A review by caffeine_free
Unnatural Ends by Christopher Huang

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

In the beginning was Linwood Hall, and Linwood Hall was the world.

Unnatural Ends by Christopher Huang feels like an ode to 20th century mystery novels; I instantly thought of Agatha Christie as I read this, which made me even more excited, as well as sympathetic to the pacing since it felt appropriate for the period it was trying to emulate. The story follows the now-adult children of Sir Lawrence Linwood—Alan, Roger and Caroline—who take a break from their varied lives after being told their father has been murdered, forcing them to return to the place where it all started: home. Though the funeral is not all it seems. In the will, Sir Linwood gives his children a task to complete—a dying wish, if you will: the first to solve his murder will become heir of Linwood Hall.

This book had me at the edge of my seat, and just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse for our three main characters, it does. I really enjoyed the multi-point of view. We could’ve gotten the entire story told in third-person omniscient, which isn’t bad, but I feel like the way the book is written allows us to form deeper connections with the characters separately (as well as compare what the others have seen and experienced, to see how they view each other).

I also don’t think there was a single character that wasn’t well-written. It felt like I was actually there, seeing Caroline speak to Davey in Paris; feeling Alan find himself, and his faith, as he explored Machu Picchu; watching Roger almost fumble his meeting by taking the wrong blueprint only for Iris to save him at the last minute. And he almost makes me wish that Linwood Hall exists (and I say “almost” because the thought of that place gives me the creeps), mostly in part for the research he’s done on the area (which I really appreciate because it shows through the book how much he loves this).

The only thing I have a critique on is how it ended. It felt very anticlimactic. Thank you to Netgalley, Christopher Huang and Inkshares for allowing me to read this ARC; it’s hands down one of my favorite books now.
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