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3.15 AVERAGE
3.15 AVERAGE
dark
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a quick read...a book filled with unpleasant characters. As a detective says near the end...they are all atrocious people. Well, perhaps one or two are decent human beings. But you sort of love to read about just how awful they are all.
Marcie Maddox is Jason's second wife. She's younger than most of the elite set she associates with in Savannah, Georgia. That all changes when Jason's boss, William Radford IV brings home his own second wife. Keisha is even younger than Marcie. She's English, irreverent, and strikingly beautiful. Jason's been distracted lately, but he seems to have no problem focusing on Keisha. Suddenly Marcie finds herself feeling second best, and she doesn't like it one bit.
I hate to say it, but this book really just wasn't for me. The writing felt cheesy and stilted, and for most of the book, I just couldn't get into the plot. It had a slow start--we're introduced to Keisha, who has obviously married the much older "Billy" for his money, and we learn that Jason (and Marcie) have secrets of their own. But we don't get to learn any of these secrets, and so the plot is just a drawn out introduction to everyone, with constant teasing to these supposedly explosive secrets. I just felt like yelling, "get on with it already!"
Then things do finally move on, but they take some outrageous turns that felt a bit melodramatic and, at times, completely unbelievable. This is a really strange, weird read. There's voodoo and black magic, a lesbian storyline, and some very odd, often unlikable characters. I really wasn't invested in anyone. And while I am typically really excited for a lesbian plotline, this one felt forced, and the LGBTIA treatment of the characters was often pretty despicable: a gay party-planning couple is treated really derogatory and mocked, as well as portrayed in really stereotypical fashion, while lesbians are called "dykes" and just not really shown any respect at all. Ugh. Maybe I was being over-sensitive, but I wasn't impressed.
The book picks up a bit near the end, and there are a few good twists, but overall, not enough to redeem it for me. Others seem to enjoy this one, so take my review with a grain of salt, but this was a 2.5-star read for me.
I received a copy from Netgalley and William Morrow in return for an unbiased review.
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I hate to say it, but this book really just wasn't for me. The writing felt cheesy and stilted, and for most of the book, I just couldn't get into the plot. It had a slow start--we're introduced to Keisha, who has obviously married the much older "Billy" for his money, and we learn that Jason (and Marcie) have secrets of their own. But we don't get to learn any of these secrets, and so the plot is just a drawn out introduction to everyone, with constant teasing to these supposedly explosive secrets. I just felt like yelling, "get on with it already!"
Then things do finally move on, but they take some outrageous turns that felt a bit melodramatic and, at times, completely unbelievable. This is a really strange, weird read. There's voodoo and black magic, a lesbian storyline, and some very odd, often unlikable characters. I really wasn't invested in anyone. And while I am typically really excited for a lesbian plotline, this one felt forced, and the LGBTIA treatment of the characters was often pretty despicable: a gay party-planning couple is treated really derogatory and mocked, as well as portrayed in really stereotypical fashion, while lesbians are called "dykes" and just not really shown any respect at all. Ugh. Maybe I was being over-sensitive, but I wasn't impressed.
The book picks up a bit near the end, and there are a few good twists, but overall, not enough to redeem it for me. Others seem to enjoy this one, so take my review with a grain of salt, but this was a 2.5-star read for me.
I received a copy from Netgalley and William Morrow in return for an unbiased review.
This is one of those novels where I found no connection to any character and they truly were all awful people. I think this could have been really good but something was missing. However, I'm giving it two stars because I continued reading and really wanted to know how the story would end.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This kept me up all night. So yes, definitely compelling, definitely a page-turner. I do kind of get a bit testy when the twist is "Surprise! She's a sociopath!" I know, I know, it's my fault for always wanting to like my protagonists. But my original review of this before I finished it was going to be all about how men are the worst (really, these men are THE worst) and I know I like it when the female characters get their sweet sweet revenge, but it turned out she's just an asshole. Plotting against Keisha? Lame. Could have done without. Couldn't we have just brought down all the men and lived happily ever after? That said, it was reasonably well done for that kind of overdone trope. Beyond that, it's deliciously layered with elements that are both unusual and mundane for this type of novel. Also, I did spot the villain before the crimes were even really revealed, so there's that.
dark
slow-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I found just about every character to be quite annoying and morally questionable, so there was no one I was routing for throughout. The book gripped me, though mainly because I was hoping that one of the characters would redeem themselves and turn out to be a good egg. They didn't! It felt a bit crass just for the sake of it or for some kind of 'shock' value, rather than to achieve a particular sense or dramatic section in the book.
