A review by catmisae
The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling

dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I won’t go into too much detail about the plot of this book, because I thought it was pretty typical for a gothic horror (not a detractor, just an observation). What I did really enjoy was how seamless the transition was between Jane’s repressed personality at the beginning of the story and her more erratic behavior in the last half of the story. Jane made it a point not to be an inconvenience to anybody, so nobody noticed that her perception of reality was influenced by her unaddressed trauma. Because of that contrast between her internal and external world, along with her dedication to adhering to rules in any form, her transition from being the quiet accountant/doctor’s wife to somebody who can engage somewhat successfully in the filthy and often nonsensical world of magic and ritual ended up being very believable. I’m not sure I would have felt the same way with a different protagonist.
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