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kketelaar's review against another edition
2.0
The storyline intrigued me and the book started off well-enough, but the denouement was lackluster and so predictable as to be dull. There are two facets of the ending that I believe are intended to be twists. Without giving away any plot points I just want to say that the first "twist" was just plain pointless and the second garnered such little page time that it couldn't make up for the predictability of what preceded it.
My main issue with the book was that the entire story revolved around the plot device of a drifter/storyteller who is so handsome and charming that women of all ages simply lose their common sense and follow after him like dogs in heat. His charm and charisma are such that women eagerly turn a blind eye to stories of his darker side, and are quick to betray and dismiss friends and family members if it means they will be graced with his presence and attention. Blech!
I'm not quite sure how this book came to be on my "To Read" shelf; my best guess is that it was recommended on Goodreads or Amazon based on my reviews of Tana French and, as I mentioned before, the synopsis was intriguing. If you find yourself with a similar recommendation I would suggest you pass on this novel as it does not compare favorably to French.
My main issue with the book was that the entire story revolved around the plot device of a drifter/storyteller who is so handsome and charming that women of all ages simply lose their common sense and follow after him like dogs in heat. His charm and charisma are such that women eagerly turn a blind eye to stories of his darker side, and are quick to betray and dismiss friends and family members if it means they will be graced with his presence and attention. Blech!
I'm not quite sure how this book came to be on my "To Read" shelf; my best guess is that it was recommended on Goodreads or Amazon based on my reviews of Tana French and, as I mentioned before, the synopsis was intriguing. If you find yourself with a similar recommendation I would suggest you pass on this novel as it does not compare favorably to French.
zoemaja's review against another edition
4.0
A gloriously creepy Irish murder and ghost story. Perfect for listening to on a gloomy rainy weekend.
megmcardle's review against another edition
3.0
Ooh, this one started good! It got a little weak in the middle, but still pretty fun read about three sisters who get involved with a dangerously charming man.
sheila_p's review against another edition
3.0
Much different than my usual read but enjoyed it very much. Dark and twisty
mryjne's review against another edition
4.0
More like 3.8.... lol really good read just wish that last diary was included
lazygal's review against another edition
5.0
I have to thank my friend Lisa for blogging about her ARC and that more were available - I immediately wrote away and asked for one for myself.
Wow. What a great, dark mystery. It's the story of three women, found dead in a home in Ireland. Police discover that the older woman appears to have been killed by one of the younger ones; the younger girls seem to have been poisoned and kept prisoner. There's also a missing third person.
The rest of the story is told by Neill, who finds one of the women's diaries in the dead letter box (he's a postal worker, but not for long). His fascination with the story leads him into trouble with his job, trouble in the town where this all started, and trouble as he searches for the ending of the story.
I did get that "the ending was rushed" feeling, but not to the extent I did when reading, say, [b:The Lovely Bones|536|The Lovely Bones|Alice Sebold|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1156980627s/536.jpg|1145090] or [b:The Da Vinci Code|968|The Da Vinci Code|Dan Brown|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31LMee1o1CL._SL75_.jpg|2982101]. Beyond that slight (and I do mean slight) niggle, the tale and the mystery were well written. The diary device was not as annoying as it might have been, and the surrounding "search for the full story" was well written. Yes, there are a few loose ends, but I'm not a huge believer in wrapping everything up - let the reader have some fun imagining things for themselves.
Deeply psychological, deeply dark, and deeply satisfying as a read.
Wow. What a great, dark mystery. It's the story of three women, found dead in a home in Ireland. Police discover that the older woman appears to have been killed by one of the younger ones; the younger girls seem to have been poisoned and kept prisoner. There's also a missing third person.
The rest of the story is told by Neill, who finds one of the women's diaries in the dead letter box (he's a postal worker, but not for long). His fascination with the story leads him into trouble with his job, trouble in the town where this all started, and trouble as he searches for the ending of the story.
I did get that "the ending was rushed" feeling, but not to the extent I did when reading, say, [b:The Lovely Bones|536|The Lovely Bones|Alice Sebold|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1156980627s/536.jpg|1145090] or [b:The Da Vinci Code|968|The Da Vinci Code|Dan Brown|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31LMee1o1CL._SL75_.jpg|2982101]. Beyond that slight (and I do mean slight) niggle, the tale and the mystery were well written. The diary device was not as annoying as it might have been, and the surrounding "search for the full story" was well written. Yes, there are a few loose ends, but I'm not a huge believer in wrapping everything up - let the reader have some fun imagining things for themselves.
Deeply psychological, deeply dark, and deeply satisfying as a read.
riverdogbookco's review against another edition
5.0
I read the first 100 pages of this novel holding my breath and barely blinking. Here is what I discovered: 1) I should never begin a new book at work because then I will read it even when I'm not supposed to and not get any work done, and 2) Christian Moerk is a new voice to be reckoned with. Boy, oh boy, did I get the creeps! Spine tingling, goosebumps, morbid fascination with whatever twisted secret will be revealed next - the whole nine yards.
In a sleepy little village in Ireland, a postman discovers the bodies of three dead women. Two were discovered right away - a bloody fight to the death that resulted in them both leaving this world. The third woman was discovered later, hidden behind a wall. Death and murder, by their very nature is a pretty creepy business, but there's already a twist. All three women were related: the two young girls are the nieces of the older woman, and it looks like the older woman held them captive, slowly starving and poisoning them to death. Even later it is discovered that another person was also held captive in the house, but apparently managed to escape. No one knows why this gruesome episode took place.
