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3.51 AVERAGE
3.51 AVERAGE
Just mediocre overall, I thought the plot was interesting but the writing just didn’t really grip me and the characters were pretty annoying
This was a very easy read and at some points I couldn’t put it down. Quite enjoyed the podcast portion and loved both Josie and Poppy . Though at some points I questioned the believability of a few parts and it did have a pretty predictable ending.
This book was a nice treat. The narration switches between the protagonist, the journalist covering the murder, podcast sessions, and twitter feeds. Each chapter had me guessing and I was pleasantly surprised with the ending because my predictions were all wrong. Well done, Kathleen Barber.
A fantastic premise and interesting beginning that really... just kind of tanked toward the end. By the halfway point, the dialogue in this book between Josie and her boyfriend, her aunt, her inner thoughts, and especially her sister sounded so forced and contrived that none of them sounded like real people.
And the ending was so disappointing.
I'm massively disappointed with how this one turned out, and I was so sure I was going to love it, too. Three stars max, possibly even two and a half. I'm bummed.
And the ending was so disappointing.
Spoiler
The whole reveal that Josie and Lanie's mom killed their dad is centered around repressed memories and Lanie conveniently "remembering" that she saw Erin, not Warren, the night Chuck was killed. Give me a break. That is way, way, way too easy and simple for words, and that's before the stupid suicide note/confession found in their mom's copy of Anna Karenina.I'm massively disappointed with how this one turned out, and I was so sure I was going to love it, too. Three stars max, possibly even two and a half. I'm bummed.
I'd give it 3.5 stars. It was an easy read, but predictable because the author gives a lot of hints early on, and then tries too hard to make you think otherwise. I found I was reading quickly mores to get to what I already knew rather than to test suspicions or find out a big twist. But overall it was engaging and interesting, and I liked the format that included excerpts from the podcast and related social media posts.
Honestly, I dont care what anyone says this book was amazing. It reminded me a lot of Only Murders in the Building, so if youve seen that show and liked it, this book is 100% for you.
Very good mystery/thriller! I really enjoyed the podcast angle. I believe this is supposed to be adapted for TV with Reese Witherspoon and Octavia Butler involved, so I’m excited for that as well.
When she was 16, Josie Buhrman’s father, the handsome college professor Chuck Buhrman, was killed at gunpoint in his own house. The only witness to the crime is Josie’s identical twin sister, Lanie, and it is her eyewitness testimony which condemns the Buhrman’s neighbor, teenaged punk Warren Cave. A decade later, Josie’s mother has joined a cult, Josie and Lanie are estranged, and Josie is living in New York City with her boyfriend, Caleb, who knows nothing about the tragedy in her past. When a true crime podcast exploring the case, (hosted by wannabe investigative journalist Poppy Parnell), becomes a huge hit, suddenly everyone in America is questioning whether Warren Cave is innocent. And Josie’s carefully arranged life begins to unravel...
This book could not be more timely, considering the massive popularity of true crime podcasts. There is a thoughtful and nuanced exploration of PTSD and suppressed memories, which I appreciated. Mental illness is also present, but I don’t want to give too much away.
My major quibble is with the character of Poppy Parnell— she was just too much, too rude and sensationalistic and out of touch. It felt more like a caricature of Rita Skeeter to me.
I liked the format of the novel, with transcripts from the podcast episodes, Reddit threads, and Twitter posts interspersed with the narrative. These were fun to read and kept the reader informed as to the effect of the podcast on the main characters.
Overall, I would recommend this book!
When she was 16, Josie Buhrman’s father, the handsome college professor Chuck Buhrman, was killed at gunpoint in his own house. The only witness to the crime is Josie’s identical twin sister, Lanie, and it is her eyewitness testimony which condemns the Buhrman’s neighbor, teenaged punk Warren Cave. A decade later, Josie’s mother has joined a cult, Josie and Lanie are estranged, and Josie is living in New York City with her boyfriend, Caleb, who knows nothing about the tragedy in her past. When a true crime podcast exploring the case, (hosted by wannabe investigative journalist Poppy Parnell), becomes a huge hit, suddenly everyone in America is questioning whether Warren Cave is innocent. And Josie’s carefully arranged life begins to unravel...
This book could not be more timely, considering the massive popularity of true crime podcasts. There is a thoughtful and nuanced exploration of PTSD and suppressed memories, which I appreciated. Mental illness is also present, but I don’t want to give too much away.
My major quibble is with the character of Poppy Parnell— she was just too much, too rude and sensationalistic and out of touch. It felt more like a caricature of Rita Skeeter to me.
I liked the format of the novel, with transcripts from the podcast episodes, Reddit threads, and Twitter posts interspersed with the narrative. These were fun to read and kept the reader informed as to the effect of the podcast on the main characters.
