Reviews tagging 'Murder'

The Last Heir to Blackwood Library by Hester Fox

16 reviews

amberinpieces's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood

Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Vomit, Dementia, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, and War

victoriastarkid's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious fast-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? It's complicated

2.25

Generally just an okay book. It never felt like anything was described enough for me to get attached to anything. It was a fast read, but the plot just felt like 5 different things thrown at the wall. Nothing ever felt complete enough for me to care about what was happening/the lore as to why.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, and War

rhi_'s review

dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Confinement

Minor: Fire/Fire injury

romy91's review against another edition

lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A fun and intriguing story with some mysterious and supernatural elements. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Murder and War

chelbelle122's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Olympic medal in mansplaining and gaslighting. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Gaslighting

kaitie_reads's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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

This was an interesting read. I really loved the premise of the story, but it felt chaotic, and like a lot of the plot was smashed together half-heartedly. 

What I loved: 
- The Abbey... what lady doesn't dream of inheriting basically a castle with a gigantic library? My inner Belle could sing. 
- The library itself and the mystery surrounding it 
- The historic setting
- The suspense and creepiness in the first half of the book 

What I didn't love:
- The *love story* feels forced 
- The blank spots don't make a ton of sense to me 
- There were plot points that I felt were a far stretch or never concluded 
- The attitude of some of the characters shifted too quickly. It would go from a character being dead set on something, and then somebody says one thing to them, and their outlook does a 180. 
- I feel like the reaction to some of the more gruesome or interesting parts of the story were too soft or easily brushed away 
- Ivy is dumb, I understand she's meant to be confused, but she's very irritating a lot of the time 
- What happens to Susan?! 
Also, where are the authorities? Why is no one ever suspicious of anything ever? 

I know it's magical realism, and obviously some of the ideas are quite fantastical but I just felt like with the real world setting, things could've been more realistic. A lot of entire plot points felt like an afterthought. "Well, I'll just throw this in here, and it explains it all!". 

I did keep reading because I wanted to know what was going on, it's well enough written and had me engaged but I feel like with the premise more could've been done and the author could've gone a lot deeper. She didn't set up the love story very well either, and then it became the whole focus of the story, which was odd when there was so much more going on. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood and Murder

Moderate: Gun violence

pebbletown's review against another edition

emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Had a really, really strong start but kind of floundered in the third act, with some too on-the-nose villainous speeches and an anti-climactic big reveal. (I wanted more of the nun, considering she’s the opener to the book!!) But still a really cool and atmospheric read; enjoyed the unreliable narrator (though did not understand 90% of her choices)— also fun and spooky to read a book from the perspective of someone being actively attic-wifed.

I gotta say I did not see the appeal of Arthur at any point of the book—which makes you kind of lose touch with Ivy who falls for him so hook, line, and sinker. Yes for sure let’s get married, charismatic near stranger of local aristocracy who has a mysterious family and a weird fascination with my big haunted library!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Blood, Kidnapping, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Ableism, Gun violence, Violence, Grief, Murder, and Alcohol

Minor: War

reallyrosalie's review

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Confinement, Violence, Blood, and Murder

yruss972's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Violence

Moderate: Bullying, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism

kayemm's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is one of the best fantasy/ paranormal books I've read in a very long time. You're going to have questions at the end when you first read it. Trust me when I say go back and read it again and you'll understand the brilliance of the book.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Mental illness, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and War