Reviews tagging 'Murder'

Le confessioni di Frannie Langton by Sara Collins

26 reviews

rwoodrum29's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Beautiful story. Smattering of similes that draws attention away from the rest of the amazing prose. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Vomit, Violence, Abortion, Bullying, Death, Trafficking, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Colonisation, Lesbophobia, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Addiction, Mental illness, Sexual violence, Gore, Grief, Murder, Classism, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Pregnancy, Suicide, Torture, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Blood, Cursing, Death of parent, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, and Rape

hedgehogreads01's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

4.5

It took me almost a month to finish, as it feels a bit slow paced. Though it was easy for me to keep up with the characters and plot.
Well written, some quotes worth writing down, the character of Frannie Langton captured my attention every time I picked up the book, her voice loud and clear (even in laudanum stupor, it seemed), demanding the freedoms, the treatment each human being should have.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Violence, Murder, Racism, and Colonisation

Moderate: Alcoholism, Pregnancy, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Blood, Death, Toxic relationship, and Torture

cheesepuppy's review against another edition

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Suicide, Racism, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Rape, Gore, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy

Minor: Trafficking, Excrement, and Slavery

leahisdudish's review against another edition

3.0

 i love an unreliable narrator

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism

Moderate: Miscarriage, Body horror, and Murder

2treads's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

"No one knows the worst thing they are capable of until they do it." 

Collins really put in the work to research and present a story that explored more than just plantation life and what it meant for slaves. That Frannie was chosen as a test subject by two white planters to see how far they could stretch and assess her intelligence. Using her as their instrument of torture against her own in a macabre dance of discovery to prove unfounded and incorrect perceptions about Black bodies.

We move from the plantation in Jamaica where Frannie is nothing more than a way for both Langton and his wife to exercise their spite and hateful beliefs to the manor of Benham and his madame where she is yet again positioned as a piece for either to use. Here, Frannie falls for the beautiful mistress of the house, ignoring all the signs that here lies her destruction and end.

These phases of her life are told to the reader by Frannie as she awaits trial for murder. Slowly, we uncover just what took place in the coachouse and how Frannie felt as she committed these unspeakable acts to how she maneuvered between a spoilt and depressed white woman and the man who wants to control both their lives. 

A really well-written debut.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug use, Slavery, Torture, Racism, Violence, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Racial slurs, Murder, Lesbophobia, Infidelity, Body horror, and Addiction

Minor: Vomit and Abortion

flashandoutbreak's review against another edition

challenging 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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Miscarriage, Murder, Racism, Addiction, Death, Rape, Abandonment, Blood, and Medical content

booksjessreads's review against another edition

dark informative sad

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I read this a while ago but I remember really enjoying it. It was a very thoroughly told story which had convincing character descriptions and telling of events. I felt the story was very emotional in parts and I did feel very connected to Frannie. I think the story is well worth the read and I would definitely re-read this. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Miscarriage, Infidelity, Colonisation, Blood, Slavery, Torture, Racial slurs, Murder, Emotional abuse, Drug use, and Death

Moderate: Sexual content, Medical trauma, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, and Physical abuse

becca9849's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad slow-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child death, Colonisation, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Addiction, Death, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, Abortion, Suicide, Mental illness, Murder, Racism, Sexual assault, and Rape

micasreads's review against another edition

TW: Slavery, Drug Use, Murder, Toxic Relationships, Racism, Grief, Death, Addiction…there are more. 

 

Frannie Langton is fighting for her life. As a housemaid in London, she sits in front of the judge and jury as they decide whether she murdered her master and mistress when found sleeping next to her mistress with blood on her hands. The problem is she won't give her attorney any information to help save her life. While sitting in her cell, she begins writing a letter to her attorney explaining her past, how she ended up in London, the secrets she could tell no one, and eventually…what happened that night. 

 

This was a historical fiction of a different kind. While most of this genre is based on a real-life person or place, this was based on a specific period of time with a completely made-up storyline. It is also a terrific murder mystery that leaves you wondering exactly what happened in that bedroom in London until the very end. This was a good slow read that allowed me to go back in time and read about what life could be like during such a terrible time in history. Please keep in mind that this is a very difficult read and there should be many trigger warnings for this book so please read with care. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Incest, Murder, Addiction, and Death

mangopassion555's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Addiction, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Death, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Sexism, Incest, Miscarriage, Suicide, Slavery, Murder, and Misogyny