Overall, I would recommend this book!
Okay, I know I say a lot that books grip me so that I can't put it down, but after reading one chapter of this book I was hooked for more. I started to read more of it one night as I wanted to try and get back into the habit of reading a chapter or two before bed (say around 11 pm)... fast forward until half 1 in the morning when I had to force myself to sleep. I grabbed it as soon as I woke up again, and finished it that day.
This is a story of a podcast that shines a new light on a murder case which was considered to be closed 12 years ago, possibly undoing all of the work Josie had done to recreate herself, and her life.
This book is categorized as a Mystery/Thriller which is the genre I'm wanting to try more of, and honestly, I'm so glad I was able to read this book. It kept me thinking about what exactly happened that night of Chuck Buhrman's death and whether it was all, in fact, a lie. Was the wrong person in jail? Or was Lanie really telling the truth that night?
Every time that I thought I had the murder all worked out, it turned out to be exactly what the author wanted me to think. Either I'm not in the habit of working things out, but the ending was something that I really didn't expect, but it made sense once I worked my way through the events that happened. It was really well written and I found it so easy to understand what Barber was trying to convey through her writing.
I really enjoyed all of the characters. They worked really well with each other and Barber introduced each of Josie's family well, lining out the problems that she had between her sister and her mother. Poppy Parnell worked really well in the story, and I really enjoyed the inclusion of the podcasts and social media responses, as I really felt like I was one of the listeners to the podcast, but with more insight as I followed Josie and her family.
I really would love to read another book of Kathleen Barbers, especially with this type of storyline and genre. Poppy Parnell's reconsidering of old cases that might not be all that they seem is a really interesting and unique (at least to my knowledge) storyline that I believe makes an addictive read!
Overall, I would rate this a 4.5/5 and would recommend it to anyone who enjoyed a mystery in which an old case is reopened, questioning whether the person behind bars is actually guilty, or whether their unfortunate circumstances led them to be a prime suspect.
*I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in return for a fair and honest review. Thank you to Gallery Books and Kathleen Barber for this ARC.*
This is a story of a podcast that shines a new light on a murder case which was considered to be closed 12 years ago, possibly undoing all of the work Josie had done to recreate herself, and her life.
This book is categorized as a Mystery/Thriller which is the genre I'm wanting to try more of, and honestly, I'm so glad I was able to read this book. It kept me thinking about what exactly happened that night of Chuck Buhrman's death and whether it was all, in fact, a lie. Was the wrong person in jail? Or was Lanie really telling the truth that night?
Every time that I thought I had the murder all worked out, it turned out to be exactly what the author wanted me to think. Either I'm not in the habit of working things out, but the ending was something that I really didn't expect, but it made sense once I worked my way through the events that happened. It was really well written and I found it so easy to understand what Barber was trying to convey through her writing.
I really enjoyed all of the characters. They worked really well with each other and Barber introduced each of Josie's family well, lining out the problems that she had between her sister and her mother. Poppy Parnell worked really well in the story, and I really enjoyed the inclusion of the podcasts and social media responses, as I really felt like I was one of the listeners to the podcast, but with more insight as I followed Josie and her family.
I really would love to read another book of Kathleen Barbers, especially with this type of storyline and genre. Poppy Parnell's reconsidering of old cases that might not be all that they seem is a really interesting and unique (at least to my knowledge) storyline that I believe makes an addictive read!
Overall, I would rate this a 4.5/5 and would recommend it to anyone who enjoyed a mystery in which an old case is reopened, questioning whether the person behind bars is actually guilty, or whether their unfortunate circumstances led them to be a prime suspect.
*I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in return for a fair and honest review. Thank you to Gallery Books and Kathleen Barber for this ARC.*
Overall, an entertaining read. Feels totally in line with the true crime phenomenon of the last few years with 'Serial', 'Making a Murderer', 'The Jinx', and 'S-Town'.
The ending felt rushed and incomplete. So, Lanie & Josie's mom killed their dad.... cool. What about the alibi that was so carefully detailed earlier in the "podcast"? Are we to assume she left the friend's house (who was zonked out on pain killers) and returned after murdering her husband? Why was the alibi never addressed?
Who are we to believe called Josie in the middle of the night at the beginning of the book?
The ending felt rushed and incomplete. So, Lanie & Josie's mom killed their dad.... cool. What about the alibi that was so carefully detailed earlier in the "podcast"? Are we to assume she left the friend's house (who was zonked out on pain killers) and returned after murdering her husband? Why was the alibi never addressed?
Who are we to believe called Josie in the middle of the night at the beginning of the book?
DNF...I had high hopes for this book after watching the show that was based off this book. But, the author is all over the place back and forth. So, I wasn’t enjoying it.