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4.3 AVERAGE
4.3 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
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:
N/A
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Another brilliant book with DCS Frank and AIDE Lock. I love these books and am already looking forward to book 3, especially after the last chapter!
This one had more twists and then major tension at the end. I want to see how Lock develops his learning going forward and how the team gets on with their next case.
This one had more twists and then major tension at the end. I want to see how Lock develops his learning going forward and how the team gets on with their next case.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I am disappointed to report that once again, we do not get Lock as Detective Pikachu, despite that the second book in the Kat and Lock series was still great.
In book two, we get to see them and their team work a live murder case. A man is found dead crucified on a cross on a hill, with numerous possible suspects and not a lot of evidence. The team scrambles for most of the book for any lead on the killer. Which is where this book struggles, we see Kat steadfast in her morals, clash with her direct superior who wants her to arrest literally anyone as tension mounts with the public, and a reporter who keeps popping up at the wrong time to spread information Kats not ready to release. The book drags a bit here, as the Detectives keep going back to interview the same people many times because they don't have a true suspect.
Here is where I wish the author developed the secondary characters more, so many opportunities, but instead, we have the bare minimum. So bare I honestly forgot their names except Debbie because her pregnancy and her determination to not let it get in the way of her work is her whole personality.
Hopefully, if there is a book three, which I think there will be, we get to see more of the rest of the team. I loved Kats character development as she continued to move through her grief, it's not fast it's realistic, as well as her relationships with the other people in her life from before her husband died.
All in all, I really enjoyed the second book, and I look forward to another! Thank you, Random House Publishing and NetGalley, for the ARC!
In book two, we get to see them and their team work a live murder case. A man is found dead crucified on a cross on a hill, with numerous possible suspects and not a lot of evidence. The team scrambles for most of the book for any lead on the killer. Which is where this book struggles, we see Kat steadfast in her morals, clash with her direct superior who wants her to arrest literally anyone as tension mounts with the public, and a reporter who keeps popping up at the wrong time to spread information Kats not ready to release. The book drags a bit here, as the Detectives keep going back to interview the same people many times because they don't have a true suspect.
Here is where I wish the author developed the secondary characters more, so many opportunities, but instead, we have the bare minimum. So bare I honestly forgot their names except Debbie because her pregnancy and her determination to not let it get in the way of her work is her whole personality.
Hopefully, if there is a book three, which I think there will be, we get to see more of the rest of the team. I loved Kats character development as she continued to move through her grief, it's not fast it's realistic, as well as her relationships with the other people in her life from before her husband died.
All in all, I really enjoyed the second book, and I look forward to another! Thank you, Random House Publishing and NetGalley, for the ARC!
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Jo Callaghan’s second book definitely did not suffer from sophomore slump. I thought Leave No Trace was even better than In The Blink of an Eye and I loved it. Not only was Leave No Trace a super police procedural, but this time Kat and Locke were in charge of a live case involving a sadistic and ritualistic murder, which made it hard to put down. Once again Callaghan shows us how extremely helpful data analysis by AI could be, but also how instinct and an understanding of human emotions by another human was essential.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-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:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
mysterious
tense
adventurous
challenging
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
dark
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:
Complicated
I loved the first book In The Blink of an Eye. I gave it 5 stars and I loved the freshness that book provided with the use of AI as an investigative tool.
So, I am sad that this book did not meet my expectations as a sequel. I enjoyed the start of this book as a body is discovered crucified to a cross. I enjoyed the early investigation and the commentary of misogynydue to the fact that the two victims are men, men in the community are advised to take precautions when going out a night, directly feeding into the advice women are given when going out at night.
I also felt as though Kat and Lock were lacking from the first book. While we do get some process in their relationship, I felt as though their characters are the same as the first book. Unlike Debbie, Ryian and Professor Okonedo, whose characters were more fleshed out and developed by the end of the book.
While the resolution of the mystery of interesting as well as the motivations behind the killer, I felt that the reveal of the killer was too predictableEllie Baxter was the first person to show up at the first murder scene which was suspicious in itself and she appear as a character too frequently. This is where the investigation itself let this down as she was never brought to the police station for a formal interview. Plus her connection to the victims was discovered only in the last few chapters despite Lock finding the connection within minutes of analysing the photo.
I find that the authors inspiration for Leave No Trace interesting after reading the acknowledgments but I don’t know if I will be reading the third book as a large portion of that will concentrate on the pastalongside a new case, the book will question if Kat catch the wrong killer in The Aston Strangler case. This case was brought up several times in Leave No Trace and the last chapter reveals the son of The Aston Strangler is out for revenge.
I am not liking the sound of the plot of the third book, Human Remains. And, after reading Leaving No Trace, I am unsure if it is worth continuing with the series.
So, I am sad that this book did not meet my expectations as a sequel. I enjoyed the start of this book as a body is discovered crucified to a cross. I enjoyed the early investigation and the commentary of misogyny
I also felt as though Kat and Lock were lacking from the first book. While we do get some process in their relationship, I felt as though their characters are the same as the first book. Unlike Debbie, Ryian and Professor Okonedo, whose characters were more fleshed out and developed by the end of the book.
While the resolution of the mystery of interesting as well as the motivations behind the killer, I felt that the reveal of the killer was too predictable
I find that the authors inspiration for Leave No Trace interesting after reading the acknowledgments but I don’t know if I will be reading the third book as a large portion of that will concentrate on the past
I am not liking the sound of the plot of the third book, Human Remains. And, after reading Leaving No Trace, I am unsure if it is worth continuing with the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Death, Gore, Misogyny
Minor: Rape