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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
Holy bunch of suspects!
This is a police procedural with lots of suspects, lots of police (the British equivalent), and a lot of secrets. The story is told in not quite alternating chapters, wherein Louise is writing a letter to her husband to explain her actions and feelings before and since finding a bloodied, and decidedly dead, man in her bed. The other chapters cover a lot of ground, playing out multiple storylines that include the police (mainly Juliette Hansen), Louise, and her best friend, April. It turns out Louise isn't the only one with big troubles; however, she is the only one through most of the book that spends some time in jail!
It doesn't help Louise's case that she gets blackout drunk often and has huge lapses in memory, particularly on the night in question. Nor does it help when almost everyone involved with the dead man are acting suspiciously, each for their own reason.
Despite this being the third book in a series, I read it as a stand-alone and the characters were well developed. There was a bit of confusion as sometimes first and/or last names were used (e.g., Juliette/Hansen, Jonah/Sheens and it would have been good to have some dividers or extra spaces to indicate when the author was hopping to a new scene within a chapter, but it was a fun, intricately plotted read, so I am rounding up to 4 stars.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an advanced reader's copy for review.
This is a police procedural with lots of suspects, lots of police (the British equivalent), and a lot of secrets. The story is told in not quite alternating chapters, wherein Louise is writing a letter to her husband to explain her actions and feelings before and since finding a bloodied, and decidedly dead, man in her bed. The other chapters cover a lot of ground, playing out multiple storylines that include the police (mainly Juliette Hansen), Louise, and her best friend, April. It turns out Louise isn't the only one with big troubles; however, she is the only one through most of the book that spends some time in jail!
It doesn't help Louise's case that she gets blackout drunk often and has huge lapses in memory, particularly on the night in question. Nor does it help when almost everyone involved with the dead man are acting suspiciously, each for their own reason.
Despite this being the third book in a series, I read it as a stand-alone and the characters were well developed. There was a bit of confusion as sometimes first and/or last names were used (e.g., Juliette/Hansen, Jonah/Sheens and it would have been good to have some dividers or extra spaces to indicate when the author was hopping to a new scene within a chapter, but it was a fun, intricately plotted read, so I am rounding up to 4 stars.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an advanced reader's copy for review.
I like the procedural aspects and dislike the gone girl aspects.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
While I found this book to be an engaging read, it doesn't quite rank as my favorite work by Gytha Lodge. The characters are intricately flawed, which made it difficult for me to fully connect with any of them, though I held onto the hope that Alex hadn't committed any truly heinous acts.
As the narrative unfolded, I began to appreciate Louise more, despite her initially coming across as a rather fragile character. She evolved somewhat, but I often wished she had displayed greater strength.
There were several loose threads in the plot that I felt weren't adequately resolved by the conclusion. The outcomes surrounding April, a friend of Louise's, were particularly exasperating; I had a sense from the very beginning that there was something amiss with her.
In spite of these critiques, the story itself was undeniably gripping, expertly crafted to keep readers guessing until the very last page. The author's skillful writing and clever twists made for an exhilarating ride and I can't wait to read more from her.
As the narrative unfolded, I began to appreciate Louise more, despite her initially coming across as a rather fragile character. She evolved somewhat, but I often wished she had displayed greater strength.
There were several loose threads in the plot that I felt weren't adequately resolved by the conclusion. The outcomes surrounding April, a friend of Louise's, were particularly exasperating; I had a sense from the very beginning that there was something amiss with her.
In spite of these critiques, the story itself was undeniably gripping, expertly crafted to keep readers guessing until the very last page. The author's skillful writing and clever twists made for an exhilarating ride and I can't wait to read more from her.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Rape, Murder, Alcohol
I loved the premise of this book but there were too many characters and superfluous stories.
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
3.5
Solid storyline although there are some seriously disfuncional adults in this one. Needing to label yourself “drunk” or “sober” should be a huge red flag. I had guessed some of it early on but the ending was still a surprise.
Solid storyline although there are some seriously disfuncional adults in this one. Needing to label yourself “drunk” or “sober” should be a huge red flag. I had guessed some of it early on but the ending was still a surprise.
I HATE it when a book is not clearly listed as part of a series somewhere on the cover, or the jacket, or somewhere on the flipping book itself. I kept wondering why I was having a hard time connecting to and keeping up with all the characters.
Another solid entry in this police procedural mystery series. Not my favorite in the series, but I will keep reading them!
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Louise Reakes wacht neben einem Toten auf. Ein toter Mann in ihrem Bett. Wie kam es dazu?
Gytha Lodge erzählt eine unglaublich spannende, gewissenhafte und realistische Jagd auf einen Mörder. Es ist eine Wohltat, mal die akribische Arbeit der Polizei verfolgen zu können, ohne dass sich die Leichen stapeln.
Eine klare Empfehlung für alle Krimifans!
Gytha Lodge erzählt eine unglaublich spannende, gewissenhafte und realistische Jagd auf einen Mörder. Es ist eine Wohltat, mal die akribische Arbeit der Polizei verfolgen zu können, ohne dass sich die Leichen stapeln.
Eine klare Empfehlung für alle Krimifans!