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A review by capnlinnius
Sins of the Father by J.G. Faherty
3.0
I received an e-ARC from the publisher through NetGalley.
Rated 3.5/5
This book was what I generally refer to as a hammock-read: something that is entertaining but doesn't really require too much thought to enjoy. I requested it because anything lovecraftian has my attention, and this book definitely delivered. I sort of doubt anyone with no clue about the mythos would enjoy this read, seeing how it mentions places, objects, happenings and institutions etc that are central to the world built around what Lovecraft created, and make little sense without some idea of the backstory.
At the very heart, this is less a mystery or a whodunit (as it may seem to be throughout the first third of the book), and more a reiteration of how actions have consequences, and that no one can really escape that fact.
The things that made me enjoy this book was mainly the ease with which I was pulled into the story, despite having to suspend my disbelief several times (many of the relationships seemed vague and shallow, probably because of the first-person narration that means that the reader will just have to accept that there is a past, yet it felt inconsequential a lot of the time), and the language was a little too on the nose sometimes for the period the story is supposed to be set in. The author definitely knows how to write a page-turner, with the pacing keeping the story from going stagnant.
The things that bring the rating down have mostly to do with the fact that I was never surprised or caught unawares by any of the supposed twists. The first major plot twist I had a hunch of from the beginning, and the rest I had figured out early on. I'm not sure of whether it is because I have read a lot of stories using similar twists, or if it's because the author telegraphed the twists too hard, but it did make my enjoyment of the plot go down every time I was proven right.
The book ends on what could well be a cliffhanger engaging enough to warrant a sequel, and I might end up reading that sequel as well, but I honestly don't think we need one.
TL; DR
Entertaining and easy read, with no surprises. For fans of stories set in the world of the lovecraftain mythos.
Rated 3.5/5
This book was what I generally refer to as a hammock-read: something that is entertaining but doesn't really require too much thought to enjoy. I requested it because anything lovecraftian has my attention, and this book definitely delivered. I sort of doubt anyone with no clue about the mythos would enjoy this read, seeing how it mentions places, objects, happenings and institutions etc that are central to the world built around what Lovecraft created, and make little sense without some idea of the backstory.
At the very heart, this is less a mystery or a whodunit (as it may seem to be throughout the first third of the book), and more a reiteration of how actions have consequences, and that no one can really escape that fact.
The things that made me enjoy this book was mainly the ease with which I was pulled into the story, despite having to suspend my disbelief several times (many of the relationships seemed vague and shallow, probably because of the first-person narration that means that the reader will just have to accept that there is a past, yet it felt inconsequential a lot of the time), and the language was a little too on the nose sometimes for the period the story is supposed to be set in. The author definitely knows how to write a page-turner, with the pacing keeping the story from going stagnant.
The things that bring the rating down have mostly to do with the fact that I was never surprised or caught unawares by any of the supposed twists. The first major plot twist I had a hunch of from the beginning, and the rest I had figured out early on. I'm not sure of whether it is because I have read a lot of stories using similar twists, or if it's because the author telegraphed the twists too hard, but it did make my enjoyment of the plot go down every time I was proven right.
The book ends on what could well be a cliffhanger engaging enough to warrant a sequel, and I might end up reading that sequel as well, but I honestly don't think we need one.
TL; DR
Entertaining and easy read, with no surprises. For fans of stories set in the world of the lovecraftain mythos.