Reviews

I was eager to listen to the audiobook of this the sixth and final novel (for now) in the Dublin Murder squad Series. Once again the reader captured the first-person voice of the story-teller in a way which enhanced and expanded what was happening in the story. I've learned that these books are not electrifying page burners, but rather mysteries which unfold amidst compliated relationships, dark motives and what I imagine is rather authentic dective work. The plot had twists-some of which had much buildup with little payoff. And I have mixed feeling about how satisfied I am with the resolution. Having completed the series - with only hearing the last two as audiobooks, I am going back to the start to listen and gain more from those stories then when can be gained by simply imagining the voices of the characters.

annatraff's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

confessions_of_a_bookaholic's review against another edition

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4.0

Antoinette Conway and Stephen Moran are partners in the murder squad now. Whilst their working together is going well, the tension between Antoinette and the rest of the squad is climbing. They pull in a case that looks like a straightforward domestic violence, with a clear suspect. As another detective pushes them to take the obvious solution but something is nagging at Conway and Moran, telling them there is more to this than meets the eye. The question is, is it smoke and mirrors to try and push Conway out, or is there really something to it?

After the Secret Place I was a little put off this series, that one took a bit of a strange turn that I didn't really enjoy. I don't like leaving things unfinished though so after a bit of a break it was time to dive back in. I can happily say this one returns to more of French's normal style, and I enjoyed it significantly more.

Despite having met Antoinette in the previous book, I found her hard to like at the start of this one. It's easy to see why she is the way she is, especially at work, I can't imagine being faced with colleagues who actively try and disrupt your work to push you out. I did wonder if she let that spill over in to other aspects of her life though.

The plotline for this is a slow burn, which isn't really a surprise with the length of the book. There's a lot of detail and layers to the story, so despite it being long it doesn't drag out.
French has written this in such a way that you question everyone at times, some of them in whether they are telling the truth and some of them in terms of their judgement. It means that you really aren't sure who to trust and who to suspect.

A great way to round out the series, which apart from book 5 was a steller set of books to read. They will definitely be featuring in my re-reads down the line.

swfountaine's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

msilkwolfe's review against another edition

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4.0

I liked this one! It dragged on a little in the middle and was frustrating at times, but overall it was a great compelling mystery if that’s what you’re in the mood for!

kimpossible's review

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective tense medium-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

4.5

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