Scan barcode
kayakingkayak's review
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I enjoyed it basically the whole entire time, but I was very let down by the ending so that’s why it never made it to 4 stars :/
basicbsguide's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed the authors previous book - Familiar Dark (4 stars) so I was excited to read this new release.
Thanks to PRH for the gifted audiobook. Its about 9 hours on audio and narrated by Sean Patrick Hopkins, Amanda Stribling and Jennifer Pickens.
A small town murder mystery that navigates guilt, trauma and loss. Very character driven.
There are a few twist and turns. Some surprising and some not so much.
While I didn't love this as much as Familiar Dark, I still found it easy to listen to.
3.5 stars
Thanks to PRH for the gifted audiobook. Its about 9 hours on audio and narrated by Sean Patrick Hopkins, Amanda Stribling and Jennifer Pickens.
A small town murder mystery that navigates guilt, trauma and loss. Very character driven.
There are a few twist and turns. Some surprising and some not so much.
While I didn't love this as much as Familiar Dark, I still found it easy to listen to.
3.5 stars
books_by_the_bottle's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you Dutton for the ARC and PRHAudio for the complimentary audiobook!
It’s been fourteen years since Greer Dunning’s sister Eliza was murdered. Understandably, Greer’s family has never been the same so when Greer grew up, she moved to Chicago. Now, Greer receives news of another similar killing right after Eliza’s killer was executed. The police claim the new killer is a copycat but Greer is convinced that there’s more to the story. So she returns to her hometown of Ludlow, after more than a decade away, to search for answers.
This slow-burn thriller was very character-driven. I liked how it explored the theme of how you could both love someone and hate them (or, something that they did) at the same time. Also, the impact of the death of a loved one was heavily explored as Greer and parents dealt with the aftermath of Eliza’s death. Greer’s determination to get to the truth for her sister was admirable, as she worked through her own feelings and frustrations. Though slow-burn, there were several twists I did not see coming, particularly towards the end. On audio, Sean Patrick Hopkins, Amanda Stribling and Jennifer Pickens brought the story to life.
“I Did it for You” releases July 25, 2023. This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)
It’s been fourteen years since Greer Dunning’s sister Eliza was murdered. Understandably, Greer’s family has never been the same so when Greer grew up, she moved to Chicago. Now, Greer receives news of another similar killing right after Eliza’s killer was executed. The police claim the new killer is a copycat but Greer is convinced that there’s more to the story. So she returns to her hometown of Ludlow, after more than a decade away, to search for answers.
This slow-burn thriller was very character-driven. I liked how it explored the theme of how you could both love someone and hate them (or, something that they did) at the same time. Also, the impact of the death of a loved one was heavily explored as Greer and parents dealt with the aftermath of Eliza’s death. Greer’s determination to get to the truth for her sister was admirable, as she worked through her own feelings and frustrations. Though slow-burn, there were several twists I did not see coming, particularly towards the end. On audio, Sean Patrick Hopkins, Amanda Stribling and Jennifer Pickens brought the story to life.
“I Did it for You” releases July 25, 2023. This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)
julielb's review against another edition
2.0
This book was in one of my recent hauls from the library. New author to me and I was excited about the general summary, thinking it would be a good mystery.
A woman travels back to her hometown after learning that a teen boy and his girlfriend are murdered similarly to how her teen sister and her boyfriend were killed 10 years earlier. The young man who was charged and convicted of their deaths was put to death recently. The woman, Greer, now needs to know if the man who was charged with her sister's death really did it or if they got it wrong years ago. Surprisingly she teams up with the brother of the man charged with the deaths and they set out to reinvestigate the old case.
This started good, interesting and grabbed my interest. But at one point in the story, perhaps almost halfway, I read something that to me made it glaringly obvious as to what actually happened and made the rest of the book more sluggish to get through. I skimmed to the end and saw that yes, I was right with what I thought.
The author is good writer and would read another. Just felt this one was middle of the road for me.
A woman travels back to her hometown after learning that a teen boy and his girlfriend are murdered similarly to how her teen sister and her boyfriend were killed 10 years earlier. The young man who was charged and convicted of their deaths was put to death recently. The woman, Greer, now needs to know if the man who was charged with her sister's death really did it or if they got it wrong years ago. Surprisingly she teams up with the brother of the man charged with the deaths and they set out to reinvestigate the old case.
This started good, interesting and grabbed my interest. But at one point in the story, perhaps almost halfway, I read something that to me made it glaringly obvious as to what actually happened and made the rest of the book more sluggish to get through. I skimmed to the end and saw that yes, I was right with what I thought.
The author is good writer and would read another. Just felt this one was middle of the road for me.
emburd8's review
3.5
I guessed the ending however I did think it was well written and explored complex emotions and the nuances of grief in the wake of loss and didn’t just focus on the mystery.
kaileemichelle's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.0
yangelareads's review
slow-paced
2.0
I Did It for You is a riveting mystery and a deep exploration of guilt, loss, and the ways in which a violent murder transforms both the family of the victim and the family of the killer.
It has been fourteen years since Greer Dunning’s older sister, Eliza, was murdered, and Greer’s family has never been the same. And now there has been a similar killing in Greer’s small Kansas hometown, Ludlow, after the execution of the convicted killer. A copycat, according to the authorities, but Greer is convinced there is more to the story. That Eliza’s murderer had help all those years ago.
So Greer returns to Ludlow after more than a decade away, desperate to find answers to the questions that have haunted her for years. Her drive to uncover the truth pushes her to form a bond with the unlikeliest of allies.
I was honestly so excited about this. The premise and about cold stories? I love all of that, but I struggled to engage and finish this one. It was just so slow and boring for a book that is under 300 pages. It also lacked all the elements for a mystery. There was no suspense in the book at all. It really just lacked the usual twists and turns and the overall storyline just fell flat Despite, not engaging with the mystery, but I liked the characters. I really liked the three friends and their friendship. I really wanted to like this one, but unfortunately nothing in this book really worked for me. It was a decent read, but it could have been better with more drama in it.
It has been fourteen years since Greer Dunning’s older sister, Eliza, was murdered, and Greer’s family has never been the same. And now there has been a similar killing in Greer’s small Kansas hometown, Ludlow, after the execution of the convicted killer. A copycat, according to the authorities, but Greer is convinced there is more to the story. That Eliza’s murderer had help all those years ago.
So Greer returns to Ludlow after more than a decade away, desperate to find answers to the questions that have haunted her for years. Her drive to uncover the truth pushes her to form a bond with the unlikeliest of allies.
I was honestly so excited about this. The premise and about cold stories? I love all of that, but I struggled to engage and finish this one. It was just so slow and boring for a book that is under 300 pages. It also lacked all the elements for a mystery. There was no suspense in the book at all. It really just lacked the usual twists and turns and the overall storyline just fell flat Despite, not engaging with the mystery, but I liked the characters. I really liked the three friends and their friendship. I really wanted to like this one, but unfortunately nothing in this book really worked for me. It was a decent read, but it could have been better with more drama in it.