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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
This is an excellent police procedural set in Fife when in 1978 the body of a young woman is found by four young men, Ziggy, Gilly, Weird and Mondo, who soon become suspects but the case was never solved. Twenty five years later the cold case is reopened and we found out what happened to the four men and how being suspects affected them.
The book sucked me in straight away, though the pace throughout is slow and steady and quite tense at times. There were enough red herrings to confuse me and I didn't guess who the killer was until the last minute. It's quite a long book (the audio version is more than 14 hours long) but kept my attention all the way through. Fife is perfectly described so that even though I've never been there it felt very familiar.
This is the first in the Karen Pirie series, but Karen appears very little in this book, so I look forward to learning more about her in future books.
Tom Cotcher did a good job with the narration though I had to listen at a slower speed than I usually do because of his accent.
The book sucked me in straight away, though the pace throughout is slow and steady and quite tense at times. There were enough red herrings to confuse me and I didn't guess who the killer was until the last minute. It's quite a long book (the audio version is more than 14 hours long) but kept my attention all the way through. Fife is perfectly described so that even though I've never been there it felt very familiar.
This is the first in the Karen Pirie series, but Karen appears very little in this book, so I look forward to learning more about her in future books.
Tom Cotcher did a good job with the narration though I had to listen at a slower speed than I usually do because of his accent.
Primer libro de la autra que leo, me gustó lo suficiente para que no sea el último.
Buena ambientación, personajes y situaciones interesantes. Pero la resolución del misterio (me refiero a la identidad del culpable) se veía venir desde los primeros tres capítulos.
Buena ambientación, personajes y situaciones interesantes. Pero la resolución del misterio (me refiero a la identidad del culpable) se veía venir desde los primeros tres capítulos.
I'm not at all clear how I missed reading this book the first time around. Or maybe I didn't, and I just forgot everything? I listened to it on dog walks and enjoyed it. Worked it out about 2/3 of the way through and felt smug, then really enjoyed watching everyone else catch up.
Solid 9/10
An excellent mystery in itself, and an interesting study into the effects of false accusations.
I thought the first part was a tad slow, pace picked up in the second part, but as everything was getting wrapped up I got the sense that nothing had actually been superfluous.
A great idea to have this group of 4 lads stumble upon a body and find themselves at the centre of suspicion as we explore the immediate effects on their friendship and characters.
I was a tad disappointed at who the first character to die 25 years later was - one of the most likable in part 1 - but this twist allowed the author to explore the other relationships some more.
Not a major fan of some of the supporting cast - maybe a few lazy characterizations in part 2, but not a major issue as that was more than offset by the main 4 characters and some of the police.
There are enough small clues that the real culprit shouldn't come as a surprise at the very least, but a good number of red herrings too. But no lack of suspense as we're left wondering if anyone could get arrested/charged for a murder they didn't commit, and part 2 is a bit of a thriller as we wonder which of the 4 could be targeted next, whether they will manage to clear their names and more.
I was absolutely gripped by the end of part 1, and read part 2 in one sitting, not something that happens very often these days! Great novel.
An excellent mystery in itself, and an interesting study into the effects of false accusations.
I thought the first part was a tad slow, pace picked up in the second part, but as everything was getting wrapped up I got the sense that nothing had actually been superfluous.
A great idea to have this group of 4 lads stumble upon a body and find themselves at the centre of suspicion as we explore the immediate effects on their friendship and characters.
I was a tad disappointed at who the first character to die 25 years later was - one of the most likable in part 1 - but this twist allowed the author to explore the other relationships some more.
Not a major fan of some of the supporting cast - maybe a few lazy characterizations in part 2, but not a major issue as that was more than offset by the main 4 characters and some of the police.
There are enough small clues that the real culprit shouldn't come as a surprise at the very least, but a good number of red herrings too. But no lack of suspense as we're left wondering if anyone could get arrested/charged for a murder they didn't commit, and part 2 is a bit of a thriller as we wonder which of the 4 could be targeted next, whether they will manage to clear their names and more.
I was absolutely gripped by the end of part 1, and read part 2 in one sitting, not something that happens very often these days! Great novel.
It was a decent mystery. It took about 2/3 of the way through the book to figure out who did it, then a waiting game to see if I was right. The red herrings the author threw in were not distracting enough.
Because I've heard that the later books are good, I decided to start with the first. I'll try another one and see if I'll continue with the series.
What I found interesting was that this was the first in the "Karen Pirie" series, but she is a bit player in this one. Maybe if she plays a bigger role it will be more interesting.
Because I've heard that the later books are good, I decided to start with the first. I'll try another one and see if I'll continue with the series.
What I found interesting was that this was the first in the "Karen Pirie" series, but she is a bit player in this one. Maybe if she plays a bigger role it will be more interesting.
I didn’t get past page 65. I’d heard great things about this author and it was my first attempt to read one of her books. I love mysteries, crime novels, and police procedurals. But this just didn’t grab me at all. Life’s too short.
I’ve had this book for ages, and had never got round to reading it, as I’m not normally a Crime Fiction fan. But am glad I finally found time for this. It’s a great read, lots of twists, great characters, and I only worked out who did it about 2 pages before the protagonist. A great read.
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Dearly loved this book. I'm always interested in crime mysteries. This stories spans 25 years from crime to solution with plenty of intrigue along the way.