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cozydarosy's review against another edition
4.0
Super funny and of course great representation of rez vs small town life. A great satire of detective novels too. You learn to love Dreadful and I can't wait to read more. I wouldn't recommend this to a hardcore mystery fan, but that's also why I really enjoyed it. I like character driven stories and this is definitely one of them.
steph1225's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
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? No
4.0
mohogany225's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
I inhaled this book over 24 hours, and enjoyed every minute! This was such a fun mystery, it really was a fun ride to read!
The main character, Thumps DreadfulWater, is a Cherokee retired cop, who’s moved from California to the small town of Chinook and works as a photographer. When a body is found in the new condo resort built by the local Indigenous band, Thumps slowly becomes involved in investigating the murder.
Thomas King writes with a very dry sense of humour, so this book felt like I was reading an episode of Castle, or something like it. The details he’s put in about Thumps’ character traits are well thought out, and help to expand on the world the story has built. While the actual mystery was a bit thin, the journey Thumps goes on was very enjoyable to read. I think reading a story written in the early 2000’s was fun to relive, back when cellphones were rare. While not a perfect story, this one was a lot of fun, and I look forward to the other books my mom had in her collection.
The main character, Thumps DreadfulWater, is a Cherokee retired cop, who’s moved from California to the small town of Chinook and works as a photographer. When a body is found in the new condo resort built by the local Indigenous band, Thumps slowly becomes involved in investigating the murder.
Thomas King writes with a very dry sense of humour, so this book felt like I was reading an episode of Castle, or something like it. The details he’s put in about Thumps’ character traits are well thought out, and help to expand on the world the story has built. While the actual mystery was a bit thin, the journey Thumps goes on was very enjoyable to read. I think reading a story written in the early 2000’s was fun to relive, back when cellphones were rare. While not a perfect story, this one was a lot of fun, and I look forward to the other books my mom had in her collection.
caseythecanadianlesbrarian's review against another edition
4.0
A great whodunit with a firm tongue-in-cheek touch!
evatj's review against another edition
4.0
DreadfulWater is the first in a series of five "detective" novels which I accidentally purchased from Amazon, when reviewing. The book is jot an edge of your seat thriller rather I would describe the book as gentle, sardonic and an easy read. I think it will be a great series to continue to read when I am dealing with pressure at work due to year end.
jenniechantal's review against another edition
4.0
A very satisfying mystery full of King’s signature humour and sarcasm. Very readable. Took me just a few hours. Will definitely continue with the series.
krwilson's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed DreadfulWater, the first book in Thomas King’s crime fiction series of the same name (previously published under a pseudonym as DreadfulWater Shows Up). It’s a classic outsider-thinks-the-cops-are-after-the-wrong-guy story, but set in a fictional Indigenous community on the edge of the Rocky Mountains and energized by King’s dry wit. I smell a binge read.
dusang's review against another edition
3.0
A charming read -- Thomas King is obviously an excellent writer with a very dry sense of humour.
Reading it 17 years after original publication does remind me of the rapidity of change in my lifetime -- the reference to having to get photographs "developed" before you could look at them was a real blast from the past!!
Reading it 17 years after original publication does remind me of the rapidity of change in my lifetime -- the reference to having to get photographs "developed" before you could look at them was a real blast from the past!!
hdh's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0