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carolefort's review against another edition
3.0
Blood Ties, written by Ruth Lillegraven and translated by Diane Oatley, is the second instalment in the Clara Lofthus series but it works somewhat as a stand-alone. Clara is a politician in Norway and has recently been promoted to Minister of Justice. This leaves little time for quality time with her twin boys, Andreas and Nikolai. The boys need her attention more than ever because their father, and Clara’s husband, has recently died. The plot heats up when the twins are kidnapped. This novel held promise but I did not feel interested in the characters, especially Clara. The story development is lacking in realistic situations. The potential is lost while the reader reads about one predicament to another, none of it making much sense. I am a fan of the Nordic noir genre but was disappointed with Blood Ties. This is only my own opinion and I am confident that many will enjoy this psychological thriller. Thank you to Amazon Crossing, NetGalley and the author for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
hildekaris's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
ebokhyllami's review against another edition
3.0
Denne er jeg litt ambivalent til. Ok, tenker jeg at jeg sier. Elsker språket til Lillegraven. Det treffer meg. Flott innleser på Storytel. Men historien i seg selv? Mmmhh.
marvsbooks's review against another edition
3.0
This was a twisty thriller full of surprises. Here’s what I thought worked:
- Multiple POV’s really added depth and strength to the story. I enjoy discovering pieces of the story a little at a time.
- The premise of the book was phenomenal, and I’d be surprised if this series didn’t get picked up as a movie or two.
Here’s what I thought had pros and cons:
- Clara becoming a cabinet member was amazing, and such a great opportunity for her to show that women *can* actually have it all. Unfortunately, this part of the story fell completely flat for me after she ended up being an ineffective appointee and literally got nothing done, then completely neglected to parent her kids and rejected all offers of help…and then the story pivoted to what was happening with her sons, only to have a token “I’m sure she’ll bounce back” moment at the very final chapter.
- Her bodyguard was a really well-written character. Until he broke all protocols and a) helped her cover up what she did in the old sausage factory and then b) didn’t tell anyone what was actually going on with the boys. I thought he came back around full circle toward the end, despite the middle-of-the-book lapses in judgment.
- The disappearance. I really enjoyed reading from the boy’s POV. Learning what the boys knew added a lot to the story (and is a great reminder that kids are always watching!) I didn’t like the actual circumstances related to the disappearance (and who masterminded it) at all.
Here’s what didn’t work for me:
- Clearly the prior murders Clara’s husband was originally suspected of weren’t investigated well. Or maybe this was a commentary on how high corruption goes?
- I lack closure on an incredibly ridiculous laundry list of items from this book. Her mom? The box of items? The journalist’s investigation/story? Her position at work? Her relationship with Axel? What happened to the bodyguard after everything came to light?
- The translation came across as a little choppy and overwhelmingly formal. Maybe that was intentional? It didn’t work for me, but I’m only one reader.
- Multiple POV’s really added depth and strength to the story. I enjoy discovering pieces of the story a little at a time.
- The premise of the book was phenomenal, and I’d be surprised if this series didn’t get picked up as a movie or two.
Here’s what I thought had pros and cons:
- Clara becoming a cabinet member was amazing, and such a great opportunity for her to show that women *can* actually have it all. Unfortunately, this part of the story fell completely flat for me after she ended up being an ineffective appointee and literally got nothing done, then completely neglected to parent her kids and rejected all offers of help…and then the story pivoted to what was happening with her sons, only to have a token “I’m sure she’ll bounce back” moment at the very final chapter.
- Her bodyguard was a really well-written character. Until he broke all protocols and a) helped her cover up what she did in the old sausage factory and then b) didn’t tell anyone what was actually going on with the boys. I thought he came back around full circle toward the end, despite the middle-of-the-book lapses in judgment.
- The disappearance. I really enjoyed reading from the boy’s POV. Learning what the boys knew added a lot to the story (and is a great reminder that kids are always watching!) I didn’t like the actual circumstances related to the disappearance (and who masterminded it) at all.
Here’s what didn’t work for me:
- Clearly the prior murders Clara’s husband was originally suspected of weren’t investigated well. Or maybe this was a commentary on how high corruption goes?
- I lack closure on an incredibly ridiculous laundry list of items from this book. Her mom? The box of items? The journalist’s investigation/story? Her position at work? Her relationship with Axel? What happened to the bodyguard after everything came to light?
- The translation came across as a little choppy and overwhelmingly formal. Maybe that was intentional? It didn’t work for me, but I’m only one reader.
laurxndxx's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Thank you to Netgalley, Ruth Lillegraven and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.
Whilst the premise of this novel seemed interesting to read, the plot had me a bit confused. The protagonist has a lot of flaws, however, acting normal once her kids had been kidnapped baffled me. I did still enjoy it and read until the end to find out who was behind it all. I feel like that was too obvious too. I'd still recommend it, I feel like a lot of people would enjoy this, it just wasn't for me.
Whilst the premise of this novel seemed interesting to read, the plot had me a bit confused. The protagonist has a lot of flaws, however, acting normal once her kids had been kidnapped baffled me. I did still enjoy it and read until the end to find out who was behind it all. I feel like that was too obvious too. I'd still recommend it, I feel like a lot of people would enjoy this, it just wasn't for me.
mailenefh's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.25