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A review by naideraid
Fortune Favors the Dead by Stephen Spotswood
4.0
I'm not set on the rating yet (4 stars would be the minimum), but I'm honestly surprised with how much I enjoyed this.
I won the paperback edition in a Goodreads giveaway. I went into reading it with trepidation, though. I'm always wary of reading books written by men where the main character is a female/female-presenting. I've been burned far too many times. However, not this time. I really enjoyed Will as a character. But I loved her partnership/found family relationship with Lillian Pentecost the most. I also enjoyed the chronic pain representation in Lily, too. Basically, Will was treated like a character and there wasn't any weird, male gaze-y type of authorial interference--not that I could see anyway.
As for the mystery, I'm 50/50 on it. I do think it was interesting and there a few moments that made me go, "Ahhhh, I get it now." but it wasn't revolutionary in terms of the mystery genre. I gave me a bit of Phyrne Fisher's Murder Mystery vibes, if I'm being honest, which isn't a bad thing. Though there were a few moments where evidence/revelations were held back from the reader in order to make a big reveal, so for those who like being able to solve the mystery alongside the characters, be prepared for disappointment. I'm not one of those people, so it was only a minor annoyance that could easily be brushed aside.
Overall, I'm pleasantly surprised and I will be picking up the next book when I can, if only so I can see more of Lily and Will's relationship grow. I just love a good found family story.
I won the paperback edition in a Goodreads giveaway. I went into reading it with trepidation, though. I'm always wary of reading books written by men where the main character is a female/female-presenting. I've been burned far too many times. However, not this time. I really enjoyed Will as a character. But I loved her partnership/found family relationship with Lillian Pentecost the most. I also enjoyed the chronic pain representation in Lily, too. Basically, Will was treated like a character and there wasn't any weird, male gaze-y type of authorial interference--not that I could see anyway.
As for the mystery, I'm 50/50 on it. I do think it was interesting and there a few moments that made me go, "Ahhhh, I get it now." but it wasn't revolutionary in terms of the mystery genre. I gave me a bit of Phyrne Fisher's Murder Mystery vibes, if I'm being honest, which isn't a bad thing. Though there were a few moments where evidence/revelations were held back from the reader in order to make a big reveal, so for those who like being able to solve the mystery alongside the characters, be prepared for disappointment. I'm not one of those people, so it was only a minor annoyance that could easily be brushed aside.
Overall, I'm pleasantly surprised and I will be picking up the next book when I can, if only so I can see more of Lily and Will's relationship grow. I just love a good found family story.