kine 's review for:

The Blackhouse by Peter May

2.5

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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I adored the scenery in this book, and the small-town whodunit. But a few key elements pulled me out of the story, and I couldn't love it. Mainly: 

Our main character is supposed to have lost his son in an accident just a month ago, but he barely ever thinks about him. He learns, however, that he has another son from a relationship in his late teens. At the end, he has practically replaced his wife and the child he lost, with a new love interest and another son. To me, this story uses grief and heavy emotional traumas as backdrops, rather than actually digging into them.