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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!
whistberry's review
4.0
Atmospheric thriller about a spate of suicides among teen girls who claim to have seen an angel in an isolated community where the townsfolk are clinging to their strict religious views in the hopes it will protect them against the seemingly supernatural events that haunt their lives. The author paints a vivid picture of the setting and the motivations of the supporting characters. The main character, Dr. Alex Ripley, the skeptical investigator called in to get to the bottom of the angel sightings, is a strong female lead, capable and fearless, but her backstory is only hinted at here. Look forward to finding out more about what motivates her and how the facts we learn about her in this book will play into future books in the series. Central mystery is compelling and kept me turning the pages quickly, anxious to get to the final reveal. Very satisfying read for lovers of mysteries with a paranormal element and a promising start to a new series.
stephbookshine's review
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
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
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