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zooloo1983's review against another edition
5.0
THIS BOOK!
So why this book? When I saw the cover and read the blurb I just had to pick this book up! A new series – yes! Paranormal – yes! A spine-chilling storyline- yes!
The cover just sends a chill down my spine, what is it with the women in the white? What is the Kirkdale Angel?
Dr Alex Ripley, the main character of this book, called in to help aid her friend in two local girls suspected suicide. Living in a rural town, where outsiders are not accepted in the fray, and well suicide is just shame, families disowned by the church, the dead girls refused a Christian burial, I mean WTF!
The town made me angry, I was suspicious of all of them, what was going on?! I appreciate they do not like outsiders “sticking their noses” into their business. But have they thought that maybe the outsiders might not appreciate them being so sinular. Ripley is there to help, but not everyone wants her to know their business, watching her every move, well it was chilling. Especially when you read the chapters from the person watching her! Chills going up and down my spine when they were so close watching her that she could almost touch them without realising!
The problem with the town, something happened in the 70’s, with six girls dying in a supposed suicide pact, there was one survivor, who then is an outcast for being the survivor! As we delve more into the mystery, we learn so much more about the history of this single mind, religious town and the Angel!
This Angel, to me, has not been sent down from heaven! This Angel is the harbinger of destruction and darkness, not light and life! Making the sightings and talk of it a constant threat to everyone. But is the Angel to blame?
Ripley is a character I could relate to, she too being a wife of a soldier, living the life I dread, a husband missing in action. The strength she has, to choose to live every day, being the “Miracle Detective” and plugging her third book, well I was just in awe of her, her strength shows no bounds, especially with the heartache she bares every day.
I will admit when I started reading I was not sure what was going on in the book, but once I settled after the horrifying events in the first chapter I quickly fell into step with the writing and story, and have been taken on such an intense roller coaster, waiting to see which twist and turn I would definitely on next!
This book is definitely one of thrills and chills! Something is always going on from trying to discover who Daisy is? Who the Angel is? And basically what the hell is going on in the town!
So why this book? When I saw the cover and read the blurb I just had to pick this book up! A new series – yes! Paranormal – yes! A spine-chilling storyline- yes!
The cover just sends a chill down my spine, what is it with the women in the white? What is the Kirkdale Angel?
Dr Alex Ripley, the main character of this book, called in to help aid her friend in two local girls suspected suicide. Living in a rural town, where outsiders are not accepted in the fray, and well suicide is just shame, families disowned by the church, the dead girls refused a Christian burial, I mean WTF!
The town made me angry, I was suspicious of all of them, what was going on?! I appreciate they do not like outsiders “sticking their noses” into their business. But have they thought that maybe the outsiders might not appreciate them being so sinular. Ripley is there to help, but not everyone wants her to know their business, watching her every move, well it was chilling. Especially when you read the chapters from the person watching her! Chills going up and down my spine when they were so close watching her that she could almost touch them without realising!
The problem with the town, something happened in the 70’s, with six girls dying in a supposed suicide pact, there was one survivor, who then is an outcast for being the survivor! As we delve more into the mystery, we learn so much more about the history of this single mind, religious town and the Angel!
This Angel, to me, has not been sent down from heaven! This Angel is the harbinger of destruction and darkness, not light and life! Making the sightings and talk of it a constant threat to everyone. But is the Angel to blame?
Ripley is a character I could relate to, she too being a wife of a soldier, living the life I dread, a husband missing in action. The strength she has, to choose to live every day, being the “Miracle Detective” and plugging her third book, well I was just in awe of her, her strength shows no bounds, especially with the heartache she bares every day.
I will admit when I started reading I was not sure what was going on in the book, but once I settled after the horrifying events in the first chapter I quickly fell into step with the writing and story, and have been taken on such an intense roller coaster, waiting to see which twist and turn I would definitely on next!
