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3.11 AVERAGE
3.11 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Uses a cheap and unearned twist that just felt gimickey. Not a fan of the author’s writing style
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
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 absolutely loved this mystery thriller from start to finish! I could not put this down!! The short chapters were slightly annoying and the continuous change from character pov could be slightly tedious at times. However, I didn’t see the plot twist coming! The sudden change of narrative from one of the main characters, was brilliant, making you question how you perceived them in the first place! Deffo recommend this to any murder/psychological thriller mystery fans.
3,5. Je ne me suis pas ennuyée, je l'ai lu vite, je ne l'ai pas trouvé désagréable. Mais ça ne casse pas 3 pattes à un canard. Certains personnages sont relativement bien développés, d'autres restent très plats malgré le background qu'il leur donne.
J'avais envisagé puis repoussé le twist à propos de Cole, car je trouvais les ficelles trop grosses (la description de la personnalité de Cole), mais apparemment elles étaient faites pour être absolument pas subtiles du tout.
Les appels du pieds à Agatha Christie par rapport à l'autre twist final étaient aussi très peu subtils.
Dans l'ensemble, un roman pour les gens qui ne sont pas d'énormes lecteurs de polars. Sinon, c'est pas très original. Et aussi, le style est involontairement ridicule beaucoup trop souvent. Mais bon, les polars sont rarement très bien écrits, on ne va pas se mentir.
J'avais envisagé puis repoussé le twist à propos de Cole, car je trouvais les ficelles trop grosses (la description de la personnalité de Cole), mais apparemment elles étaient faites pour être absolument pas subtiles du tout.
Les appels du pieds à Agatha Christie par rapport à l'autre twist final étaient aussi très peu subtils.
Dans l'ensemble, un roman pour les gens qui ne sont pas d'énormes lecteurs de polars. Sinon, c'est pas très original. Et aussi, le style est involontairement ridicule beaucoup trop souvent. Mais bon, les polars sont rarement très bien écrits, on ne va pas se mentir.
I just couldn’t get into this book like I have others. I know I’m a minority though.
Thanks to Jonathan Ball Publishers for providing me with a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
I read The Woman in the Window a while after it came out, and I loved it. Now, I read this before I started reviewing books or having any type of critical thinking when it came to books, so I’m not sure if it would hold up, but I do feel safe in saying that it would be better than this book.
We follow Sebastian, a famous mystery author who has a few months before dying. He invites a long-time fan and correspondent, Nicky, to come live in his house, learn his stories, and write them down for his remaining family: his wife, his daughter, his sister-in-law, and his nephew.
Oh, and did I mention that Sebastian’s first wife and son went missing twenty years ago, and everyone thinks he did it? The premise of this book was great, and I was really invested in the beginning – I was excited about the characters and eager to see where the plot would go.
This book tried to pay homage to great mystery novels that came before it, but it fell flat. The writing was just . . . off. The characters spoke like they were always imitating someone else, and therefore didn’t feel very real.
And to be honest, not much happens. I will say that the twist is quite twisty and shocking, but I’m not sure how I felt about it. I obviously can’t say anything because of spoilers, and also because I don’t think it’s my place to judge whether it was appropriate or not, but it did feel a bit off, again. I was hoping this would be a four or five star read, so naturally I am quite disappointed.
I read The Woman in the Window a while after it came out, and I loved it. Now, I read this before I started reviewing books or having any type of critical thinking when it came to books, so I’m not sure if it would hold up, but I do feel safe in saying that it would be better than this book.
We follow Sebastian, a famous mystery author who has a few months before dying. He invites a long-time fan and correspondent, Nicky, to come live in his house, learn his stories, and write them down for his remaining family: his wife, his daughter, his sister-in-law, and his nephew.
Oh, and did I mention that Sebastian’s first wife and son went missing twenty years ago, and everyone thinks he did it? The premise of this book was great, and I was really invested in the beginning – I was excited about the characters and eager to see where the plot would go.
This book tried to pay homage to great mystery novels that came before it, but it fell flat. The writing was just . . . off. The characters spoke like they were always imitating someone else, and therefore didn’t feel very real.
And to be honest, not much happens. I will say that the twist is quite twisty and shocking, but I’m not sure how I felt about it. I obviously can’t say anything because of spoilers, and also because I don’t think it’s my place to judge whether it was appropriate or not, but it did feel a bit off, again. I was hoping this would be a four or five star read, so naturally I am quite disappointed.
Nicky Hunter has become penpals with writer Sebastian Trapp and is invited to stay with him in the final months of his life to record his memoirs for the family. 15 years ago his wife Hope and son Cole disappeared on the same night.
After many chapters of sitting around the house listening to oblique references to the disappearance and the explicit references to every mystery novel the author has ever written, Sebastian’s current wife Diana is found dead.
Nicky is Cole who was running away with her mother to continue her transition away from her verbally abusive father. Hope was killed by her daughter Madeline accidentally when she was observed sneaking away. Madeline kept hope’s necklace which Diana found in present day and showed to Sebastian. He killed Diana to protect hope. Sebastian kills himself at the end.
This book was far too long. It was 100 chapters and definitely felt padded to reach that. While the book was narrated in third person we get Nicky’s thoughts and the author definitely gives her an internal monologue to obscure her identity rather than realistically portray her. The reveal is fine, but none of it is based on any character’s deduction or sleuthing. People just reveal things because now the dying man decides to pull a gun and shoot himself and it’s the end of the novel. The characters just do the same things and discuss the same things throughout the novel leading it to drag on and on waiting until it’s long enough to conclude.