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mgouker's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Riveting mystery. Terse enjoyable prose.
didactylos's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Rounds off the character started in the previous book. Some lovely sardonic stuff in there though some less inspiring passages too. I note the author moved onto horror after this, not me interest but I may try one because of his style. I found the narration by the reader very helpful.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Murder, Sexual content, Addiction, Violence, Car accident, Death, Alcoholism, Fire/Fire injury, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Vomit
caitlinfaria's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
jamiesbookclub's review against another edition
I realized I just didn't care about the mystery.
holl3640's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.0
melanies_reads's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
annieb123's review against another edition
4.0
Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
No Sleep Till Wonderland is the second book in the Mark Genevich PI series byPaul Tremblay. Released 20th April 2021 by Harper Collins on their William Morrow imprint, it's 304 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats.
This is a humorous but very very dark PI novel with a quirky protagonist who's struggling/failing with narcolepsy. His life is difficult, which is understandable, and his narration is by turns full of pathos, hopelessness, gallows humor, and a seething sub voce anger. The author is gifted with the more technical aspects of writing and I found the prose compelling, although I honestly found it challenging to engage with most of the characters and also found the (undoubtedly intentional) wandering and disconnected plotline more distracting than clever. (He's a narcoleptic, so the first person train of thought stutters, wanders, and stops dead in places). The author has a straightforward style, unvarnished, and unpolished. It went to the same place in my head that Tim Dorsey and Carl Hiaasen live, with a little glimmer of Elmore Leonard. The setting, Boston, has a starring role, and the author seems intimately familiar with the area and the special linguistic vernacular.
This is the second book in the series and since there is a *strong* continuity between the books, I do not recommend trying to jump into this book without having read the first book. The language is gritty and rough in places and there's very little refined sensibility to be found. Readers who enjoy darkly sarcastic gritty realism will find a lot to like here.
Three and a half stars for me. I would recommend it to fans of bleak and gritty PI stories.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
No Sleep Till Wonderland is the second book in the Mark Genevich PI series byPaul Tremblay. Released 20th April 2021 by Harper Collins on their William Morrow imprint, it's 304 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats.
This is a humorous but very very dark PI novel with a quirky protagonist who's struggling/failing with narcolepsy. His life is difficult, which is understandable, and his narration is by turns full of pathos, hopelessness, gallows humor, and a seething sub voce anger. The author is gifted with the more technical aspects of writing and I found the prose compelling, although I honestly found it challenging to engage with most of the characters and also found the (undoubtedly intentional) wandering and disconnected plotline more distracting than clever. (He's a narcoleptic, so the first person train of thought stutters, wanders, and stops dead in places). The author has a straightforward style, unvarnished, and unpolished. It went to the same place in my head that Tim Dorsey and Carl Hiaasen live, with a little glimmer of Elmore Leonard. The setting, Boston, has a starring role, and the author seems intimately familiar with the area and the special linguistic vernacular.
This is the second book in the series and since there is a *strong* continuity between the books, I do not recommend trying to jump into this book without having read the first book. The language is gritty and rough in places and there's very little refined sensibility to be found. Readers who enjoy darkly sarcastic gritty realism will find a lot to like here.
Three and a half stars for me. I would recommend it to fans of bleak and gritty PI stories.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
leila_reads_too_much's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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
4.25
smooove_reads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
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
4.0
ajnel's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The second part of the "Mark Genevich" detective book (written as two novellas) is as witty and as great a homage to classic gumshoe novels as the first. The whodunit in this one is, however, better, which makes it an ever better read. 4.5/5