Scan barcode
maddiebisek's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, and Violence
annimsal's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Pidin edellisen Evelynin seitsemän kuolemaa -kirjan kerrontakikkailusta ja yllätyskäänteistä, ja odotin tältä ehkä liikaa jotain vastaavaa. Tarina osoittautui kuitenkin perinteisemmäksi Sherlock-henkiseksi mysteeriksi. Ei ehkä ihan oma juttuni, vaikka fiktiivinen 1600-luvun kauppalaiva, jossa paholainen (ehkä) vaanii matkustajia, olikin ihan jännä suljettu ympäristö.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Death
Moderate: Animal death, Blood, Child death, and Domestic abuse
erenreads12's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Stuart Turton has a unique talent for packing a book full of mysteries and clhes, and somehow not losing track of any of them or letting them develop into plot holes. This story doesn't let up for a moment and truly grabs you at every turn. The only thing that let me down a little was the ending - although it was by no means bad, it was little abrupt. However, this wasn't enough to ruin my enjoyment of the mystery, and just like with his previous work, I was thoroughly impressed by the craft of the storytelling.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Medical content
stromson's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder and Death
Minor: Rape, Physical abuse, and Sexual violence
taymariereads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Genocide, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, and Vomit
justnei's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Misogyny, Medical trauma, and Death
oliverlang's review against another edition
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Grief, Gore, Infidelity, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Vomit
silver_valkyrie_reads's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
This book started with a bit of a bang, meandered around for a few hundred pages, and then made me stay up late to read the last two hundred pages all in one go. It also seemed to alternate between moments I loved and lines that made me cringe.
As an example, the female main character is in a difficult life situation, which she mostly handles with intelligence and determination, but occasionally lapses into a modern feminist complaint about the plight of women in society. I wanted to tell her a couple of times "Your problem isn't society as much as that your husband is a jerk!"
I was also not pleased with the author's overall attitude toward God and Christianity, especially in one blasphemous line toward the end.
As an example, the female main character is in a difficult life situation, which she mostly handles with intelligence and determination, but occasionally lapses into a modern feminist complaint about the plight of women in society. I wanted to tell her a couple of times "Your problem isn't society as much as that your husband is a jerk!"
I was also not pleased with the author's overall attitude toward God and Christianity, especially in one blasphemous line toward the end.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, and Violence
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Sexual content
v171's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Michelle Obama voice: Stuart you have done it again, constantly raising the bar for us all, and doing it flawlessly.
I shouldn't be surprised that this was my first 2021 5 star read, but I'm just so blown away! I say it all the time, but I'm not big on murder mysteries, but this one really had everything, I don't know where to begin. The setting was so vivid and well developed. The atmosphere and culture of the world and setting was conveyed very naturally without blocks of exposition. The characters we were supposed to like were charming, and the characters we were supposed to hate were loathsome, but neither in a heavy handed way. I did find some of the dialogue to be a bit rushed and unnatural, but it was easy to look beyond. There were a few underlying themes around sexism and class disparity that were touched on in interesting ways. The author did a great job of painting a more... gritty? realistic?... picture of sailors than the oft romanticized versions we see today. This added to the danger and suspense for the female characters of the book, without using needless violence towards women as a tool for character development.
It goes without saying, but if you liked Evelyn Hardcastle, or if you like Agatha Christie-esque murder mysteries, you'll love this. I can't recommend it enough.
I shouldn't be surprised that this was my first 2021 5 star read, but I'm just so blown away! I say it all the time, but I'm not big on murder mysteries, but this one really had everything, I don't know where to begin. The setting was so vivid and well developed. The atmosphere and culture of the world and setting was conveyed very naturally without blocks of exposition. The characters we were supposed to like were charming, and the characters we were supposed to hate were loathsome, but neither in a heavy handed way. I did find some of the dialogue to be a bit rushed and unnatural, but it was easy to look beyond. There were a few underlying themes around sexism and class disparity that were touched on in interesting ways. The author did a great job of painting a more... gritty? realistic?... picture of sailors than the oft romanticized versions we see today. This added to the danger and suspense for the female characters of the book, without using needless violence towards women as a tool for character development.
It goes without saying, but if you liked Evelyn Hardcastle, or if you like Agatha Christie-esque murder mysteries, you'll love this. I can't recommend it enough.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Death, Murder, Sexism, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, and Slavery
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Excrement, Gore, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, and Rape
thebakerbookworm's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This book started off slow but trust me—the plot picks up a lot. There came a point where I was reading so quickly that I didn’t have time to form theories, I just wanted to know what was going to happen! I will say, parts were a little spookier than I was expecting and made me nervous reading it at night 🙈
You’re introduced to a lot of characters pretty early on and it did take a while for me to keep them all straight (thank you, handy character guide). But I loved that each of these characters were well fleshed out. They don’t all get development, but they’re all fully formed, complex people. Our main character, Arent, does get some nice development, but Sara was really the stand-out character for me. And I loved her relationship with her daughter.
So overall, a clever mystery with characters you can root for and a fascinating setting. And the ending was just perfect!
Read if you like: Sherlock Holmes or other detective duos, locked-room mysteries, historical fiction that is focused more on the fiction than the historical.
You’re introduced to a lot of characters pretty early on and it did take a while for me to keep them all straight (thank you, handy character guide). But I loved that each of these characters were well fleshed out. They don’t all get development, but they’re all fully formed, complex people. Our main character, Arent, does get some nice development, but Sara was really the stand-out character for me. And I loved her relationship with her daughter.
So overall, a clever mystery with characters you can root for and a fascinating setting. And the ending was just perfect!
Read if you like: Sherlock Holmes or other detective duos, locked-room mysteries, historical fiction that is focused more on the fiction than the historical.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Animal death, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, and Death
Moderate: Ableism
Minor: Rape