A review by redporchinverter
Have Mercy on Us All by Fred Vargas

dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

The problem with reading a mystery over multiple weeks is that you tend to forget crucial details. While I had to go back through it to realize that all the solution was, in fact, set up throughout the book, I still enjoyed the twisty and twisted tale about violence, revenge, and a supremely messed up family that Fred Vargas spins in Have Mercy on Us All. I think what'll stick with me most, though, are the characters, whose quirks are accompanied by often troubled histories that make them feel real, rather than cartoonish.