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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
Fun, engaging, and silly. The motive for murder was well telegraphed which was both a benefit (I was able to figure it out!) And a bit of a detractor (I was able to figure it out). Would recommend
Found this title on a list of cozy mystery series and thought I'd give it a try. I love a good cozy mystery in the wintertime. This one had its charms--a quaint Irish village, ghosts, weirdo locals--but I felt it was lacking something. The killer was fairly obvious, at least to someone who's read their fair share of murder mysteries. Nothing exceptional, but not a bad book if you're just looking to fill the time. The perfect length and pace for a round-trip flight or long train ride.
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I enjoyed the mystery but don't love the writing style. Gethsamane is an interesting chatacter and the Irish small-town is cool setting for a murder mystery. I plan to finish the series.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
I noticed this book in a listing of mysteries by African American women and thought I would enjoy its musical heroine. It took me a little while to get into it, but I am hooked and now waiting for the next ones in the series (a mix of what my library had and what I had to buy). Gethsemane Brown has a broad knowledge of music, literature, popular culture, and Negro League baseball stats which, with her strong backstory, gives this book breadth and depth and bodes well for sequels. And the fact that she has ended up in western Ireland living in a beloved who-had-a-tragic-end composer's home while teaching at a local boys' school increases the book's charm. Throw in a ghost and various things to "solve" and Gethsemane is on the go.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I had really hoped to like this book. Take a well-worn cozy mystery formula (woman in a specialty field has to move to a new town for personal reasons and makes friends with someone she then has to clear of a murder charge) and add twists.
Woman=African American woman. Specialty field= orchestra conducting, not baking or hatmaking or some other typically feminine vocation. New town is in new country, Ireland, where people use expressions like "go dog wide" that readers this side of the pond have never heard of. And friend=ghost haunting the cottage where she's living.
So far, so good. But aside from the writing being so-so, the plot depends on terrible cliches and slurs against groups of people that no one should still be uttering in the 21st century. The murderous, jealous bisexual woman. The Irish alcoholic. Madness being passed on from one generation to another. It's hard to believe the book was written in 2016 and not 1816. And by a Black woman author, to boot!
So disappointing.
Woman=African American woman. Specialty field= orchestra conducting, not baking or hatmaking or some other typically feminine vocation. New town is in new country, Ireland, where people use expressions like "go dog wide" that readers this side of the pond have never heard of. And friend=ghost haunting the cottage where she's living.
So far, so good. But aside from the writing being so-so, the plot depends on terrible cliches and slurs against groups of people that no one should still be uttering in the 21st century. The murderous, jealous bisexual woman. The Irish alcoholic. Madness being passed on from one generation to another. It's hard to believe the book was written in 2016 and not 1816. And by a Black woman author, to boot!
So disappointing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Alcoholism, Biphobia, Infidelity, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Alcohol
Minor: Violence
I think the audiobook made this one more painful. The voice acting was incredibly cartoonish and strange how every Irish person in this small community had a completely different exaggerated accent. However underneath it all was bad dialogue (full of cringe-worthy quips), forgettable characters, and a plot I couldn't find myself ever interested in.
I will start by saying I was a little reluctant to read this after having watched the tv movie version of it. Often things are so different I don't recognize the story and end up spending more time ticking off the differences than enjoying the story.
That was not the case this time.
While there are some differences, some significant, some not. I found that I was so engrossed in the story that I'd forgotten to actively note them. Well, after noting that Gethsemane in the book is a lot feistier and quick-witted than in the movie, often making snarky quips that had me laughing. She is very good at putting people in their place using a light tone.
That being said, the story was very well written in my opinion, bringing to a life a non-traditional (read that as minority) amateur sleuth with a unique (at least to me) situation. I am not much into spirits, ghosts and such, but once I got beyond that aspect, I had a ball.
Gethsemane's connection with her students and the ghost are well done. I am looking forward to reading the next installment.
Happy Reading!
That was not the case this time.
While there are some differences, some significant, some not. I found that I was so engrossed in the story that I'd forgotten to actively note them. Well, after noting that Gethsemane in the book is a lot feistier and quick-witted than in the movie, often making snarky quips that had me laughing. She is very good at putting people in their place using a light tone.
That being said, the story was very well written in my opinion, bringing to a life a non-traditional (read that as minority) amateur sleuth with a unique (at least to me) situation. I am not much into spirits, ghosts and such, but once I got beyond that aspect, I had a ball.
Gethsemane's connection with her students and the ghost are well done. I am looking forward to reading the next installment.
Happy Reading!
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes