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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
medium-paced
Another great twisty mystery novel. In classic Turin style, there are a wide array of characters, so grab your notebook or refer to the book’s inside cover to help you keep track. I didn’t know who did it or how they did it until it was revealed near the end. As with his other books, I was left replaying events and making connections and having aha moments for hours after I finished. Highly recommend!
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Prose was extremely uninspiring. The resolution didn't feel sufficiently built to or hinted at, and also in many ways did not feel unique enough for me to feel satisfied. The characters did not personally grip me. One boon is that the chapters are very short and every one of them contains some significant events or twist that provides some motivation to keep going. Personally, I should have shelved it 1/3 through.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape
It’s the curse of powerful men to heed only their own voices.
Delightful characters and a grim maritime ambience. Though this isn’t as memorable as Turton’s The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, it’s still very good and I look forward to him writing more novels in the future.
Spoiler
The story has a mostly depressing view of human nature, but the turn at the end where the heroes convince their deceptive former friends to join up, atone for past crimes, and Use Their Powers For Good™ definitely made me smile.(crosspost)
adventurous
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:
Yes
A loosely 1600s historical high-concept mystery set on the high seas, with an almost Holmes-and-Watson pairing but the Holmes of this story (Sammy Pipps) is imprisoned for the voyage while the Watson (Arent Hayes), a not-so-gentle giant, teams up with a nobleman's battered wife (Sara Haan) are left to try and solve the mystery of who is threatening to sink the ship they are on.
This book is an absolute blast - the prose is amazingly balanced: concise enough that the pace is fast, while evocative enough that it paints a picture in your mind. It's quite the page-turner and yet a book you will want to cherish every chapter - luckily most chapters are so exhilarating they are highly satisfying!
The mystery is extremely compelling, hard (for me) to solve and I'm thankful that's the case as the revelations are satisfying and compelling. The author plays fair - in retrospect I can see the clues laid down clearly, but subtle misdirection stops you from seeing it.
It absolutely sticks the landing, while still having an unexpected ending! 100% recommend this book.
This book is an absolute blast - the prose is amazingly balanced: concise enough that the pace is fast, while evocative enough that it paints a picture in your mind. It's quite the page-turner and yet a book you will want to cherish every chapter - luckily most chapters are so exhilarating they are highly satisfying!
The mystery is extremely compelling, hard (for me) to solve and I'm thankful that's the case as the revelations are satisfying and compelling. The author plays fair - in retrospect I can see the clues laid down clearly, but subtle misdirection stops you from seeing it.
It absolutely sticks the landing, while still having an unexpected ending! 100% recommend this book.
adventurous
mysterious
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5 stars
The mystery was such an intriguing idea that I kept going, but it really was slow going. Different tone than author's last book which propelled me to read this.
If you like mysteries, this is certainly a great mystery.
The mystery was such an intriguing idea that I kept going, but it really was slow going. Different tone than author's last book which propelled me to read this.
If you like mysteries, this is certainly a great mystery.
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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