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abbienk's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
thewitcherreads's review
2.0
Like many others, I really wanted to like this. The description had me so pumped and the opening had me ready. I always need to know ten whodunnit so I couldn’t just shelf this. I was curious as to where the characters would lead me and I was a little less than impressed. *Spoiler* Raymond and Connie’s break ins? Never mentioned again. Creeper? Kaplinsky. Where did he fit in to all of this and why is he moving things around. Did he kill Connie’s sister? Just didn’t make any sense to me to put so much around this creeper.
sophiegallagher98's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
rustlngpages's review
5.0
this was a comforting and very enjoyable read. i love a good mystery, especially a british procedural and this was the perfect one. it had a great pace, very engaging with a host of lovable characters. i can’t wait to read more from this author!
happynessheals's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
vampar's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 Stars, rounded down to 3.
An Amazon First Read.
This had a lot of potential and at points was very engaging. There were quite a few characters with little to differentiate them from each other which could be confusing for some readers. A lot of time wasted with side characters never has any greater implication for the story as a whole, but might be relevant in later novels in the series.
The urbex movement was interesting to me and would have been an interesting way in my opinion to explore more of the setting.
Most of the storylines are wrapped up by then end, but the end itself left several points sort of unclear. I really wanted more involvement of the "bone jar" itself and more atmosphere. I almost never had that "edge-of-your-seat" moment I usually get with a good thriller or mystery and was disappointed by that.
As a side note, I was thrown off by some terms and acronyms (SOCO, DI) that may be familiar to readers in the UK, but were new to me and I had to go back a few times to decipher them. For those offended by foul language, beware, though it isn't chock full it does contain some dirty words.
An Amazon First Read.
This had a lot of potential and at points was very engaging. There were quite a few characters with little to differentiate them from each other which could be confusing for some readers. A lot of time wasted with side characters never has any greater implication for the story as a whole, but might be relevant in later novels in the series.
The urbex movement was interesting to me and would have been an interesting way in my opinion to explore more of the setting.
Most of the storylines are wrapped up by then end, but the end itself left several points sort of unclear. I really wanted more involvement of the "bone jar" itself and more atmosphere. I almost never had that "edge-of-your-seat" moment I usually get with a good thriller or mystery and was disappointed by that.
As a side note, I was thrown off by some terms and acronyms (SOCO, DI) that may be familiar to readers in the UK, but were new to me and I had to go back a few times to decipher them. For those offended by foul language, beware, though it isn't chock full it does contain some dirty words.
lisaeirene's review against another edition
3.0
It was ok. I struggled at the end keeping certain characters straight, but overall it was ok
emilylouisereads's review
3.0
After being recommended this book by family, I had to give it a go myself. I love mysteries and suspenseful thrillers like The Bone Jar and was not disappointed.
This is the first book in the Lew Kirby series and introduces us to his character who is a detective that finds himself involved in a murder that took place at the infamous Blackwater Asylum. The case seems like a normal murder but as the investigation develops, Kirby finds that there is more to the asylum than meets the eye and the local community may know more than they are letting on.
The story was built up really well and the mystery was carried throughout the book. When reading, I had no idea who to trust and who to suspect as the killer and I love the guessing game in books like this as I know that it means that the storyline isn’t predictable if I get to the conclusion and am shocked.
Definitely one I would recommend to those who love the twisty and developed crime novels - that may have more to the story than you initially think.
3/5
This is the first book in the Lew Kirby series and introduces us to his character who is a detective that finds himself involved in a murder that took place at the infamous Blackwater Asylum. The case seems like a normal murder but as the investigation develops, Kirby finds that there is more to the asylum than meets the eye and the local community may know more than they are letting on.
The story was built up really well and the mystery was carried throughout the book. When reading, I had no idea who to trust and who to suspect as the killer and I love the guessing game in books like this as I know that it means that the storyline isn’t predictable if I get to the conclusion and am shocked.
Definitely one I would recommend to those who love the twisty and developed crime novels - that may have more to the story than you initially think.
3/5
laurelinwonder's review against another edition
3.0
This is difficult, I liked the premise, I liked Kirby, and some cool history/atmospheric attributes made this worth trudging through a lot of characters. This is an auspicious start to a trilogy, and I hope to read more by Kane. Though, I think perhaps, this was either too long, or not long enough to allow all characters the space they needed to thrive fully for readers. So, it's an interesting thriller, with some issues, but at the heart a great thrill.