual human characters. Smith manages to put the reader right in the titular flood and the fight for survival from both the elements and the murderer that only our detective knows lurks in their midst. And yet, in repeating the detective's personal motivation *so* often... Smith does in fact get repetitive enough to at least warrant mentioning in the review. Indeed, it becomes as tedious at times as seeming *every* Batman movie with a new actor portraying the character having to do some version of Thomas and Martha Wayne's murders, or every new Spiderman movie having to do some version of Uncle Ben's murder. With those franchises... guys, we get it. We already know these characters. With this particular book... the first mention was solid character development. Maybe a reference back here or there could have been good. But to be hit with a near word for word repetition of the motivation *so many times*... the editing could have been better here, at minimum. Beyond this though, the story itself was quite strong indeed, even within the "locked room" type space, and the overall plotting was quite solid, with the tension ratcheting up at a fairly steady pace and the reveals coming at enough of a clip to keep the pages turning. Overall a strong series starter and I'm interested to see where we're going here. Very much recommended.
adperfectamconsilium's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
'Worst of all, Fiona was looking into the eyes of a killer from the wrong end of a shotgun.'
The first book in a new crime thriller series featuring Scottish police officer Fiona MacLeish.
Fiona is on sabbatical and visiting her Aunt Mary in a remote valley location when a storm brings an unprecedented flood to the local farmland and community. Finding a dead body that has been murdered and not drowned can Fiona solve the crime and save the lives of those around her?
It's a clever idea as the remote location and flood set up a whodunnit very much in the style of a locked room mystery. There's a limited number of suspects as our characters take refuge at a local farm and there's no chance of help until the storm subsides. In a neat twist no one knows that Fiona works for the police apart from her aunt. Can she use that to her advantage or will there be more deaths from the killer or from the increasingly dangerous flood?
There's a nice bit of backstory with Fiona and her motivations for joining the police. Her parents were murdered while she was at school and no one has ever been brought to justice for the crime. I suspect that this mystery will deepen as the series progresses.
Fiona is a likable lead character and the remote location and storm is described well.
The early section of the book is particularly exciting with the discovery of the body and the dangers of the rising floodwater.
As the story progressed there were sections where the plot slowed down and almost became a little repetitive with characters having to brave flood waters multiple times for various reasons.
For a debut it's a solid start, the crime is interesting and even if you guess the killer there are plenty of twists and motivations for character actions to keep you reading and with short chapters the book has that 'one more chapter' feel so that it's a quick read.
A good introduction to Fiona MacLeish and I'm moving straight onto read the second book as the first two are being released together.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the E-ARC.
The first book in a new crime thriller series featuring Scottish police officer Fiona MacLeish.
Fiona is on sabbatical and visiting her Aunt Mary in a remote valley location when a storm brings an unprecedented flood to the local farmland and community. Finding a dead body that has been murdered and not drowned can Fiona solve the crime and save the lives of those around her?
It's a clever idea as the remote location and flood set up a whodunnit very much in the style of a locked room mystery. There's a limited number of suspects as our characters take refuge at a local farm and there's no chance of help until the storm subsides. In a neat twist no one knows that Fiona works for the police apart from her aunt. Can she use that to her advantage or will there be more deaths from the killer or from the increasingly dangerous flood?
There's a nice bit of backstory with Fiona and her motivations for joining the police. Her parents were murdered while she was at school and no one has ever been brought to justice for the crime. I suspect that this mystery will deepen as the series progresses.
Fiona is a likable lead character and the remote location and storm is described well.
The early section of the book is particularly exciting with the discovery of the body and the dangers of the rising floodwater.
As the story progressed there were sections where the plot slowed down and almost became a little repetitive with characters having to brave flood waters multiple times for various reasons.
For a debut it's a solid start, the crime is interesting and even if you guess the killer there are plenty of twists and motivations for character actions to keep you reading and with short chapters the book has that 'one more chapter' feel so that it's a quick read.
A good introduction to Fiona MacLeish and I'm moving straight onto read the second book as the first two are being released together.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the E-ARC.
nikkisbooknook's review
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
A great introduction to a new to me author. Home grown murder mystery.
Fiona was hoping to relax with her auntie but it looks like they not only have to deal with a flood but also a killer! This small valley in the Borders should be a haven of peace and tranquillity - not homicide central! Even with limited assistance and not a stab vest in sight, Fiona is on her own to solve her first murder.
I loved the compact geography of the setting of the story - it was like a locked room mystery but outside! The geography is keeping all the major players in a small area, meaning Fiona has a great chance at unmasking them but only if they don't twig that she is a cop before she has some assistance. The quick time frame also kept the story moving along. The rising waters also played into the atmosphere of doom surrounding the murders and washing away Fiona's meagre evidence.
I'm always a bit wary when reading murder mystery/thrillers set in the Scotland and with a cop as the protagonist. Working within the police myself I'm very picky about procedures and protocols. Artistic licence is one thing but complete unbelievability is a no-no. So this was really quite good in my humble opinion. Fiona as the put-upon cop dealing with trauma from her own past and now in thick of an investigation with little major crime experience and no back-up.
I've been accepted to read an ARC of book #2 also so I'm off to read that whilst Fiona is fresh in my brain.
Fiona was hoping to relax with her auntie but it looks like they not only have to deal with a flood but also a killer! This small valley in the Borders should be a haven of peace and tranquillity - not homicide central! Even with limited assistance and not a stab vest in sight, Fiona is on her own to solve her first murder.
I loved the compact geography of the setting of the story - it was like a locked room mystery but outside! The geography is keeping all the major players in a small area, meaning Fiona has a great chance at unmasking them but only if they don't twig that she is a cop before she has some assistance. The quick time frame also kept the story moving along. The rising waters also played into the atmosphere of doom surrounding the murders and washing away Fiona's meagre evidence.
I'm always a bit wary when reading murder mystery/thrillers set in the Scotland and with a cop as the protagonist. Working within the police myself I'm very picky about procedures and protocols. Artistic licence is one thing but complete unbelievability is a no-no. So this was really quite good in my humble opinion. Fiona as the put-upon cop dealing with trauma from her own past and now in thick of an investigation with little major crime experience and no back-up.
I've been accepted to read an ARC of book #2 also so I'm off to read that whilst Fiona is fresh in my brain.