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shankargopal's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-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
3.5
I really wanted to love this book. It has some extraordinary things in it - the main character is beautifully developed in a very human way, the world is built very well, and there is a gut punch that is so well done and that comes out of nowhere, exactly as it would in real life.
But as a detective story I struggled with it. Some parts seemed wilfully random and obscure and I still don't understand them (I'm searching for someone who can explain the monkeys...). Then alongside these abstruse and difficult points there are deductions that seem too easy. At one point a crucial fact is deduced just because sharp objects were used in two separate incidents - which seemed like a stretch too far. And so on.
I like Roberts' writing, and I'll be looking to read more by him. But this one left me confused.
But as a detective story I struggled with it. Some parts seemed wilfully random and obscure and I still don't understand them (I'm searching for someone who can explain the monkeys...). Then alongside these abstruse and difficult points there are deductions that seem too easy. At one point a crucial fact is deduced just because sharp objects were used in two separate incidents - which seemed like a stretch too far. And so on.
I like Roberts' writing, and I'll be looking to read more by him. But this one left me confused.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Torture
mrfrenchtoasts's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- 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
3.75
vondav's review against another edition
3.0
Before I start the review, I have to say that I had not read the 1st in the series. What attracted me to this book was the blurb. A woman found dead with a needle in her thumb and one of the four richest people is dead, but no one knows who it is or who killed them. In steps to Alma, a PI, who has a knack for solving difficult cases.
You could tell straightaway that the two cases Alma was involved were complicated. Not knowing who to talk too and only having a small window of time to investigate meant that at times she did struggle to do any work. As sole carer for her partner Marguerite who was seriously ill made the need to solve these cases more important, as they were constantly in debt. Money played a big part in the story especially with the talk of absolute wealth, this emphasises just how serious Alma’s money problems were.
Throughout the story, there were a lot of play on words, usually down to Alma who was quick witted and the two thugs Reg and Ron Krys. They were some of my favourite characters, a dumbed down version of the Krays, who also loved their violence. They were like trained pets who did what they were told for the highest pay out. At the start Stanley was one of the most annoying characters I had read about in a while but the more I read, he grew on me. His love of Kubrick was full on and the world he created in the Shine to immortalize 2001 Space Odyssey, had me reminiscing watching this film with my dad.
As this is sci-fi there was a lot of tech, from smart clothes to personal feeds. There were times that I got myself confused but after a couple of lines I was able to see where the story was going. As the story concluded, the author tied up all the loose ends and the twist at the end was unexpected.
After reading this, I am interested in where this series started, so I am off to read book 1
You could tell straightaway that the two cases Alma was involved were complicated. Not knowing who to talk too and only having a small window of time to investigate meant that at times she did struggle to do any work. As sole carer for her partner Marguerite who was seriously ill made the need to solve these cases more important, as they were constantly in debt. Money played a big part in the story especially with the talk of absolute wealth, this emphasises just how serious Alma’s money problems were.
Throughout the story, there were a lot of play on words, usually down to Alma who was quick witted and the two thugs Reg and Ron Krys. They were some of my favourite characters, a dumbed down version of the Krays, who also loved their violence. They were like trained pets who did what they were told for the highest pay out. At the start Stanley was one of the most annoying characters I had read about in a while but the more I read, he grew on me. His love of Kubrick was full on and the world he created in the Shine to immortalize 2001 Space Odyssey, had me reminiscing watching this film with my dad.
As this is sci-fi there was a lot of tech, from smart clothes to personal feeds. There were times that I got myself confused but after a couple of lines I was able to see where the story was going. As the story concluded, the author tied up all the loose ends and the twist at the end was unexpected.
After reading this, I am interested in where this series started, so I am off to read book 1
mirandaosmelak's review
Expositionary dialogue. Life is short, I'd rather read something well written.
weesam_nz's review against another edition
5.0
This is a series I really hope continues. Excellent stuff.
abetterjulie's review against another edition
3.0
This one wasn't funny, and the characters were awful without being entertaining.
I loved the concept of 2001: A Space Odyssey as a murder mystery. Clever, but that whole scene for Alma to get to it was too long for me. And it was a bit of a false promise to the reader.
The moral insights were mostly about money, and I found them heavy-handed rather than sudden joyful revelations like in his other books. This felt like less care was taken during writing. More of a rant than a song.
I did cry at one point, but spoilers, so I won't share.
The whole narrative was a downer, and I don't think Alma was particularly good at her job. She frustrated me often.
The concepts and murders were interesting. The world-building was shallow, but intriguing. I just wish the characters had been different ones.
I loved the concept of 2001: A Space Odyssey as a murder mystery. Clever, but that whole scene for Alma to get to it was too long for me. And it was a bit of a false promise to the reader.
The moral insights were mostly about money, and I found them heavy-handed rather than sudden joyful revelations like in his other books. This felt like less care was taken during writing. More of a rant than a song.
I did cry at one point, but spoilers, so I won't share.
The whole narrative was a downer, and I don't think Alma was particularly good at her job. She frustrated me often.
The concepts and murders were interesting. The world-building was shallow, but intriguing. I just wish the characters had been different ones.
kjcharles's review
Second in the near future SF detective series where almost everyone spends their lives plugged into virtual reality. Alma is a private detective who refuses to plug in; meanwhile her lover Marguerite is afflicted by a virus that mutates every few hours giving her a new life-threatening illness which Alma must fix--which puts her under a constant ticking clock .
I like the strong queer relationship at the centre and the heavily female cast--the majority of characters are women, without comment, they just are, which is *so rare*. The mystery was clever, if a bit thin. But the whole thing comes with a massive level of self-conscious whimsy, in dialogue as well as narration, which becomes pretty exhausting (to me at least, and I like terrible puns). Also a really annoying inconsistency throughout whereby Alma has barely heard of eg Shakespeare or Kubrick because they're old fashioned figures of a near-forgotten cultural past, but repeatedly quotes pop culture like Harry Enfield catchphrases. Roberts is an extremely clever and considered writer so I can't imagine this was accidental but damned if I see the point.
Mph. Overall it was too whimsical for my taste, which is a shame as I like the concept and enjoyed the first a lot, but if you like conscious cleverness, this delivers in spades.
I like the strong queer relationship at the centre and the heavily female cast--the majority of characters are women, without comment, they just are, which is *so rare*. The mystery was clever, if a bit thin. But the whole thing comes with a massive level of self-conscious whimsy, in dialogue as well as narration, which becomes pretty exhausting (to me at least, and I like terrible puns). Also a really annoying inconsistency throughout whereby Alma has barely heard of eg Shakespeare or Kubrick because they're old fashioned figures of a near-forgotten cultural past, but repeatedly quotes pop culture like Harry Enfield catchphrases. Roberts is an extremely clever and considered writer so I can't imagine this was accidental but damned if I see the point.
Mph. Overall it was too whimsical for my taste, which is a shame as I like the concept and enjoyed the first a lot, but if you like conscious cleverness, this delivers in spades.
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