This book was crazy!
I'll admit, the first half was a little slow and I debated whether I would finish it, but I'm so glad I did. The second half was twisty and super unpredictable. I had no idea who did it up until the very end. This book has murder, voodoo, embezzlement, and so much more. What more could you want? Once things started happening they didn't stop and I couldn't put this down.
There were a few small reasons why I didn't give this five stars. First, some of the transitions were a little odd and left me feeling like I had missed something. I also didn't like ANY of the characters, but the more I got into the book the more I realized that you're not supposed to like them. I'm not entirely sold on the ending and why it went down the way it did, but I understand how it wrapped up.
Overall, I very much enjoyed this and would give it 3.75 stars rounded up to 4.
I'll admit, the first half was a little slow and I debated whether I would finish it, but I'm so glad I did. The second half was twisty and super unpredictable. I had no idea who did it up until the very end. This book has murder, voodoo, embezzlement, and so much more. What more could you want? Once things started happening they didn't stop and I couldn't put this down.
There were a few small reasons why I didn't give this five stars. First, some of the transitions were a little odd and left me feeling like I had missed something. I also didn't like ANY of the characters, but the more I got into the book the more I realized that you're not supposed to like them. I'm not entirely sold on the ending and why it went down the way it did, but I understand how it wrapped up.
Overall, I very much enjoyed this and would give it 3.75 stars rounded up to 4.
Well-crafted suspenseful story about people with too much money and magic and time in the deep South. Pinborough never disappoints, and ranges from titillating to deep observations about the nature of people from one page to the next. The pacing in particular is noteworthy, as there is an incredible build, followed by a rapid reveal, and then that sine wave shortens again and again as the book goes forward. Trashy but literary, sexy and disturbing.
The first time Marcie said Keisha, Keisha, Keisha...all I could think of was Marcia, Marcia, Marcia (think Brady Bunch). Showing my age I know! Three seems to be a significant number in this book, unfortunately, I never really figured out why, don’t believe it was ever brought up in the book. But for some reason, this stuck with me.
An Illicit affair and the high-powered men and their women of Savannah high society...who knew? Marcie is a second wife, marrying Jason after his divorce. Keisha is a young beautiful black ‘girl’ from London, marring much older William after his wife dies of cancer. Lunch with the country club set, add in a trace of voodoo and a mystery and this story is pretty much all over the place. Rich people and rich people problems with characters I didn’t really care for or about. This story was fast-paced enough and totally kept my interest but it was mostly predictable on one level and all over the place on another. As with Behind Her Eyes, there was no WTH ending (at least not in my opinion), more of a high five ending. Good book for a cozy winter day or a beach read! It will keep your attention.
I received an ARC of this book. Opinion is mine alone!
An Illicit affair and the high-powered men and their women of Savannah high society...who knew? Marcie is a second wife, marrying Jason after his divorce. Keisha is a young beautiful black ‘girl’ from London, marring much older William after his wife dies of cancer. Lunch with the country club set, add in a trace of voodoo and a mystery and this story is pretty much all over the place. Rich people and rich people problems with characters I didn’t really care for or about. This story was fast-paced enough and totally kept my interest but it was mostly predictable on one level and all over the place on another. As with Behind Her Eyes, there was no WTH ending (at least not in my opinion), more of a high five ending. Good book for a cozy winter day or a beach read! It will keep your attention.
I received an ARC of this book. Opinion is mine alone!