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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
'What happened next?' Ah, the perennial, unanswered question. That is the very essence of narrative, is it not? 'Please read another page,' begs the child at bedtime. Anything to ward off the horrors of the dark. And you have not long left childhood behind yourself, my dear young friend. It is only natural that you should want to know what happens in the next chapter.
It can be strange reading a series out of order, however in this case having read the second instalment did not impact the enjoyment of reading this first book.
When I read [b:The Postscript Murders|49012512|The Postscript Murders (Harbinder Kaur #2)|Elly Griffiths|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1601897541l/49012512._SY75_.jpg|74433760] I found the plot a bit over the top but the same cannot be said for this book.
Interestingly, the first part of the book barely features the protagonist, Detective Sergeant Harbinder Kaur, at all as we discover the first murder from the point of view of Clare Cassidy, a local English teacher whose friend and colleague is found brutally murdered. The story then switches between Claire, Harbinder, and Claire's daughter Georgia, providing unique points of view as the story progresses.
Interestingly, throughout the book there are also references to a horror story called 'The Stranger', the plot of which seems to foreshadow the murders taking place.
I enjoyed this and it is a shame the second book didn't live up to this first offering. I will have to check out book three to see if the series gets back on track. 4 stars.
It can be strange reading a series out of order, however in this case having read the second instalment did not impact the enjoyment of reading this first book.
When I read [b:The Postscript Murders|49012512|The Postscript Murders (Harbinder Kaur #2)|Elly Griffiths|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1601897541l/49012512._SY75_.jpg|74433760] I found the plot a bit over the top but the same cannot be said for this book.
Interestingly, the first part of the book barely features the protagonist, Detective Sergeant Harbinder Kaur, at all as we discover the first murder from the point of view of Clare Cassidy, a local English teacher whose friend and colleague is found brutally murdered. The story then switches between Claire, Harbinder, and Claire's daughter Georgia, providing unique points of view as the story progresses.
Interestingly, throughout the book there are also references to a horror story called 'The Stranger', the plot of which seems to foreshadow the murders taking place.
I enjoyed this and it is a shame the second book didn't live up to this first offering. I will have to check out book three to see if the series gets back on track. 4 stars.
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Characters were stereotypical, especially the gay , Sikh DS who was incredibly judgemental..the main character, Clare's attitude towards a white witch was just so ignorant, patronising, and judgemental.
It's a so-so book that could have been so much better
It's a so-so book that could have been so much better
Not the right vibe for the time I’m reading it
I have not read anything else by this author, though now I have learned she has a couple of other series on the go. This one is marked "a Harbinder Kaur mystery," so it seems like maybe I got in on the ground floor with this one. I was attracted to both the literary and academic storylines of this book -- an English teacher is murdered, a quote from an obscure ghost story left beside her body. All clues point to Clare Cassidy, the victim's friend (or maybe frenemy) and colleague, as more crimes begin to occur around her. This is a "shifting narrative" structure, shared between Clare, Harbinder, and Clare's teenage daughter Georgia. I didn't really like Clare as a narrator, so I felt a little disappointed as I started reading, since hers is the first perspective. But, my interest perked up as the perspective shifted to Harbinder. She is a much more interesting character. Georgia is portrayed as a typical teenage girl in many ways, rolling her eyes at her mother's devotion while secretly hiding her own depth, for no good reason that I could tell. Why not share her literary and spiritual aspirations with her doting mother? I didn't really understand it. Anyway, the integration of the Victorian horror tale sort of lost me, and I didn't even read the entire text (the story in its entirety is included at the end of the book, though it is excerpted throughout the book), though I appreciate the parallels that the author -- and the killer -- try to draw. I found myself paying attention to the supporting characters, since I knew one of them was probably the perpetrator, but I didn't quite guess right. In the end, this was a satisfying read. I look forward to more from Harbinder, and I may even dip into Ruth Galloway.
I was a bit skeptical of this one at first, but as soon as we got the first POV from Harbinder, I was hooked. Will definitely be reading the rest of the series, already have book two out from the library.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I really enjoyed this book’s premise and format, but MAN the ending fell SO flat! What an anticlimactic reveal. I thought the characters were so well-rounded and they felt so real, and I really was anxious to know how things ended. But then blah. Would have been a four star read!
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes