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darthnerdus's review
5.0
Great book. Mahnke continues to improve his craft while maintaining his masterful use of suspicion and tension. I had such a hard time putting this down I nearly finished it the day it came out but instead opted to finish it at work, as one should.
My only desire would be for a tighter wrap-up at the conclusion of the novel, as there were many threads left unresolved, but those loose ends kept me reading until the very last page and wondering what they meant hours (I did just finish it after all) after the book was put down.
My only desire would be for a tighter wrap-up at the conclusion of the novel, as there were many threads left unresolved, but those loose ends kept me reading until the very last page and wondering what they meant hours (I did just finish it after all) after the book was put down.
vifrand's review
5.0
As a fan of the Lore Podcast, I was very exicted about finally getting around to reading one of Aaron Mahnke's books. And I was not disappointed. Mahnke's amazing ability to put together a narrative shines through in this very engaging story.
mariellemadden's review
3.0
A fun, if unpolished, read. Despite a charming and refreshingly emotional main character in Sam Hawthorne, this story suffers from dialogue that's not always natural or convincing, and noticeably repetitive word choice. I was drawn in by the mystery, but the resolution was incomplete, with a sequel hook that felt more frustrating than promising. Also, frankly, there was a disturbing lack of women in the story, and one of the two prominent women was characterized as a blabbermouth and caused trouble for Sam.
This sounds like I'm ragging on the book more than I actually intended. I did enjoy it! But the things I liked are a bit harder to pinpoint than the problems I had. Looking back, the whole story just seemed like it needed some more thorough editing and maybe some rewrites. I did absolutely love the metaphysical fun that happened, and I was intrigued by Roger's history and biology 'lessons'.
This sounds like I'm ragging on the book more than I actually intended. I did enjoy it! But the things I liked are a bit harder to pinpoint than the problems I had. Looking back, the whole story just seemed like it needed some more thorough editing and maybe some rewrites. I did absolutely love the metaphysical fun that happened, and I was intrigued by Roger's history and biology 'lessons'.
morganatthelibrary's review
1.0
I was really interested in the story that was being told, as well as the character of Sam, but it was a rough read. I was drawn in, but could not really stay in the story due to the lack of direction the novel seemed to have. The characters lack an organic quality in their action, decisions and dialogue. They also lack a consistency in intelligence and wit.
The author does also tends to hold the reader's hand through the entire book, not trusting the reading to put obvious things together. These are all things that can be easily smoothed out, but make for an almost unbearably rough read.
I love Lore and wanted to love this book, but the author really needs to learn to trust the reader and let the characters have their own voice. The book tends to read like one of his podcasts which causes it to lack variety.
The author does also tends to hold the reader's hand through the entire book, not trusting the reading to put obvious things together. These are all things that can be easily smoothed out, but make for an almost unbearably rough read.
I love Lore and wanted to love this book, but the author really needs to learn to trust the reader and let the characters have their own voice. The book tends to read like one of his podcasts which causes it to lack variety.
bookishrabbit's review
This book starts with a scene in which the main character watches a girl be harassed and threatened by two men, and he simply watches and "weighs his options" as he doesn't want to bring attention to himself as a newcomer in town. Horrendous dialogue included.
I try not to pay attention to low star ratings on books and at least give them a chance, but the low stars are definitely right on this one.
I try not to pay attention to low star ratings on books and at least give them a chance, but the low stars are definitely right on this one.
mgreco5's review
3.0
I'm torn on this book because I want to LOVE it so badly. But I can't. I listened to the audiobook and it was read fairly well. But the characters were a bit flat. The plot and premise were intriguing, especially if you like the Salem Witch Trials, but there were quite a few moments of plodding prose. The story could certainly have been tighter and more complex, but overall, it was a fun, quick read.
jakobmarleymommy's review
3.0
I decided to read this book after becoming hooked on the author's fantastic podcast, "Lore". I felt it was my responsibility as a loyal listener to support the podcast by purchasing and reading one of the producer's novels.
"Grave Suspicion" wasn't bad. Not an endorsing review, I realize, but there were several issues with the story structure and character development that impacted my enjoyment of this book.
