Review by char_lottereadss - The Dark Remains

A review by char_lottereadss
The Dark Remains by Ian Rankin, William McIlvanney

4.0

the darkness was there waiting for her. Whatever else happens, the dark remains

I've been branching out to different genres lately, trying to get myself into more non-YA, non-fantasy books and this one is another that made me have a whole other reading experience than I normally do. As a teenage girl, I still find thrillers/mystery written by white men really different and "weird" when compared what I normally read. This one is no different, but in a good way. Mind you I had no idea that this was a prequel to a very well-loved and somewhat legendary detective series? [b:Laidlaw|952162|Laidlaw (Jack Laidlaw, #1)|William McIlvanney|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1318156284l/952162._SY75_.jpg|937081] but I assure this can be read without the triology cuz thrillers/mystery are fun like that.

honestly this was the first thriller that I did not feel like was draggy in the beginning, probably because this book is fairly short (under 300 pages). I felt like the pacing was really really well-done, it was perfectly laid out in a way that there was always something happening but not revealing everything at once

the reveal at the end really did shook me. The authors are skillful in a way that when you reread the book you find the clues laid out prominently across the whole book. But when you are reading it, you find out about the killer at the very same time the detective did I found that really satisfying.

the writing is really easy to get into, you can probably finish this in one sitting if you are that kind of reader ( I am not)

I also really liked that Laidlaw actually does see the injustice in the justice system even when he is part of it. I wished that could have been explored a little more since I found it added so much more depth to the character

I think Laidlaw is well-loved by many, and I originally did found him charming too but unfortunately the ending pissed me off. What is it with white men thinking that them not feeling "right" in their household gives them the justifiable right to cheat??? anyway that's a whole other discussion, but I really did not like it.

I don't know if I will pick up the rest of the series yet I Hope I will. Will recommend this to mystery lovers definitely!

special thanks to pansings distribution for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review

A review by char_lottereadss The Dark Remains by Ian Rankin, William McIlvanney

A review by char_lottereadss
The Dark Remains by Ian Rankin, William McIlvanney