You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.11 AVERAGE
3.11 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Loved it/hated it. This was a confusing one for me. I enjoyed the premise and the mystery. I’ve always wondered if a book would be better without “he said” or “she muttered” after each sentence. Now I know. It’s hard to follow. I had a hard time figuring out who was speaking the dialogue and often had to go back to re-read. But was that the way this was written or would all books be hard to read that way. I’ll just have to find another.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
2.5 rounded up to 3
VERY slow pacing and I figured out the mystery of Cole early on. The murderer's reveal at the end was unexpected but by the time the book got to it I found I no longer cared.
VERY slow pacing and I figured out the mystery of Cole early on. The murderer's reveal at the end was unexpected but by the time the book got to it I found I no longer cared.
Young writer Nicky Hunter is summoned to the lavish mansion of infamous crime novelist Sebastian Trapp to tell his life story — before his imminent death. What really happened to his first wife and young son, who disappeared twenty years ago? And then a body is found…
I’d seen the mixed reviews before picking this up, and after reading this myself, I understood. There were parts that worked well for me, and there were some that didn’t.
First of all, I didn’t connect with any of the characters. Nicky came close in the beginning - I thought I understood her, a young, ambitious journalist who received a once-in-a-lifetime chance to unmask Sebastian Trapp. But as soon as she got sucked in to Trapp’s ‘circus’, I felt she faded away as she lost control of the narrative.
Sebastian Trapp was… a lot. He was intended to be dramatic and over-embellished, but after a while his character hindered me from enjoying the story. His unpredictability took away airtime from the other characters that I would’ve liked to know more about.
Having said all that, the beginning of this book was quite strong. Nicky’s journey to the Trapp house opened the story really well. The overall plot and the major twist were right up my alley, and I also liked the conclusion. Overall, this book had strong start and end, just a bit wobbly in the middle.
The audiobook narration was great. I think it actually helped me to experience the book a bit more positively than otherwise. The only downside I noticed was that there was no differentiator between Nicky’s chapters and Madeleine’s so I often got confused who the ‘I’ was in the chapter until a dialogue set it right.
(Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for a gifted review copy)
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I enjoy a book within a book and after reading The Woman in the Window I was thrilled with a new book from this author. Following Nikki who has been invited to write the biography of a reclusive bestselling author the story unravels decades old mystery of the missing wife and son of the author.
I liked the way the story evolved and the pace was great with red herrings along the way which threw me off throughout.
I didn't see the twist coming and would definitely read more.
I liked the way the story evolved and the pace was great with red herrings along the way which threw me off throughout.
I didn't see the twist coming and would definitely read more.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No