Scan barcode
A review by callum_mclaughlin
A Kiss Before Dying by Ira Levin
5.0
This was the first read of the year to give me those elusive book tingles: that prickling excitment from the moment you start reading that tells you you're going to love a book - and love this I most certainly did.
The plotting of the novel was masterful. We jump right into the deliciously sinister story with no messing around, and I was instantly hooked. Showing off the medium and the suspense genre at their very best, the balance between what Levin does and doesn't tell us is always absolutely spot on, allowing him to build tension at all the right moments, to establish a tone of mounting dread throughout, and to keep the reader on their toes with brilliantly delivered twists that culminate in a perfectly satisfying conclusion.
The characters are great too. Our antagonist is a fantastic example of a fascinating villain that you will love-to-hate, who is well developed and has a great full-circle narrative. I also loved Ellen; she's easily one the the most intelligent, proactive and likable heroines I've come across in a crime book, and I was rooting for her from the moment she was introduced.
Clever, intricate, and just damn thrilling to read, this is perhaps one of the best crime books I've encountered.
The plotting of the novel was masterful. We jump right into the deliciously sinister story with no messing around, and I was instantly hooked. Showing off the medium and the suspense genre at their very best, the balance between what Levin does and doesn't tell us is always absolutely spot on, allowing him to build tension at all the right moments, to establish a tone of mounting dread throughout, and to keep the reader on their toes with brilliantly delivered twists that culminate in a perfectly satisfying conclusion.
The characters are great too. Our antagonist is a fantastic example of a fascinating villain that you will love-to-hate, who is well developed and has a great full-circle narrative. I also loved Ellen; she's easily one the the most intelligent, proactive and likable heroines I've come across in a crime book, and I was rooting for her from the moment she was introduced.
Clever, intricate, and just damn thrilling to read, this is perhaps one of the best crime books I've encountered.