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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
The description of a gothic mystery was really appealing to me. While it was an enjoyable read, I didn't feel that it really had that "gothic" feeling with a strong sense of place and atmosphere. I did feel like it picked up right at the very end, and I liked that there wasn't a complete resolution to the mystery.
I love me a good gothic mystery. This one was a little slow to start but I finished the last half in a day. I loved the descriptions of the town and the houses, I could picture the mansard roofs and gothic revivals and as a public historian I too am fascinated with the way memory shapes the past. I would have loved to read Arden's thesis.
Received advanced copy via NetGalley.
This was closer to a 2.5 star read for me. I'm not sure what it was exactly but it just lacked something, mystique, maybe. It was clear to me, from the start, where it was going but I gave it the benefit of the doubt, hoping it had outsmarted me but everything fell into place as expected. That in and of itself wouldn't have been so bad, but there were other little things that bothered me.
The best way I can describe the other things was that it kind of felt like we were playing murder mystery Bingo:
Old house - ✔️
Creepy caretaker - ✔️
Ouiji board - ✔️
Fortune teller with spot on accuracy - ✔️
Takes place in autumn to include Halloween - ✔️
Secret Underground Railroad tunnel that narrator didn't know about - ✔️
Look, if there's one or two usual elements, I can overlook them, but it just felt like there was nothing new or unique here.
In addition to all this, any revelation felt rushed. It didn't land with any kind of surprising or lasting impact. I hate when narrators spend half the story alluding to a past that is pretty obvious. If you're not going to shock me then just get on with it already. And then don't try to hide a tiny piece to shock me with later because by then, I just don't care.
Even the big ending reveal, despite coming in stages, It seemed rushed. There was little time between to process any revelations the narrator made.
Lastly, this is just a little thing I noticed that stood out. The narrator refers to a character as having salt and pepper hair. That would imply gray and dark hair, yes? He comments on being completely gray. Well, which is it? Pick one.
This was closer to a 2.5 star read for me. I'm not sure what it was exactly but it just lacked something, mystique, maybe. It was clear to me, from the start, where it was going but I gave it the benefit of the doubt, hoping it had outsmarted me but everything fell into place as expected. That in and of itself wouldn't have been so bad, but there were other little things that bothered me.
The best way I can describe the other things was that it kind of felt like we were playing murder mystery Bingo:
Old house - ✔️
Creepy caretaker - ✔️
Ouiji board - ✔️
Fortune teller with spot on accuracy - ✔️
Takes place in autumn to include Halloween - ✔️
Secret Underground Railroad tunnel that narrator didn't know about - ✔️
Look, if there's one or two usual elements, I can overlook them, but it just felt like there was nothing new or unique here.
In addition to all this, any revelation felt rushed. It didn't land with any kind of surprising or lasting impact. I hate when narrators spend half the story alluding to a past that is pretty obvious. If you're not going to shock me then just get on with it already. And then don't try to hide a tiny piece to shock me with later because by then, I just don't care.
Even the big ending reveal, despite coming in stages, It seemed rushed. There was little time between to process any revelations the narrator made.
Lastly, this is just a little thing I noticed that stood out. The narrator refers to a character as having salt and pepper hair. That would imply gray and dark hair, yes? He comments on being completely gray. Well, which is it? Pick one.
McHugh does a great job describing a once great Midwestern river town that is in decline. It's also a really good mystery and a page-turner.
Read the first 100, then skipped to the last 20. Everything was depressing--Arden, missing sisters, the house, rundown town.
Wow! This book was excellent. I didn't know much about it, but I received it as an ARC so thought I'd give it a try. It's part mystery, part suspense, part family fiction, really an intriguing blending of genres. I would highly recommend it for anyone looking for a well-written book with a mysterious story that's full of emotion.
This was quite the page turner. I struggled to put the book down wanting to know what happened. I would recommend this book to others.
3 1/2 stars - twisty and turny, with such Midwest heaviness underneath. I didn't figure out the "whodunit" until the very last.
This was a great book! I loved the mystery of it. I thought Arden was very relatable in the way she spoke and acted towards herself and others. I liked that this kept me guessing until the end. I couldn't wait to get more of the story each time I was forced to put the book down or hit pause. I read and listened to this book. I think overall, I preferred the audio version. There was something about hearing this told as a story instead of reading it that gave it something extra. I enjoyed reading it but once I started listening to it, I really got into it. I'm very exited to read another book by this author. She is very talented. There were details in the book that I thought were nice touches and she really seemed to have the ability to give clues without giving things away.
I am a sucker for books about mysterious old homes. I was satisfied with the ending and was a bit surprised. My money was on the killer being Ben, but sadly, his only crime was being a boring townie.