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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
This was fun! A bit predictable in places but the suspenseful parts are well done. Perfect vacation reading.
I liked this a lot! It was wonderfully atmospheric—I swear, I could feel the wind and hear the sea while reading.
Ruth’s a great protagonist. She’s meticulous, comfortable in her own skin (despite her concerns about her weight), self-contained and comfortable with the solitude of home and its magnificent view.
Though the book hasn’t the fastest plot, I liked the way the author set the scenes, and gradually gave us these detailed character portrayals through the book, so much so that she totally turned me around on Nelson and Cathbad, both of whom I liked by the book’s end.
The actual details of the case are creepy as heck, and though I figured who the murderer was early on, I still liked the journey to the person’s unveiling. I am definitely continuing with this series.
Ruth’s a great protagonist. She’s meticulous, comfortable in her own skin (despite her concerns about her weight), self-contained and comfortable with the solitude of home and its magnificent view.
Though the book hasn’t the fastest plot, I liked the way the author set the scenes, and gradually gave us these detailed character portrayals through the book, so much so that she totally turned me around on Nelson and Cathbad, both of whom I liked by the book’s end.
The actual details of the case are creepy as heck, and though I figured who the murderer was early on, I still liked the journey to the person’s unveiling. I am definitely continuing with this series.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
i enjoyed the mystery but really didn't like what the author did with ruth. the fact that she went from adamantly not wanting kids and living happily alone with her cats to becoming pregnant by a married man and having his kid actually made me quite upset. also, the constant references to her weight was odd to me? it was repeated multiple times how fat she was but "twelve and a half stones" is about 175lbs which is by no means fat, especially if she's not short, which seems to be the case, since she's taller than one of her neighbor's husbands. it just seemed odd and unnecessary. and you know what else was odd and unnecessary? the adultery! literally why! and why was there so much of it? and it was seemingly encouraged all the time? with no consequences? it just seemed like the author had some biases to work through.
despite all that, i did like the mystery. it was interesting and multi-layered and unfolded pretty well. it's just that i really didn't like ruth.
despite all that, i did like the mystery. it was interesting and multi-layered and unfolded pretty well. it's just that i really didn't like ruth.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Infidelity, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder
Moderate: Fatphobia, Police brutality
Minor: Abortion, Pregnancy
Putting this back on the shelf for now, I'll come back to it another time.
I enjoyed this, the atmosphere, the cast of characters, the way the main character views the world and seems so down to earth. I'm not sure that I loved the ending and what that could mean for future installments, so I guess my commiserating with the main character ends here, still I am interested in the next book and maybe the next 10+, nothing like finding a new series to enjoy!
DNF @ 63%
The main character had a major "I'm not like other girls" streak and treated most women in the book like they were beneath her... I was trying to let it go and power through until she started sleeping with married men without a second thought. I just wanted to read a cool mystery with an archeological twist!
The main character had a major "I'm not like other girls" streak and treated most women in the book like they were beneath her... I was trying to let it go and power through until she started sleeping with married men without a second thought. I just wanted to read a cool mystery with an archeological twist!
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Interesting book, though I guessed the murderer from the minute they were introduced. Also don't love the fatphobia/obsession with mentioning, the adultery, or the odd twist at the end which didn't seem to fit with Ruth's character.
Favorite passage: When she bought the cats her mother asked her straight out if they were 'baby substitutes'. 'No,' Ruth had answered, straight-faced. 'They're kittens. If I had a baby it would be a cat substitute.'
This popped up on Libby while I was looking for vacation reads. I ended up getting the hardcopy from the library.
This is a fairly standard "socially awkward scientist helping the police" story, with our almost-40 archaeologist living on a lonely salt marsh becomes involved in a missing child investigation.
The crime story is full of twist and turns, and the author likes to deliberately misdirect us as far as suspects go. The characters, though, are what make this an enjoyable read.
I'll probably explore other books in this series, but I am not at a point where I want to devour them as quickly as I can.
This is a fairly standard "socially awkward scientist helping the police" story, with our almost-40 archaeologist living on a lonely salt marsh becomes involved in a missing child investigation.
The crime story is full of twist and turns, and the author likes to deliberately misdirect us as far as suspects go. The characters, though, are what make this an enjoyable read.
I'll probably explore other books in this series, but I am not at a point where I want to devour them as quickly as I can.