No one, that is, until a different postman discovers a package in the post office, sent by one of the dead girls! He steals the package and opens it to find a diary, kept while the girl was held prisoner in her aunt's house. As he reads her diary, she begins to tell him a tale of sisterly love and devotion, an aunt's unstable mind, and a traveling bard named Jim who ensnares women far and wide.
His life already out of control (fired from his job, evicted from his apartment), the postman sets off on a quest to the village the girls are from, to find out what led them all to their pitiful end. The diary haunts him, her story haunts him - so honest, so lacking in self-pity or remorse. And what of the third person held in that house? Who was it and where are they now?
Almost a Sidney Sheldon-like psychological creepiness, you won't be jumping at bumps in the night, but you'll definitely feel the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end. The plot development is absolutely wonderful, the prose is crisp and clear, and the characters are ones that will stay with you long after the book has ended. Everything about this book was a sinister pleasure.
In a sleepy little village in Ireland, a postman discovers the bodies of three dead women. Two were discovered right away - a bloody fight to the death that resulted in them both leaving this world. The third woman was discovered later, hidden behind a wall. Death and murder, by their very nature is a pretty creepy business, but there's already a twist. All three women were related: the two young girls are the nieces of the older woman, and it looks like the older woman held them captive, slowly starving and poisoning them to death. Even later it is discovered that another person was also held captive in the house, but apparently managed to escape. No one knows why this gruesome episode took place.
No one, that is, until a different postman discovers a package in the post office, sent by one of the dead girls! He steals the package and opens it to find a diary, kept while the girl was held prisoner in her aunt's house. As he reads her diary, she begins to tell him a tale of sisterly love and devotion, an aunt's unstable mind, and a traveling bard named Jim who ensnares women far and wide.
His life already out of control (fired from his job, evicted from his apartment), the postman sets off on a quest to the village the girls are from, to find out what led them all to their pitiful end. The diary haunts him, her story haunts him - so honest, so lacking in self-pity or remorse. And what of the third person held in that house? Who was it and where are they now?
Almost a Sidney Sheldon-like psychological creepiness, you won't be jumping at bumps in the night, but you'll definitely feel the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end. The plot development is absolutely wonderful, the prose is crisp and clear, and the characters are ones that will stay with you long after the book has ended. Everything about this book was a sinister pleasure.
jourdan_zephyr's review against another edition
3.0
Good character development but the writing was more long winded than I preferred. A twisted murder story but I felt that it was predictable at moments. I couldn't remain engaged and found myself reading just to finally finish the darn thing.
tinabaich's review against another edition
5.0
Darling Jim is, as the cover says, a story of "three sisters, three tales, and a secret, dark as night." Two sisters, Fiona and Roisin Walsh, and their Aunt Moira are found dead in the aunt's home, while another sister has simply vanished. A short time later Niall, a wayward postal worker, discovers Fiona's diary in the dead letter bin. He is immediately entranced by her story and sets out in search of the truth behind the brutal deaths.
Reading Fiona's diary reveals that the sisters' lives were forever changed by the appearance of Jim, an itinerant storyteller, who they rapidly realized harbored darks secrets beneath his charming facade. Niall finds himself risking his own life in order to unravel the mystery surrounding the sisters and "Darling Jim." As he follows where the story leads, learning the fate of the third sister, Aiofe, becomes the ultimate prize.
I first started reading Darling Jim a year or more ago and couldn't get beyond the prologue where the horrible state in which the bodies are found is described. I'm glad I finally made a second attempt. The book flawlessly flows between the narrative of Niall's journey and the diaries of Fiona and Roisin. All three have distinct voices which give their characters personality and depth.
The resolution is all you could hope for in this tragic story. When Niall's journey finally came to an end, all I could say was "wow." Darling Jim haunted my dreams when I set it down at night, and I've been thinking about the story ever since finishing it last night. If you haven't read Darling Jim, I highly recommend you run out and find it now. Christian Moerk, whose previous works are in Danish, is a gifted storyteller, and I'm glad he's brought his gift to America.
http://iubookgirl.blogspot.com/2010/09/darling-jim.html
Reading Fiona's diary reveals that the sisters' lives were forever changed by the appearance of Jim, an itinerant storyteller, who they rapidly realized harbored darks secrets beneath his charming facade. Niall finds himself risking his own life in order to unravel the mystery surrounding the sisters and "Darling Jim." As he follows where the story leads, learning the fate of the third sister, Aiofe, becomes the ultimate prize.
I first started reading Darling Jim a year or more ago and couldn't get beyond the prologue where the horrible state in which the bodies are found is described. I'm glad I finally made a second attempt. The book flawlessly flows between the narrative of Niall's journey and the diaries of Fiona and Roisin. All three have distinct voices which give their characters personality and depth.
The resolution is all you could hope for in this tragic story. When Niall's journey finally came to an end, all I could say was "wow." Darling Jim haunted my dreams when I set it down at night, and I've been thinking about the story ever since finishing it last night. If you haven't read Darling Jim, I highly recommend you run out and find it now. Christian Moerk, whose previous works are in Danish, is a gifted storyteller, and I'm glad he's brought his gift to America.
http://iubookgirl.blogspot.com/2010/09/darling-jim.html