This book is definitely one of thrills and chills! Something is always going on from trying to discover who Daisy is? Who the Angel is? And basically what the hell is going on in the town!
kirkw1972's review
5.0
This book has such a haunting feel about it. I had to travel to London the other day for work; two and a half hours each way by train and I managed to read the whole book by the time I got home again. I could quite happily have skipped the work bits in between to have kept reading.
There's so much that happens in the story it's quite a surprise to realise it all takes place over the course of just a few days. Ripley arrives in the village of Kirkdale to try and unravel the mystery of 2 teenage suicides and ends up also investigating 6 teenage suicides from many years ago as well after spotting links between the two. It's beautifully atmospheric and there's a certain bleakness about the woods that back onto the village.
I really enjoyed the character of Ripley and her desire to debunk angelic sightings in a very old fashioned religious village. The secondary characters are equally memorable and all of them just so well drawn. It keeps you guess until the end as to who did what and why. It's just a really well written book and I enjoyed it immensely. I have the follow up 'A Hollow Sky' to read next and I can't wait.
There's so much that happens in the story it's quite a surprise to realise it all takes place over the course of just a few days. Ripley arrives in the village of Kirkdale to try and unravel the mystery of 2 teenage suicides and ends up also investigating 6 teenage suicides from many years ago as well after spotting links between the two. It's beautifully atmospheric and there's a certain bleakness about the woods that back onto the village.
I really enjoyed the character of Ripley and her desire to debunk angelic sightings in a very old fashioned religious village. The secondary characters are equally memorable and all of them just so well drawn. It keeps you guess until the end as to who did what and why. It's just a really well written book and I enjoyed it immensely. I have the follow up 'A Hollow Sky' to read next and I can't wait.
missamanogawa's review against another edition
3.0
Dr. Alex Ripley, Äufklärerin zum Thema Wunderheilungen, hat gerade ihr neues Buch veröffentlicht. Überraschenderweise wird sie von der Polizei zu einer Reihe von Teenager-Selbstmorden zu Rate gezogen: beide Mädchen sprachen Tage vor ihrem Tod von einem Engel. Die stark religiöse Gemeinde von Kirkdale ist ablehnend ihr gegenüber und zeigt sich wenig kooperativ. Was haben die Menschen dort zu verbergen?
Warum habe ich es gelesen?
Ich bin ein Fan von Krimis und Thrillern, in denen auch das Übernatürliche eine Rolle spielt. Die Leseprobe hat es mir angetan. Wir blicken durch die Augen der beiden Opfer. Wir lernen den jungen PC Daniel Cotter kennen, der die Leiche eines ihm bekannten Mädchens findet. Und wir sind an der Seite von Alex, die gerade bei einer Talkshow zu Gast ist und über ihr Spezialgebiet redet: übernatürliche Phänomene.
Was hat mir gefallen?
*SPOILER*
Mir hat die Idee zur Geschichte sehr gefallen. Das Thema eingefleischte Gemeinde gegen Polizei. Religion und Glaube gegen Wissenschaft und Rationalität. Und Selbstmorde, die eigentlich gar keine sind. Während ich das Buch las, habe ich mitgefiebert und mitgeraten, wer der Täter sein könnte. Und am Ende war es so leicht und man selbst ist nicht sofort drauf gekommen. So wie ein guter Thriller sein muss.
Was könnte besser gemacht werden?
Die Charaktere sind alle sehr oberflächlich, besonders Alex Ripley. Es ist der Auftakt zu einer Reihe mit ihr, aber nach diesem Buch würde ich ungern einen weiteren Teil lesen wollen.
In den ersten Kapiteln wird Spannung erzeugt und man will sofort weiterlesen. Dann folgen lange Beschreibungen zu den Charakteren Alex, Cotter und Emma (Freundin von Alex bei der Polizei), zum Tatort, Gedanken von Alex. Und die Spannung ist dahin. Dieses Geheimnisvolle wird mit einem Schlag zerstört.
Auch scheint Alex, was ihre Überzeugungen betrifft, sehr leicht beeinflussbar zu sein. Sie entlarvt Scharlatane und hat ihre Meinung zum Thema Wunderheilungen, aber glaubt plötzlich selbst, den Engel gesehen zu haben.
