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3.4 AVERAGE
3.4 AVERAGE
I knew something was fishy when Eva didn’t want to report the dead man that washed ashore while she was with her daughter, but I wasn’t expecting ALL THAT! Wow
I really liked the twists and turns in this novel and her writing is marvelous. Sejer was a very likable character and even though he is the detective, he was not the main character in this book. That was Eva and what a character she is. She is not evil but she doesn't make good choices and things go from bad to worse. As a result, the two people that she loved and was trying to provide for and protect both suffer the consequences of her actions along with her.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
No me encantó, si bien es de lectura ágil, no engancha demasiado. Me gustan más las historias que se centran en el trabajo e historia del investigador, que en el ir y venir de los participantes del crímen, sentí que le quitaba sorpresa a los hechos. De todos modos leería algo más de la autora.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
I realize that this was published in 1995, but some things in it are definitely dated, including the comment about Ethiopians being "a beautiful people," and women who off themselves always wanting the attention posthumously and leaving a suicide note.
I like was the author was trying to do, especially in showing that most people aren't inherently bad, but they can easily "slide" into dark behavior in the right circumstances. However I found wide stretches of the book somewhat boring to read, and Sejer wasn't appealing as a character because he didn't actually do much investigating. The author is known as the Queen of Norwegian crime fiction, so maybe this book was more compelling close to when it was published, and maybe Sejer becomes more developed and appealing a few books into this long series.
I like was the author was trying to do, especially in showing that most people aren't inherently bad, but they can easily "slide" into dark behavior in the right circumstances. However I found wide stretches of the book somewhat boring to read, and Sejer wasn't appealing as a character because he didn't actually do much investigating. The author is known as the Queen of Norwegian crime fiction, so maybe this book was more compelling close to when it was published, and maybe Sejer becomes more developed and appealing a few books into this long series.
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
A little slow, took a while for the plot to develop & become cohesive
dark
mysterious
This crime novel very much reminded me of a Martin Beck novel, because the cop seems like an actual human being - he eats soup and cleans the dishes, he grieves for his wife, and his heart hurts for the victims of crime and their families. The criminal likewise seems fully human and inspires empathy. Nobody talks or thinks too much, but still the reader gets a sense of characters. There's a sex scene and several murder scenes, and Fossum manages to make these vivid but not unnecessarily detailed.
The pacing is terrific. Dramatic things -- meetings, confrontations, chases -- happen often enough, and nothing that happens in this story is predictable.
The pacing is terrific. Dramatic things -- meetings, confrontations, chases -- happen often enough, and nothing that happens in this story is predictable.