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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Really enjoyed this book - easy to read and to follow the plot. Had me guessing right up until it was revealed by the author. The ending did make sense, although felt somewhat rushed given how other pieces of the story had been explored. I would have liked a bit more bulk/lead up to the connection that Kieran makes in the end.
An enjoyable read though, got through it in a couple of days as it held me captive enough.
An enjoyable read though, got through it in a couple of days as it held me captive enough.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Grief
Minor: Dementia
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Characters weren’t interesting, got halfway but the mystery was boring.
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
slow-paced
3 stars = Good and worthwhile.
This was my introduction to Jane Harper, a highly regarded Australian author whom I've been eager to read for several years. The mystery was intriguing and challenging to solve, but the novel did not meet the high expectations set by Harper's reputation. “Thriller” is not an appropriate description for this one due to the slow pace and lack of suspense. Several of my trusted reviewers say this is the weakest of her selections that they have read thus far, so perhaps her other novels will be more impressionable.
While the plot develops slowly, it did hold my interest and became compelling somewhere around the 70% mark, before concluding with an abrupt climax. I did not care for the sudden ending, and it was disappointing to not highlight a single sentence of prose as I expected the author to have more of a literary style. She did create a vivid atmosphere of the sleepy seaside town in Tasmania, and the story was captivating enough to never consider DNF’ing.
Though an enjoyable and worthwhile read, superior mysteries and thrillers are available. I would primarily recommend this one to mystery readers that enjoy a "slice of life" pacing and are looking for something atmospheric set in Tasmania.
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First Sentence: She could - almost - have been one of The Survivor.
Favorite Quote: N/A.
This was my introduction to Jane Harper, a highly regarded Australian author whom I've been eager to read for several years. The mystery was intriguing and challenging to solve, but the novel did not meet the high expectations set by Harper's reputation. “Thriller” is not an appropriate description for this one due to the slow pace and lack of suspense. Several of my trusted reviewers say this is the weakest of her selections that they have read thus far, so perhaps her other novels will be more impressionable.
While the plot develops slowly, it did hold my interest and became compelling somewhere around the 70% mark, before concluding with an abrupt climax. I did not care for the sudden ending, and it was disappointing to not highlight a single sentence of prose as I expected the author to have more of a literary style. She did create a vivid atmosphere of the sleepy seaside town in Tasmania, and the story was captivating enough to never consider DNF’ing.
Though an enjoyable and worthwhile read, superior mysteries and thrillers are available. I would primarily recommend this one to mystery readers that enjoy a "slice of life" pacing and are looking for something atmospheric set in Tasmania.
-----
First Sentence: She could - almost - have been one of The Survivor.
Favorite Quote: N/A.
The narrator's terrible. I can't understand or follow the story at all.