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leenu's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
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? Yes
2.75
tonstantweader's review
1.0
Leona: The Die Is Cast begins as a traditional procedural police mystery. Leona is an investigator in Stockholm’s Violent Crime Division and has just been assigned a robbery investigation – an unusual robbery that involved a young girl of seven or eight who walked into a bank with a threatening audio recording. The bank hands over the money to protect the girl from the threatened violence against her.
Most of the story is told from Leona’s point of view, but occasionally Olivia, the young girl is heard from. We also get the point of view of a reporter who becomes a bit of thorn in Leona’s side. So far, so good…until we learn very early that Leona is the mastermind behind the robberies, so even though she does not know how Olivia is being mistreated, her abuse is the result of Leona’s action. Everything that happens is the result of Leona’s actions.
Leona’s life is falling apart. Her kids like their dad more than her, though she interprets that as they don’t love her which shows the kind of emotional maturity she has. She’s a gambling addict though she does not realize it, thinking it terribly clever when she tells her husband she’s a gambling addict. She is a horrible person, an anti-hero, and really, she is not very appealing.
That would all be fine, if she were remotely believable, but she is not. She’s not particularly clever, in fact, she’s obtuse and inept. Of course, things fall apart, but a lot of her troubles are her own stupidity. I am cool with an anti-hero, but Leona’s not just an anti-hero, she gets a child abused and neglected and leaves her in jeopardy. She makes several questionable choices, beyond criminality, many of them on impulse and most completely unnecessary. Then, just for fun, there’s the medium.
I was ready to quit when the medium walked in the room. I probably should have. However, I was curious how it would shake out. Well, it shook out in a completely unbelievable and ridiculous way and ends, of course, on a cliff hanger. I am curious how Rogneby will write Leona out of her mess, but only mildly so, because I don’t care much about Leona. I don’t really care anything about Leona, I just wonder what completely unlikely and unprofessional and silly ploy will be employed to get her out of her mess.
Leona: The Die Is Cast will be released on August 1st. I received an advance e-galley from the publisher through Edelweiss.
https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpress.com/2017/07/06/9781590518823/
Most of the story is told from Leona’s point of view, but occasionally Olivia, the young girl is heard from. We also get the point of view of a reporter who becomes a bit of thorn in Leona’s side. So far, so good…until we learn very early that Leona is the mastermind behind the robberies, so even though she does not know how Olivia is being mistreated, her abuse is the result of Leona’s action. Everything that happens is the result of Leona’s actions.
Leona’s life is falling apart. Her kids like their dad more than her, though she interprets that as they don’t love her which shows the kind of emotional maturity she has. She’s a gambling addict though she does not realize it, thinking it terribly clever when she tells her husband she’s a gambling addict. She is a horrible person, an anti-hero, and really, she is not very appealing.
That would all be fine, if she were remotely believable, but she is not. She’s not particularly clever, in fact, she’s obtuse and inept. Of course, things fall apart, but a lot of her troubles are her own stupidity. I am cool with an anti-hero, but Leona’s not just an anti-hero, she gets a child abused and neglected and leaves her in jeopardy. She makes several questionable choices, beyond criminality, many of them on impulse and most completely unnecessary. Then, just for fun, there’s the medium.
I was ready to quit when the medium walked in the room. I probably should have. However, I was curious how it would shake out. Well, it shook out in a completely unbelievable and ridiculous way and ends, of course, on a cliff hanger. I am curious how Rogneby will write Leona out of her mess, but only mildly so, because I don’t care much about Leona. I don’t really care anything about Leona, I just wonder what completely unlikely and unprofessional and silly ploy will be employed to get her out of her mess.
Leona: The Die Is Cast will be released on August 1st. I received an advance e-galley from the publisher through Edelweiss.
https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpress.com/2017/07/06/9781590518823/
bandherbooks's review
4.0
I've been reading a lot of romance lately and needed a genre break, so picked this one up based of a Shelf Awareness recommendation.
I don't want to give much away, but it is a Nordic Noir in the vein of Stieg Larrsson and Jo Nesbo, but written by a female and featuring a female lead which is refreshing.
Leona is a complicated main character with an intriguing voice. She is not sentimental or emotional, and the reader is given hints into her difficult childhood. I enjoyed being in Leona's brain for the majority of the story as she investigates a bank robbery pulled off by a naked, bloody seven-year old girl.
The writing style was a bit cold, for lack of a better word, and I'm not sure if this is due to translation or just what the author was going for. Not usually my preference but it worked for this book.
I'll definitely be reading the next books in the series because DAMN that ending.
I don't want to give much away, but it is a Nordic Noir in the vein of Stieg Larrsson and Jo Nesbo, but written by a female and featuring a female lead which is refreshing.
Leona is a complicated main character with an intriguing voice. She is not sentimental or emotional, and the reader is given hints into her difficult childhood. I enjoyed being in Leona's brain for the majority of the story as she investigates a bank robbery pulled off by a naked, bloody seven-year old girl.
The writing style was a bit cold, for lack of a better word, and I'm not sure if this is due to translation or just what the author was going for. Not usually my preference but it worked for this book.
I'll definitely be reading the next books in the series because DAMN that ending.
camilleareads's review
1.0
Leona The Die is Cast had a very intriguing plot that promised suspense and a chilling narrative. I began the book with an expectation to be shocked and perhaps even be made uncomfortable. seemed very interesting, Unfortunately, the author didn’t deliver these expectations.
I’m not sure what it was about this novel that kept me from actually liking it. The story line revolves around Leona, who is a skilled police officer but has been overcome with gambling problem. I was prepared to like Leona in spite of her being emotionally detached from her environment and people, and even in spite of the crime she committed. However, her narrative was too inconsistent for me to actually feel anything for her. What I once presumed to be a strong and cunning female officer slowly dwindled into another whinny character.
Another problem I had with the plot has to do with a journalist, Christer. Christer’s storyline follows him trying to bring down a politician on charges of paying for sex. While I get that Christer is blackmailing Leona for information, I couldn’t quite understand what his role was in the story. Throughout the novel, he comes off as a cardboard cutout with no real role than to creep Leona out. I wasn’t even remotely shocked when Leona killed him.
The unreliable narration, Olivia’s perspective, and the way the robbery was carried is what I liked most about this book. If the novel had focused on those aspects and built on it, the author would have been able to deliver an edgy and squeamish psychological thriller.
While I wouldn’t push anyone away from this book, since I’ll definitely be looking out for more of the author’s future books, I think readers would benefit reading a better plotted novel with a believable character.
Follow me at Camillea Reads and on IG: biblio.khaleesi for more bookish adventures.
I’m not sure what it was about this novel that kept me from actually liking it. The story line revolves around Leona, who is a skilled police officer but has been overcome with gambling problem. I was prepared to like Leona in spite of her being emotionally detached from her environment and people, and even in spite of the crime she committed. However, her narrative was too inconsistent for me to actually feel anything for her. What I once presumed to be a strong and cunning female officer slowly dwindled into another whinny character.
Another problem I had with the plot has to do with a journalist, Christer. Christer’s storyline follows him trying to bring down a politician on charges of paying for sex.
The unreliable narration, Olivia’s perspective, and the way the robbery was carried is what I liked most about this book. If the novel had focused on those aspects and built on it, the author would have been able to deliver an edgy and squeamish psychological thriller.
While I wouldn’t push anyone away from this book, since I’ll definitely be looking out for more of the author’s future books, I think readers would benefit reading a better plotted novel with a believable character.
Follow me at Camillea Reads and on IG: biblio.khaleesi for more bookish adventures.
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