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kathrinpassig's review
3.0
Ich habe mit Band 3 der Serie angefangen und bin von Band 1 weniger begeistert. Es ist immer noch solide und sympathisch, aber allmählich fällt doch auf, dass Fiona ein schlecht getarnter männlicher Standardheld ist und der Autor recht konservative Ideen über die Gesellschaft hat: allgegenwärtige Videoüberwachung ist gut und richtig, Verbrecher sind meistens Ausländer, Sexarbeit ist das Allerletzte. Ich lese jetzt noch den zweiten Band und dann mal sehen.
(Update: Wahrscheinlich habe ich dem Autor da Unrecht getan. In den weiteren Bänden äußert er sich differenzierter und auch distanzierter, was Privatsphäre und Überwachung angeht, und das Ausländer- und Sexarbeitsthema spielt keine so große Rolle mehr. Mit dem männlichen Helden hatte ich aber recht, Fiona legt sich später sogar eine Freundin zu, die sich nur mit Diäten und Quatsch beschäftigt, und erträgt das "Frauen sind halt so, wer soll das verstehen, man muss trotzdem so tun, als interessierte man sich für ihr Gerede" achselzuckend.)
(Update: Wahrscheinlich habe ich dem Autor da Unrecht getan. In den weiteren Bänden äußert er sich differenzierter und auch distanzierter, was Privatsphäre und Überwachung angeht, und das Ausländer- und Sexarbeitsthema spielt keine so große Rolle mehr. Mit dem männlichen Helden hatte ich aber recht, Fiona legt sich später sogar eine Freundin zu, die sich nur mit Diäten und Quatsch beschäftigt, und erträgt das "Frauen sind halt so, wer soll das verstehen, man muss trotzdem so tun, als interessierte man sich für ihr Gerede" achselzuckend.)
sandin954's review against another edition
4.0
A very good series debut. I enjoyed the Cardiff setting, found DC Griffiths to be a fascinating and unique heroine, and thought the plot was quite good.
pattydsf's review against another edition
3.0
I don't know how to review this mystery. I am not a big mystery reader because I don't do well with suspense, but this novel made me deal with the tension. I wanted to know who Fiona was and what was going to happen to her. I don't know if I will read another book by Bingham. There are many, many books out there. However, both Fiona and Bingham have caught my brain. What happens next?
alex1989's review against another edition
3.0
I received this book as part of a giveaway on Goodreads, and given that I have been in a bit of a murder mystery/detective novel kick lately, I was quite excited to read this one.
Overall I enjoyed the book, but found the mystery/case aspect of the plot to be rather predictable and unexciting. It really felt like an afterthought, and was not nearly as developed as was the heroine's (DS Fiona Griffiths) personal backstory. I felt like the main characters had already solved the case by the halfway point of the book, if not sooner.
That being said, I found Fiona to be interesting (if not always likable), and I wish the author had spent more time explaining her backstory (I don't want to go into further detail and spoil the ending), as the ending to her personal story felt really rushed. I know that there is at least one more book in the works, but given how much time the author spent describing the inner workings of Fiona's mind, and the "illness" that she used to suffer from, I would have liked to see a little more time spent wrapping up that string of the plot.
Overall I enjoyed the book, but found the mystery/case aspect of the plot to be rather predictable and unexciting. It really felt like an afterthought, and was not nearly as developed as was the heroine's (DS Fiona Griffiths) personal backstory. I felt like the main characters had already solved the case by the halfway point of the book, if not sooner.
That being said, I found Fiona to be interesting (if not always likable), and I wish the author had spent more time explaining her backstory (I don't want to go into further detail and spoil the ending), as the ending to her personal story felt really rushed. I know that there is at least one more book in the works, but given how much time the author spent describing the inner workings of Fiona's mind, and the "illness" that she used to suffer from, I would have liked to see a little more time spent wrapping up that string of the plot.
aislynnharrison's review against another edition
3.0
MIL recommended the series and warned the first book wasn't the strongest. Willing to read the second and see how it goes but can't say I loved the plot although the heroine was intriguing.
mrsmangoa's review against another edition
2.0
The hardest book I’ve pushed myself to finish. I was bored from the first page and the story was long winded with no real suspense. Even the ending and finding the culprits had no suspense effect or even a feeling of a climax. I wanted to give up on the book and to be fair I skimmed the last few pages (didn’t bother finishing them after the people were caught).
Leaving the explanation of her disease to the end was just utterly useless. I don’t want to ever read another book like that and to be honest I don’t think ill be picking anything by the author anytime soon.
1.5⭐️s for me
Leaving the explanation of her disease to the end was just utterly useless. I don’t want to ever read another book like that and to be honest I don’t think ill be picking anything by the author anytime soon.
1.5⭐️s for me
proudlocks's review against another edition
4.0
Very similar to other crime thrillers, except for the most amazing, unique main character.
I’ve never read anything like her, and she is what’s kept me reading on. Truly captivating with a nice twist at the end.
I’ve never read anything like her, and she is what’s kept me reading on. Truly captivating with a nice twist at the end.
hermoninny's review against another edition
4.0
An excellent book from start to finish! Sometimes it takes awhile to get into an author's writing style, but it didn't take any time at all for me to get sucked into this book.
jajorgen's review against another edition
5.0
Fiona Griffiths is a Detective Constable in Cardiff, Wales. Her squad has just landed a new case, a prostitute and her young daughter were murdered. Found at the scene is an expired platinum credit card belonging to a wealthy man who was presumed killed in a plane crash months before. Fiona is assigned the task of discovering how the card ended up in a squalid house with two dead bodies. Fiona is an intriguing protagonist. Since the whole Girl with a Dragon Tattoo phenom every other mystery has proclaimed itself the next Girl with... In this case I think the comparison works. Fiona has something in her that keeps her at odds with the other "normal" people she works with and I was intrigued by just what made her tick. The mystery was great as well.
susieq17's review against another edition
5.0
Excellent book! Fiona, the main character, is clever, quirky and flawed. But oh so strong. The setting in Wales is interesting as is the complex case.