Und was ist eigentlich mit dem Pater? Eine verdächtige Figur, die plötzlich gegen Ende vor lauter Schuldgefühlen Selbstmord begeht und nicht mehr erwähnt wird? Da kam es mir unnötig vor, diesen Charakter in den Vordergrund zu rücken, wenn er dann eh stirbt und vergessen wird.
Fazit
Der Einstieg ist gut und fesselnd, die Spannung nimmt leider mehr und mehr ab, die Protagonistin ist zu oberflächlich beschrieben und das Ende lässt etwas zu wünschen übrig.
Ich würde dieses Buch nicht weiterempfehlen. Vielleicht werden die nächsten Bände der Reihe ja besser.
Warum habe ich es gelesen?
Ich bin ein Fan von Krimis und Thrillern, in denen auch das Übernatürliche eine Rolle spielt. Die Leseprobe hat es mir angetan. Wir blicken durch die Augen der beiden Opfer. Wir lernen den jungen PC Daniel Cotter kennen, der die Leiche eines ihm bekannten Mädchens findet. Und wir sind an der Seite von Alex, die gerade bei einer Talkshow zu Gast ist und über ihr Spezialgebiet redet: übernatürliche Phänomene.
Was hat mir gefallen?
*SPOILER*
Mir hat die Idee zur Geschichte sehr gefallen. Das Thema eingefleischte Gemeinde gegen Polizei. Religion und Glaube gegen Wissenschaft und Rationalität. Und Selbstmorde, die eigentlich gar keine sind. Während ich das Buch las, habe ich mitgefiebert und mitgeraten, wer der Täter sein könnte. Und am Ende war es so leicht und man selbst ist nicht sofort drauf gekommen. So wie ein guter Thriller sein muss.
Was könnte besser gemacht werden?
Die Charaktere sind alle sehr oberflächlich, besonders Alex Ripley. Es ist der Auftakt zu einer Reihe mit ihr, aber nach diesem Buch würde ich ungern einen weiteren Teil lesen wollen.
In den ersten Kapiteln wird Spannung erzeugt und man will sofort weiterlesen. Dann folgen lange Beschreibungen zu den Charakteren Alex, Cotter und Emma (Freundin von Alex bei der Polizei), zum Tatort, Gedanken von Alex. Und die Spannung ist dahin. Dieses Geheimnisvolle wird mit einem Schlag zerstört.
Auch scheint Alex, was ihre Überzeugungen betrifft, sehr leicht beeinflussbar zu sein. Sie entlarvt Scharlatane und hat ihre Meinung zum Thema Wunderheilungen, aber glaubt plötzlich selbst, den Engel gesehen zu haben.
Und was ist eigentlich mit dem Pater? Eine verdächtige Figur, die plötzlich gegen Ende vor lauter Schuldgefühlen Selbstmord begeht und nicht mehr erwähnt wird? Da kam es mir unnötig vor, diesen Charakter in den Vordergrund zu rücken, wenn er dann eh stirbt und vergessen wird.
Fazit
Der Einstieg ist gut und fesselnd, die Spannung nimmt leider mehr und mehr ab, die Protagonistin ist zu oberflächlich beschrieben und das Ende lässt etwas zu wünschen übrig.
Ich würde dieses Buch nicht weiterempfehlen. Vielleicht werden die nächsten Bände der Reihe ja besser.
stephbookshine's review against another edition
5.0
*I received a free copy of this book with thanks to the author, Red Dog Press and Rachel Gilbey at Rachel’s Random Resources blog tours. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
The Cuckoo Wood is instantly gripping and plunges the reader straight into the oppressive menace of a closed society with some dark secrets.
This is a classic psychological mystery thriller, with just a touch of the paranormal to add an occult flavour to events. The atmosphere is dark and brooding; not scary like a horror story, but more wreathed in a fog of fear and mistrust (think Hound of the Baskervilles, The Woman in White, or Rebecca).
