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3.32 AVERAGE
3.32 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I really enjoyed this book. It was part of a book club pick and found myself excited to read it. There were some twists and turns but I would have liked more. With how strong it started I feel like it fell off in the last 100 pages. I would still recommend if looking for a mystery. I definitely got Inheritance Game vibes!
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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:
Yes
Wild ride. I was hooked right from the beginning. The cast of characters kept me on my toes and I kept guessing and second guessing my suspicions for the murderer. Was it the same person each time? Was it one killing one and another killing another? I hoped against hope that it wasn’t who I suspected but of course that’s how it turned out in the end. But I also was very satisfied with the ending.
This felt a bit like a mashup of "And Then There Were None" by Dame Christie, and "The Westing Game" by Ellen Raskin. There's an old house/hotel, a maze, a game of riddles with the winner getting the house, acrimonious relationships amongst the family, so many secrets, and there are murders, in the family's past and during the game. So lots of fun, and it's a snowy Christmas, so everyone is forced to be together, whether they want to be or not.
Main character Lily has not returned to her childhood home in years, and suffers from nightmares since childhood when she found her mother dead in the maze. The death was deemed suicide, and Lily has had trust issues since then.
She returns home now on her aunt’s word that she believes her sister’s death was murder, and if Lily participates in the annual riddle game, she’ll find out who and why her mother was killed. (Lily stopped participating in the game years ago as her cousins resented her easy deciphering of clues each year.)
Very reluctantly, Lily and the cousins and their partners begin playing, but almost immediately deaths occur, triggering Lily’s nightmares, and exacerbating the already high tension amongst the family members, none of whom want to be in the house or play. It does become clear early on that select individuals are playing because they hope to win title to the house. The whole situation resolves with way more people dead than I anticipated, and the baddie revealed (as I suspected), and Lily contemplating the costs all the secrets have had on the family, and more importantly, on her mental health and relationships.
So, Lily is not the most dynamic person, but she’s used to making herself small to avoid notice. She’s also a terrible judge of character, as she doesn’t fully see all the plotting and nastiness around her for what it is. That she succeeds in figuring out the clues is good, but also a little surprising, as she seemed so taken in by some of the family. I am glad that she gets a happy ending, along with her former and now current girlfriend.
I liked this book, even though I knew who the baddie was almost immediately. I would have loved to have seen images of all the outfits Lily had designed and made, as they s seemed really intriguing.
Though not hard to figure out, I still enjoyed this.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.
Main character Lily has not returned to her childhood home in years, and suffers from nightmares since childhood when she found her mother dead in the maze. The death was deemed suicide, and Lily has had trust issues since then.
She returns home now on her aunt’s word that she believes her sister’s death was murder, and if Lily participates in the annual riddle game, she’ll find out who and why her mother was killed. (Lily stopped participating in the game years ago as her cousins resented her easy deciphering of clues each year.)
Very reluctantly, Lily and the cousins and their partners begin playing, but almost immediately deaths occur, triggering Lily’s nightmares, and exacerbating the already high tension amongst the family members, none of whom want to be in the house or play. It does become clear early on that select individuals are playing because they hope to win title to the house. The whole situation resolves with way more people dead than I anticipated, and the baddie revealed (as I suspected), and Lily contemplating the costs all the secrets have had on the family, and more importantly, on her mental health and relationships.
So, Lily is not the most dynamic person, but she’s used to making herself small to avoid notice. She’s also a terrible judge of character, as she doesn’t fully see all the plotting and nastiness around her for what it is. That she succeeds in figuring out the clues is good, but also a little surprising, as she seemed so taken in by some of the family. I am glad that she gets a happy ending, along with her former and now current girlfriend.
I liked this book, even though I knew who the baddie was almost immediately. I would have loved to have seen images of all the outfits Lily had designed and made, as they s seemed really intriguing.
Though not hard to figure out, I still enjoyed this.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A fun Christmas mystery.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book was "okay." It was a little predictable for me. I didn't love any of the characters, and I thought it took a long time to get to "the good stuff." But I did finish it quickly, and it was a super easy read.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy
Moderate: Alcoholism, Self harm, Suicide, Violence, Car accident, Suicide attempt
Minor: Biphobia, Incest
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This is a clever, Agatha Christie inspired read. I enjoyed the cleverness and intricacy of the game. As an America , I found the intimate insights into British culture educational and charming.
My main fault with the book, resulting in the relatively low rating, is the writing. Benedict is a fine writer, but her penchant for and reliance on similes (some quite droll) quickly became distracting and undermined the story and her overall skill.
My main fault with the book, resulting in the relatively low rating, is the writing. Benedict is a fine writer, but her penchant for and reliance on similes (some quite droll) quickly became distracting and undermined the story and her overall skill.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide
I enjoyed the inclusion of lesbians as key characters
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes