Scan barcode
crimsonsparrow's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
A little on the nose, but a surprisingly good read in the style of Dean Koontz - but better.
Moderate: Sexual violence, Rape, Terminal illness, Violence, Kidnapping, and Gaslighting
Minor: Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Gun violence, War, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, and Sexual content
kccool12255's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
OH MY GOSH. THIS IS SUCH A GOOD BOOK. I LOVE IT.
I feel like I've found my good murder mystery author. I haven't dived fully into the genre yet, and I've wanted to for a good while now. Allen Eskens writes an action-packed narrative that is FILLED TO THE BRIM with interesting characters and a compelling story. This book is so easy to read, it goes by so fast, and I really appreciate finally reading a fast-paced book for the first time in a while. Joe, despite his ordinary name, is a really diverse and interesting character that you can really connect with after hearing his past life experiences. You can understand his feelings with his psychotic mother, his autistic brother, and even his relationship with Carl. It's so wholesome and precious, Carl helps him to appreciate life more, and Joe gives Carl peace before he dies. I ALMOST CRIED, IT'S SO SWEET. I also love Lila Nash as a character, at first she's very stoic and just a blank slate, but then she opens up to Joe and you can understand her completely, as she's also been through a lot. I wasn't a big fan of their relationship at first, since I didn't see a lot of chemistry between the two, but they really work well together in the investigation, and they're just so cute, since they can be so open with each other. Lila's relationship with Jeremy is also very wholesome, it's so cute how she's so sweet to him. Carl is such a good character as well, just having undergone these horrible things in Vietnam. ,and is such a sweet guy, and everyone thinks he raped and murdered this girl. *sob* Carl needs JUSTICE for those years spent in prison. It's also a great commentary on the duality of people, since Carl isn't all good. He's killed and he's murdered people before, and his intentions have not always been honorable. But even though he doesn't believe it, he has the heart of a hero. Beautiful.
WHEN I TELL YOU FOR THE SECOND TIME IN A ROW, I FIGURED OUT EVERYTHING BUT THE ACTUAL IDENTITY OF THE KILLER. I'm so good at picking up the clues, I'm just not good at CONNECTING them. GAH. I mean, decoding the numbers was NOT my doing, and neither was all the DJ stuff...BUT HEY, I GOT MOST OF IT. I DID predict a twist at the end, which there was, and of course it was the stepbrother. OF COURSE. The stepfather was just too obvious, although it was starting to make me believe that he was actually the killer. But no, he's just a dick. Lovely.
What I DIDN'T expect in this book was all the ACTION. We got Joe getting KIDNAPPED and almost MURDERED, Lila almost gets raped and murdered along with Joe in the climax, at which point I was internally screaming, "NO! NOT LILA! SHE'S ALREADY TRAUMATIZED FROM THAT!" Like, I was not expecting all this ACTION. It was a nice surprise, though.
Joe and Lila bond over their trauma :) (not that I'm romanticizing it IN ANY WAY, it's just very heartwarming and sweet how they bond).
I got nothing more to say, really. This book is PHENOMENAL and I really enjoyed it, I will definitely be trying to read more by Allen Eskens in the future. 5 STARS!!!!!!
I feel like I've found my good murder mystery author. I haven't dived fully into the genre yet, and I've wanted to for a good while now. Allen Eskens writes an action-packed narrative that is FILLED TO THE BRIM with interesting characters and a compelling story. This book is so easy to read, it goes by so fast, and I really appreciate finally reading a fast-paced book for the first time in a while. Joe, despite his ordinary name, is a really diverse and interesting character that you can really connect with after hearing his past life experiences. You can understand his feelings with his psychotic mother, his autistic brother, and even his relationship with Carl.
WHEN I TELL YOU FOR THE SECOND TIME IN A ROW, I FIGURED OUT EVERYTHING BUT THE ACTUAL IDENTITY OF THE KILLER. I'm so good at picking up the clues, I'm just not good at CONNECTING them. GAH.
What I DIDN'T expect in this book was all the ACTION.
Joe and Lila bond over their trauma :) (not that I'm romanticizing it IN ANY WAY, it's just very heartwarming and sweet how they bond).
I got nothing more to say, really. This book is PHENOMENAL and I really enjoyed it, I will definitely be trying to read more by Allen Eskens in the future. 5 STARS!!!!!!
Graphic: Child abuse, Murder, Violence, Cursing, Toxic relationship, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Domestic abuse, and War
Moderate: Sexual violence, Rape, Sexual content, Pedophilia, Incest, and Kidnapping
Minor: Self harm
More...