Ripley makes a fascinating and relatable main character, and the side characters are well-defined, with the focus on the psychology of why people behave the way they do, particularly when it comes to group/mob behaviours.
The plot plunges you straight in, then twists and turns, back and forth from the present to the past and back, keeping a tight grip on the reader’s attention. Also, despite giving us inside information from the perspective of the victims in the case, Coleman manages to keep the reader in the dark as to what is really going on, and what happened in the past, right up until the final twist.
The Cuckoo Wood is an accomplished mystery, packed with suspense and the introduction of Ripley sets up a promising premise for future novels in the series. I’ll be following this author avidly, and look forward to bringing you my review of Book 2 later this month!
“It’s all a bit tenuous for now,” she said. “But we’ve had two almost identical teenage suicides, local girls, in the space of four months.”
“That’s not good,” replied Ripley.
“Both from a tiny and very religious farming community. The word sin is being bandied about a lot. And no one will talk about their deaths, let alone discuss why they might have drowned themselves.”
“Suicide is a tough one in any faith,” Ripley agreed.
“Well, there are a few things that make me wonder whether there’s not someone or something else involved.”
“What kind of things?” Ripley sat forward, intrigued.
“Well, for one, there’s been talk of an angel.”
– M. Sean Coleman, The Cuckoo Wood
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
The Cuckoo Wood is instantly gripping and plunges the reader straight into the oppressive menace of a closed society with some dark secrets.
This is a classic psychological mystery thriller, with just a touch of the paranormal to add an occult flavour to events. The atmosphere is dark and brooding; not scary like a horror story, but more wreathed in a fog of fear and mistrust (think Hound of the Baskervilles, The Woman in White, or Rebecca).
Ripley makes a fascinating and relatable main character, and the side characters are well-defined, with the focus on the psychology of why people behave the way they do, particularly when it comes to group/mob behaviours.
The plot plunges you straight in, then twists and turns, back and forth from the present to the past and back, keeping a tight grip on the reader’s attention. Also, despite giving us inside information from the perspective of the victims in the case, Coleman manages to keep the reader in the dark as to what is really going on, and what happened in the past, right up until the final twist.
The Cuckoo Wood is an accomplished mystery, packed with suspense and the introduction of Ripley sets up a promising premise for future novels in the series. I’ll be following this author avidly, and look forward to bringing you my review of Book 2 later this month!
“It’s all a bit tenuous for now,” she said. “But we’ve had two almost identical teenage suicides, local girls, in the space of four months.”
“That’s not good,” replied Ripley.
“Both from a tiny and very religious farming community. The word sin is being bandied about a lot. And no one will talk about their deaths, let alone discuss why they might have drowned themselves.”
“Suicide is a tough one in any faith,” Ripley agreed.
“Well, there are a few things that make me wonder whether there’s not someone or something else involved.”
“What kind of things?” Ripley sat forward, intrigued.
“Well, for one, there’s been talk of an angel.”
– M. Sean Coleman, The Cuckoo Wood
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
jessbookishlife's review against another edition
5.0
This is the first book I'm reading of M. Sean Coleman, and what a great introduction to a series and to a 'new-to-me' author.
Since this is the first book in the 'An Alex Ripley Mystery' series, we get to met for the first time Dr Alex Ripley. An amazingly well written character, with depth and complexity, and quite engaging and relatable character. Of course that wasn't the only character in this book that made me curious and that made this story so much more intriguing.
The storyline was quite intriguing too. A connection between old case and new case. Maybe a paranormal related event. A village with superstitions and secrets. Yeah, this was my kind of book for sure. It was unique and it I was curious from page one and every chapter just fed my curious mind.
The author's writing style elevated everything. The storytelling had a good pace and flow, with some amazing descriptions, narrative and thrilling moments that made me wonder about the truth and about the secrets.
Overall, I recommend this book. And I won't say much because I don't want to spoil anything. So go get this book and read it. This book will take you on a journey through a village and through old and new cases involving secrets.
