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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Exactly what it needs to be & then just a little better. Listening to Jo read it is a real delight, she does the voices.
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I have never read this author or series before, but this was a trip!
The plot is linear; Marie (excuse me, Luella) is recruited to help find David G after he goes missing one weekend on a reality TV show, Sex Island. She agrees to come check things out, mostly because she can’t say no with what they want to pay her. Upon arrival, the producers inform her the only way she can be undercover is by participating on the show. She agrees, not thinking much of it, until she shows up to date one and sees her outfit. Plenty of twists and turns, and a constant question of whodunnit!
The characters are definitely… reality TV contestants. 😂 Luella doesn’t quite fit in, as she’s 29 and not a hottie with a body, but a few of the characters in the book show the promise of brains. Isa is probably my favorite character, mostly because you never know what she’ll do next.
The writing is fun and witty and easy to absorb; I had no problems finishing this in two sittings. It makes for a quick and fun read, with lots of surprises within the pages.
4.5⭐️
I have never read this author or series before, but this was a trip!
The plot is linear; Marie (excuse me, Luella) is recruited to help find David G after he goes missing one weekend on a reality TV show, Sex Island. She agrees to come check things out, mostly because she can’t say no with what they want to pay her. Upon arrival, the producers inform her the only way she can be undercover is by participating on the show. She agrees, not thinking much of it, until she shows up to date one and sees her outfit. Plenty of twists and turns, and a constant question of whodunnit!
The characters are definitely… reality TV contestants. 😂 Luella doesn’t quite fit in, as she’s 29 and not a hottie with a body, but a few of the characters in the book show the promise of brains. Isa is probably my favorite character, mostly because you never know what she’ll do next.
The writing is fun and witty and easy to absorb; I had no problems finishing this in two sittings. It makes for a quick and fun read, with lots of surprises within the pages.
4.5⭐️
It wasn’t love. It was Antifreeze. I had such a blast reading this book. Even though the solution to the mystery was overly obvious and I would have liked the main character’s perspective on it to unfold more gradually, in the end my enjoyment was just too high for it to matter. Also, I’m very amused by and in agreement with the last line of the Acknowledgements section. 😉
funny
mysterious
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
: )
Una pena que el final haya sido lo más flojo, pero creo que es muy divertido bastante tiempo, muy abierto y sincero de una forma un poco retorcida.
Una pena que el final haya sido lo más flojo, pero creo que es muy divertido bastante tiempo, muy abierto y sincero de una forma un poco retorcida.
Murder on Sex Island is as absurd as the trashy reality dating shows it spoofs—and that’s both what makes it fun and a little chaotic. Jo Firestone throws us onto “Sex Island,” where a contestant has gone missing and undercover detective Luella van Horn (who’s really Marie Jones, a divorced ex-social worker) is sent in to crack the case. Right away, you know this book isn’t taking itself too seriously.
The cast is completely over-the-top—sleazy producers, fame-hungry contestants, and ridiculous challenges that feel straight off reality TV. The humor is snarky, silly, and often raunchy. There’s a lot of sex talk (it’s in the title, after all), so while the mystery setup has a cozy vibe—a quirky sleuth, a confined setting—it’s way too raunchy to actually be called cozy.
I didn’t hate it, didn’t love it. It was entertaining for what it was: light, goofy escapism that made me chuckle but probably won’t stick with me. It sounds like there might be more Luella van Horn mysteries on the way, and while I’m not completely sold, I’m at least curious to see what wild situation she lands in next.
Thanks to Ballantine and NetGalley for the ARC!
The cast is completely over-the-top—sleazy producers, fame-hungry contestants, and ridiculous challenges that feel straight off reality TV. The humor is snarky, silly, and often raunchy. There’s a lot of sex talk (it’s in the title, after all), so while the mystery setup has a cozy vibe—a quirky sleuth, a confined setting—it’s way too raunchy to actually be called cozy.
I didn’t hate it, didn’t love it. It was entertaining for what it was: light, goofy escapism that made me chuckle but probably won’t stick with me. It sounds like there might be more Luella van Horn mysteries on the way, and while I’m not completely sold, I’m at least curious to see what wild situation she lands in next.
Thanks to Ballantine and NetGalley for the ARC!
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes