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3.33 AVERAGE
3.33 AVERAGE
The author definitely kept me engaged because I couldn't put this book down.
However, I didn't care for the main character, Grace. Her whole persona just wasn't believable to me; she had too many conflicting personality traits. Most of the storyline was unrealistic and the ending lacked a lot, but I still gave it 4 stars because I gobbled it up... despite everything I just mentioned.
However, I didn't care for the main character, Grace. Her whole persona just wasn't believable to me; she had too many conflicting personality traits. Most of the storyline was unrealistic and the ending lacked a lot, but I still gave it 4 stars because I gobbled it up... despite everything I just mentioned.
Definitely different from normal Kellerman, this standalone book was heavy on the psychological part of psychological suspense, which I found fascinating. I loved the clean, cool ending as well. Great book!
Unlikable MC & I don't care for her mentality. Just give me more AD novels instead of this "stuff".
Content Warnings
Minor: Child abuse
I'm a Kellerman fan, but it's been a while since I've read him, so I was happy to get a copy of his latest from Netgalley. This stand alone novel features the same distinctive and intelligent writing style as his Alex Delaware books. It was well-plotted and intriguing with a satisfying ending. I enjoyed the structure of chapters detailing the main character's backstory alternating with current events. Recommended.
2.5 stars
At first I was really enjoying the plot and all the journey of Dr. Blades to unveil the truth of the death of her new patient, but after a while I started to feel a bit less motivated in keeping up with the story. That inevitably made me slow the pace at the point that I forced myself to read it on the bus just for the sake of finding a way to keep me motivated in reading the book.
It is not a bad book per se, it's just that this doesn't seems to be my cup of tea.
At first I was really enjoying the plot and all the journey of Dr. Blades to unveil the truth of the death of her new patient, but after a while I started to feel a bit less motivated in keeping up with the story. That inevitably made me slow the pace at the point that I forced myself to read it on the bus just for the sake of finding a way to keep me motivated in reading the book.
It is not a bad book per se, it's just that this doesn't seems to be my cup of tea.
The MURDERER’S DAUGHTER BY Jonathan Kellerman
Grace Blades is a very gifted psychologist with a passion for treating the troubled souls who come to her for help. But Grace has a dark secret past. When her past and present come together, an evil that Grace thought that she had outrun, has return with a vengeance!
This was an exciting read for me. I have always been a fan of the Alex Delaware Series and I was not disappointed with this book. Although this is a standalone novel. I hope there will be more to come.
I enjoyed ‘The Murderer’s Daughter’ by Jonathan Kellerman. I especially enjoyed Grace’s back story and the seamless way the past and present were woven together. I was given an Arc of this book by Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine Books for an honest review. I highly recommend this book.
Grace Blades is a very gifted psychologist with a passion for treating the troubled souls who come to her for help. But Grace has a dark secret past. When her past and present come together, an evil that Grace thought that she had outrun, has return with a vengeance!
This was an exciting read for me. I have always been a fan of the Alex Delaware Series and I was not disappointed with this book. Although this is a standalone novel. I hope there will be more to come.
I enjoyed ‘The Murderer’s Daughter’ by Jonathan Kellerman. I especially enjoyed Grace’s back story and the seamless way the past and present were woven together. I was given an Arc of this book by Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine Books for an honest review. I highly recommend this book.
** 3.5 stars **
Dr Grace Blades is a genius. Despite a horrific past of child abuse, trauma from watching her parents kill each other and being passed through the foster system before finding a home, she still manages to get accepted into Harvard by 16 and by her 20s is a well respected, very well paid psychologist who specializes in emotional trauma. Despite her intelligence, she is emotionally damaged, unable to form relationships with people and spends her spare time getting adrenaline rushes from risky and promiscuous behaviour.
She is a deepy flawed character, and her back story is fully explored and explained in between chapters that focus on the present to explain why. Then suddenly a client has been murdered, her life is in danger, and she is so used to being alone, trusting or relying on no one, that she takes matters into her own hands, becoming a bit of an internet sleuth. Jonathan Kellerman is somewhere in my top 10 favourite authors. Alex Delaware and Milo Sturgis are my absolute favourite crime fighting duo and I really appreciate Kellerman's writing style - evocative and intensely descriptive, yet always on point, with no wasted words.
I found Grace's back story gripping, vivid and emotional and was fascinated by the thought of someone so intelligent and so successful being so badly damaged by her past. I devoured this book; desperate to learn how she learns to cope and how she deals with this new threat... yet that never really materializes.
In my opinion the character development and back story of Grace didn't really lend itself to the "thriller" elements. I feel that it could have been a better novel just focusing on this emotionally damaged woman coming to terms with who she was - her investigating this murder by herself seems almost unnecessary, a secondary storyline, not even that interesting. She just doesn't seem to grow or develop as a character through the experiences she has in the present day. Things happen, she goes along with it, she explores, she reacts, more things happen and it ends. There weren't really any other characters in the book that gripped me. I understand that a big part of Grace's character and personality is that she wouldn't choose to work with someone else, that she keeps herself distant and doesn't (or can't) connect with other people - but if she'd been forced to work with a partner and actually grow as a person or overcome some of her issues in some small way, I would have been happy.
This does feel like a good back story / setup premise for future novels. I would definitely continue to read if Dr Grace Blades becomes a new series, but force her into some human interaction and give her some character growth in the future, not just from the past.
A big thank you to NetGalley and Random House / Ballantine for providing me with an ARC of this book.
Dr Grace Blades is a genius. Despite a horrific past of child abuse, trauma from watching her parents kill each other and being passed through the foster system before finding a home, she still manages to get accepted into Harvard by 16 and by her 20s is a well respected, very well paid psychologist who specializes in emotional trauma. Despite her intelligence, she is emotionally damaged, unable to form relationships with people and spends her spare time getting adrenaline rushes from risky and promiscuous behaviour.
She is a deepy flawed character, and her back story is fully explored and explained in between chapters that focus on the present to explain why. Then suddenly a client has been murdered, her life is in danger, and she is so used to being alone, trusting or relying on no one, that she takes matters into her own hands, becoming a bit of an internet sleuth. Jonathan Kellerman is somewhere in my top 10 favourite authors. Alex Delaware and Milo Sturgis are my absolute favourite crime fighting duo and I really appreciate Kellerman's writing style - evocative and intensely descriptive, yet always on point, with no wasted words.
I found Grace's back story gripping, vivid and emotional and was fascinated by the thought of someone so intelligent and so successful being so badly damaged by her past. I devoured this book; desperate to learn how she learns to cope and how she deals with this new threat... yet that never really materializes.
In my opinion the character development and back story of Grace didn't really lend itself to the "thriller" elements. I feel that it could have been a better novel just focusing on this emotionally damaged woman coming to terms with who she was - her investigating this murder by herself seems almost unnecessary, a secondary storyline, not even that interesting. She just doesn't seem to grow or develop as a character through the experiences she has in the present day. Things happen, she goes along with it, she explores, she reacts, more things happen and it ends. There weren't really any other characters in the book that gripped me. I understand that a big part of Grace's character and personality is that she wouldn't choose to work with someone else, that she keeps herself distant and doesn't (or can't) connect with other people - but if she'd been forced to work with a partner and actually grow as a person or overcome some of her issues in some small way, I would have been happy.
This does feel like a good back story / setup premise for future novels. I would definitely continue to read if Dr Grace Blades becomes a new series, but force her into some human interaction and give her some character growth in the future, not just from the past.
A big thank you to NetGalley and Random House / Ballantine for providing me with an ARC of this book.
