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A review by ssminski
A Curious Incident by Vicki Delany
4.0
I wouldn't call this my favorite one (the last book was much better!) But still a really fun installation in one of my favorite series. RTC.
Update: See full review at Sam's Beach Reads.
What I Loved:
Lauren and Snowball. It isn’t often that we get to see Gemma be “human” – she has a small group of friends and family, but otherwise, she is fairly off putting to other people. However, Lauren and Snowball walked into Gemma’s bookstore, and Gemma immediately took to the pair. Lauren is a delightful kid, inquisitive and loving, who has a rough home life. Gemma rapidly becomes something akin to a favorite aunt, and Lauren loves her quirks. I really enjoyed how Gemma got more attached to this case through Lauren, and the dynamic between the two. I am hoping that Lauren and Snowball make more appearances, with Snowball and Moriarty becoming good friends also. My favorite parts are when Lauren subconsciously begins picking up Gemma’s mannerisms and speech patterns, because it reminds me of my niece.
Jane and Gemma’s Antics. I am always a fan of when Jane and Gemma go clue hunting, and this was no exception. Jane is a perfect foil to Gemma: she is warm and engaging, and people take to her quickly. People talk to Jane more than they talk to Gemma. She also lets Gemma know when she is being off-putting or obnoxious. Jane’s character development has also been most fun to watch, and I can’t wait to see developments in the next book.
Depictions of Suburban Garden Life. Anna, woman who was murdered is part of the gardening network in the neighborhood, but she also destroyed the main suspect’s flower garden prior to dying. The gardeners in the club are more shocked and appalled by the destruction of the garden than they are by the murder, and soon a phone chain is created to gossip about the garden. This gossip mongering and frankly appalling lack of caring for the dead woman is actually part of what I love about A Curious Incident, since it reminds me so much of actual suburban women and the webs they weave. I also love how Gemma gets to be on the outside looking in with a clinical eye while so many others would be horrified. It was a real display of human nature, like watching the show Weeds.
What Didn’t Work as Well:
Ryan and Gemma. Not going to lie, this one hurts to write. I love Ryan, the hotshot detective who challenges Gemma and loves her for her brain, but in A Curious Incident, he fell flat. Ryan was short with Gemma and upset she was investigating the case (par for the course), but he took it a step further. He doesn’t answer Gemma’s calls when she has major evidence, and doesn’t stand up for her at all when hostile detective Estrada threatens to arrest Gemma. This is all despite knowing that Gemma’s evidence is always not only relevant, but often crucial in solving the case. Further, the few scenes where Gemma and Ryan are together and acting civil, the relationship felt different and regressed from the last book, There’s a Murder Afoot (not coincidentally my favorite in the series).
The Murderer. I don’t often guess the killer in cozies – in fact, I usually don’t. A Curious Incident was the same, but this time, I also felt like the killer was a bit nonsensical. I wasn’t a huge fan of the build up or reveal, and it felt anticlimactic despite the hint of suspense that permeated the rest of the book. This isn’t a deal breaker for me, but I know for more serious cozy fans, it may be a bigger issue.
Update: See full review at Sam's Beach Reads.
What I Loved:
Lauren and Snowball. It isn’t often that we get to see Gemma be “human” – she has a small group of friends and family, but otherwise, she is fairly off putting to other people. However, Lauren and Snowball walked into Gemma’s bookstore, and Gemma immediately took to the pair. Lauren is a delightful kid, inquisitive and loving, who has a rough home life. Gemma rapidly becomes something akin to a favorite aunt, and Lauren loves her quirks. I really enjoyed how Gemma got more attached to this case through Lauren, and the dynamic between the two. I am hoping that Lauren and Snowball make more appearances, with Snowball and Moriarty becoming good friends also. My favorite parts are when Lauren subconsciously begins picking up Gemma’s mannerisms and speech patterns, because it reminds me of my niece.
Jane and Gemma’s Antics. I am always a fan of when Jane and Gemma go clue hunting, and this was no exception. Jane is a perfect foil to Gemma: she is warm and engaging, and people take to her quickly. People talk to Jane more than they talk to Gemma. She also lets Gemma know when she is being off-putting or obnoxious. Jane’s character development has also been most fun to watch, and I can’t wait to see developments in the next book.
Depictions of Suburban Garden Life. Anna, woman who was murdered is part of the gardening network in the neighborhood, but she also destroyed the main suspect’s flower garden prior to dying. The gardeners in the club are more shocked and appalled by the destruction of the garden than they are by the murder, and soon a phone chain is created to gossip about the garden. This gossip mongering and frankly appalling lack of caring for the dead woman is actually part of what I love about A Curious Incident, since it reminds me so much of actual suburban women and the webs they weave. I also love how Gemma gets to be on the outside looking in with a clinical eye while so many others would be horrified. It was a real display of human nature, like watching the show Weeds.
What Didn’t Work as Well:
Ryan and Gemma. Not going to lie, this one hurts to write. I love Ryan, the hotshot detective who challenges Gemma and loves her for her brain, but in A Curious Incident, he fell flat. Ryan was short with Gemma and upset she was investigating the case (par for the course), but he took it a step further. He doesn’t answer Gemma’s calls when she has major evidence, and doesn’t stand up for her at all when hostile detective Estrada threatens to arrest Gemma. This is all despite knowing that Gemma’s evidence is always not only relevant, but often crucial in solving the case. Further, the few scenes where Gemma and Ryan are together and acting civil, the relationship felt different and regressed from the last book, There’s a Murder Afoot (not coincidentally my favorite in the series).
The Murderer. I don’t often guess the killer in cozies – in fact, I usually don’t. A Curious Incident was the same, but this time, I also felt like the killer was a bit nonsensical. I wasn’t a huge fan of the build up or reveal, and it felt anticlimactic despite the hint of suspense that permeated the rest of the book. This isn’t a deal breaker for me, but I know for more serious cozy fans, it may be a bigger issue.