Reviews tagging 'Murder'

Diavola by Jennifer Marie Thorne

86 reviews

matchamarimo's review against another edition

3.0

dark funny mysterious tense medium-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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Vomit, Alcohol

Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Violence, Abortion, Murder, Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death

lupalionessa's review against another edition

3.5

adventurous dark funny mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

---

This is nowhere near my normal fare of book. I can count on my one hand the number of times I’ve read horror or anything solidly set in modern day. Yet hear we are with both. 

Once I told myself to get over the references to YouTube and Duolingo, which fought at my brain to break the immersion, I was able to come along for the ride pretty easily. The front is absolutely correct - the dread is not just from the ghost but predominately from the family. Holy Hannah did I want to murder them myself, which did add to the sense of entrapment and foreboding. Anna tapped into the very relevant feelings of dread we have as modern adults in this 2025 timeline.

About three quarters in there is a tonal shift which I had a hard time pushing through, as originally I thought it broke narrative completely. Though fortunately, everything works towards the ending in a way that that lull can be forgiven. (Trying to avoid spoilers here.)

Considering that I finished it so quickly, I did enjoy this! I also learned a ton of new vocabulary words which doesn’t usually happen because I read the dictionary for fun as a child…not unpacking that…anyway! Read this - it’s not gods gift to horror (I wouldn’t know if it was because I don’t really read this genre) but it was a good, spooky time and that’s exactly what I wanted.

Also, Benny, when I catch you Benny.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Self harm, Blood

Moderate: Mental illness, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, Stalking, Murder, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment

the_vegan_bookworm's review against another edition

4.0

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

---

A solid horror book that focuses on a dysfunctional family and the feeling of being the odd one out, with the added bonus of questionable reality and a vengeful ghost in the mix.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Vomit, Murder

Moderate: Gore, Toxic relationship, Abortion

Minor: Animal death

k_toch's review against another edition

4.0

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

---

The beginning is slow, and I was almost ready to chuck the book

when Anna was ignoring the fact that the obviously haunted villa was haunted

. But about halfway through it really picks up and I could not put the book down. I really did not know how the story would be wrapped up, but it has a very satisfying ending. Strong character development, properly scary haunting, and an easy read. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Abortion, Murder

ohhthehorrors's review against another edition

3.75

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Abortion, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol

cheesy_reads's review against another edition

4.5

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

---

This was terrifying and I really loved it! It had me looking over my shoulder and scared to see my reflection 😂

I found the slow unraveling of the family vacation so deliciously maddening and tense. This was just really well done! It did drag a bit in the last 1/3 but overall it was exactly what I want in a horror book! 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Vomit, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Murder, Gaslighting

gothpanda's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional fast-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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Blood, Murder, Gaslighting

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Abortion

sloanemontesi's review against another edition

3.5

dark emotional 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: Yes

---

i spent the entirety of this book making audibly frustrated and confused responses to my car’s speaker. Anna’s family is so exceedingly frustrating the entire novel. 

i definitely connected to her quite a bit, and she was an extremely sympathetic character - enough so that I was continuously indignant on her behalf. 

very intriguing, if frustrating, ghost story, with well-laid undertones of catholic guilt to match the church bells in Monteperso 🔔

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Blood, Murder

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Alcohol

Minor: Confinement, Infertility, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Vomit, Abortion

tbalzumati's review against another edition

3.5

dark emotional funny medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

---

 Ghost stories can be so hard to get right, and this is one of those times. The atmosphere, the slow and then all-consuming presence of the ghosts in the villa Anna's family is staying in, and the bittersweet ending was done so well. Anna is such an imperfect character, who makes all kinds of mistakes, but I found myself rolling my eyes at her family, much in the way I imagined her doing. Being in the head of such a flawed character as she pushes through a rough family reunion and then the latch of a dangerous ghost felt relatable, especially since we sat through the events of the family mess.

Well-written, a great twist towards the end, and the good but slightly bittersweet ending made this a great read. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Alcohol

Moderate: Child death, Suicide, Abortion, Murder

zotmo's review against another edition

4.0

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Sexual content, Murder, Gaslighting

Minor: Abortion