[I want to thank Rachel, at Rachel’s Random Resources, and M. Sean Coleman for the eCopy of this book and for allowing me to join in the fun and by being a part of the blog tour with my honest review of the book.]
Since this is the first book in the 'An Alex Ripley Mystery' series, we get to met for the first time Dr Alex Ripley. An amazingly well written character, with depth and complexity, and quite engaging and relatable character. Of course that wasn't the only character in this book that made me curious and that made this story so much more intriguing.
The storyline was quite intriguing too. A connection between old case and new case. Maybe a paranormal related event. A village with superstitions and secrets. Yeah, this was my kind of book for sure. It was unique and it I was curious from page one and every chapter just fed my curious mind.
The author's writing style elevated everything. The storytelling had a good pace and flow, with some amazing descriptions, narrative and thrilling moments that made me wonder about the truth and about the secrets.
Overall, I recommend this book. And I won't say much because I don't want to spoil anything. So go get this book and read it. This book will take you on a journey through a village and through old and new cases involving secrets.
[I want to thank Rachel, at Rachel’s Random Resources, and M. Sean Coleman for the eCopy of this book and for allowing me to join in the fun and by being a part of the blog tour with my honest review of the book.]
frostatmidnite's review
4.0
The Cuckoo Wood is the first in the series of Dr Ripley and was a good start to it. We may not get a clearer picture of the person that Dr Ripley is, but we are given an idea of her methods of investigation and a very basic background of her. I figure the next few books in the series will throw light onto the person and what drives Dr Ripley, the inspirations and the motivations. As for The Cuckoo Wood, it was a good beginning. The difficult circumstances of an investigation in a tight-lipped community, the recurring patterns, the eccentricities of beliefs made a perfect backdrop. It was a fairly good start to a great series. If you are looking for a crime thriller without gore and gruesomeness The Cuckoo Wood is the book for you. Perhaps that's what makes this book a good read, the lack of guts that got spilt and the manner in which it slowly creeps up on you without getting your heart racing.
For the entire review, visit Frost At Midnite.
For the entire review, visit Frost At Midnite.
lawnis04's review
3.0
Thank You For Finally...
One of the first things that struck me about this particular book is that the descriptions of women in this book didn’t make me want to tear my eyes out. Not once were the protagonists “voluptuous hips” mentioned, which im finding increasingly rare in indie books, especially when written by men.
The women in this book were people. And very occasionally they were described in a somewhat physical/sexual sense but only when it made sense concerning what was going on in the story.
For the most part I enjoyed this story. I wasn’t blown away, and the ending wasn’t the most satisfying for me personally, but I had very few issues with it. Hence the 3 stars, that’s pretty much a middle ground for me.
My biggest complaint is the lack of chapters. I usually break up my daily reading into chapters, but this didn’t really have any, so I went by pages, but then I’d sometimes be stopping mid-scene or trying to push forward a bit more to reach a scene break.
This book would have very easily broken into chapters, so I’m not sure why the choice was made to exclude them.
Otherwise, a good read for any mystery/supernatural lovers out there!
One of the first things that struck me about this particular book is that the descriptions of women in this book didn’t make me want to tear my eyes out. Not once were the protagonists “voluptuous hips” mentioned, which im finding increasingly rare in indie books, especially when written by men.
The women in this book were people. And very occasionally they were described in a somewhat physical/sexual sense but only when it made sense concerning what was going on in the story.
For the most part I enjoyed this story. I wasn’t blown away, and the ending wasn’t the most satisfying for me personally, but I had very few issues with it. Hence the 3 stars, that’s pretty much a middle ground for me.
My biggest complaint is the lack of chapters. I usually break up my daily reading into chapters, but this didn’t really have any, so I went by pages, but then I’d sometimes be stopping mid-scene or trying to push forward a bit more to reach a scene break.
This book would have very easily broken into chapters, so I’m not sure why the choice was made to exclude them.
Otherwise, a good read for any mystery/supernatural lovers out there!