Most troubling was the impression that Sam is incredibly slow on the uptake. While reading, I came to conclusions that were incredibly obvious based on what I had previously read, but it took Sam much longer to come to these conclusions. He struck me as stupid. I understand that his education was interrupted by the death of his family, but he seemed stupid on a core level. Sam was also stupidly trusting, to the point that I wanted to reach into my Kindle and shake him by the shoulders and tell him to smarten up. Lastly, it seemed completely out of character for Sam to take a home with a "roommate". The second I read that I knew that Henry was dead. This was just another indication of Sam's lack of common sense. If a group of unknown weirdos nails a dead cat to the wall of your previous residence, perhaps having a roommate isn't a good idea.
The storyline itself was promising. I like the idea of a group of witch hunters; it reminded me a bit of the "Illuminati" made so popular in Dan Brown's novels.
The book ended with the possibility of a sequel. I've been thinking over the last few days whether or not I'll read it, but i'm as of yet undecided.
I'll continue to enjoy Aaron's fantastic podcast, and heartily recommend that everyone check it out!
"Grave Suspicion" wasn't bad. Not an endorsing review, I realize, but there were several issues with the story structure and character development that impacted my enjoyment of this book.
Most troubling was the impression that Sam is incredibly slow on the uptake. While reading, I came to conclusions that were incredibly obvious based on what I had previously read, but it took Sam much longer to come to these conclusions. He struck me as stupid. I understand that his education was interrupted by the death of his family, but he seemed stupid on a core level. Sam was also stupidly trusting, to the point that I wanted to reach into my Kindle and shake him by the shoulders and tell him to smarten up. Lastly, it seemed completely out of character for Sam to take a home with a "roommate". The second I read that I knew that Henry was dead. This was just another indication of Sam's lack of common sense. If a group of unknown weirdos nails a dead cat to the wall of your previous residence, perhaps having a roommate isn't a good idea.
The storyline itself was promising. I like the idea of a group of witch hunters; it reminded me a bit of the "Illuminati" made so popular in Dan Brown's novels.
The book ended with the possibility of a sequel. I've been thinking over the last few days whether or not I'll read it, but i'm as of yet undecided.
I'll continue to enjoy Aaron's fantastic podcast, and heartily recommend that everyone check it out!
eldryn's review
2.0
I wanted to like this book
Before I begin, I will say that I'm a big fan of the author. I discovered him through his podcast, Lore, where he does an excellent job of telling tales of horror from a logical and historical perspective. Admittedly, I was hoping for something similar in this book, which isn't necessarily a fair assumption. He has every right to write whatever kind of book he desires, regardless of his other productions. And I will say that Mr. Mahnke created a very original story with a compelling main character. I greatly enjoyed the beginning of this book.
Unfortunately, I just didn't like the book overall. The characters seemed driven more by plot convenience than sensible motivation. The dialogue didn't feel believable. And I'm sorry but the ending completely pissed me off. The characters seemed to suddenly lose common sense for the sake of setting up a more compelling climax. And there was no closure whatsoever.
I know for a fact that Aaron Mahnke is a gifted storyteller with a talent for creating mystery and intrigue. Which is why I'm genuinely shocked that I didn't like this book more. If you happen to read this Mr. Mahnke, I hope you can take this as an attempt at constructive criticism from a fan of your work. I will continue to read your books, but I can't pretend to like this book. Sorry
Before I begin, I will say that I'm a big fan of the author. I discovered him through his podcast, Lore, where he does an excellent job of telling tales of horror from a logical and historical perspective. Admittedly, I was hoping for something similar in this book, which isn't necessarily a fair assumption. He has every right to write whatever kind of book he desires, regardless of his other productions. And I will say that Mr. Mahnke created a very original story with a compelling main character. I greatly enjoyed the beginning of this book.
Unfortunately, I just didn't like the book overall. The characters seemed driven more by plot convenience than sensible motivation. The dialogue didn't feel believable. And I'm sorry but the ending completely pissed me off. The characters seemed to suddenly lose common sense for the sake of setting up a more compelling climax. And there was no closure whatsoever.
I know for a fact that Aaron Mahnke is a gifted storyteller with a talent for creating mystery and intrigue. Which is why I'm genuinely shocked that I didn't like this book more. If you happen to read this Mr. Mahnke, I hope you can take this as an attempt at constructive criticism from a fan of your work. I will continue to read your books, but I can't pretend to like this book. Sorry