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3.61 AVERAGE
3.61 AVERAGE
This is a crazy dark comedy, Gareth is a police detective his wife, Fran, is a would be serial killer, would be because you need three kills to qualify as a veritable serial killer and at the beginning of the book we have just one grisly murder of an elderly neighbor and Fran cleaning up the crime scene. Gareth is sent to look into the disappearance of the neighbor after his neighbor's carer is concerned, she hasn't seen him. Gareth's colleagues think it is a straight forward disappearance but Gareth suspects foul play, unwittingly investigating a murder where his wife is the perpetrator. Gareth had no inkling his wife was a killer. The story is far fetched and the humor is not for everyone. The pacing is uneven and drags at first, whilst Fran's portrayal as an unhinged woman was intriguing Gareth's character didn't seem believable, he seemed oblivious to so much. They also have an elderly cat, Mep (short for Mephistopheles), who is a scene stealer at times. The POV alternates netween Fran and Gareth, Fran's dry dark humor is fun. I would have liked the other characters to be fleshed out more, Beryl, the nosy neighbor, Angus, Fran's hoarder 'brother' and Gareth's police colleagues, who seemed too generic. The premise was quirky and promised more than was delivered. Thank you to NetGalley and Storm publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
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
Fran is your normal suburbanite - good job, loving husband, serial killer tendancies .....
I loved the dark humour in this book and the revenge story to justify the murders but something about it didn't make me excited to pick it up.
The characters were well rounded and Fran & Gareth had great depth.
3.5 stars as something in this book just didn't click for me.
Thanks to Storm Publishing & Netgalley for this eARC.
I loved the dark humour in this book and the revenge story to justify the murders but something about it didn't make me excited to pick it up.
The characters were well rounded and Fran & Gareth had great depth.
3.5 stars as something in this book just didn't click for me.
Thanks to Storm Publishing & Netgalley for this eARC.
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really liked this book, but I do think it dragged a bit in the middle. I found the characters strong and compelling, even when I hated them. And while I was on the edge of my seat for the wrap up, I did find myself a little bit disappointed how things shook out.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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
DNF’d at 50%
All personal preference but I just couldn’t get into this book! I love that others enjoyed this book which is why I have 2 stars as I feel bad giving 1.
All personal preference but I just couldn’t get into this book! I love that others enjoyed this book which is why I have 2 stars as I feel bad giving 1.
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-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 one was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I absolutely loved the prologue — it hooked me right in and set up such an intriguing premise. I went in expecting a twisty, fast-paced ride. And while it had its moments, somewhere along the way it started to feel a little… repetitive. The plot kind of wobbled, like it couldn’t decide which direction to fully commit to. I found myself flipping pages more out of habit than suspense. By the time I reached the final stretch, I wasn’t as invested anymore — which is such a bummer because it had the potential to be something truly gripping. Maybe it’s just me being a picky reader again, but hey, not every book's meant to rock your world, right?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder
Moderate: Child death
