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A review by carolsnotebook
The Fields by Erin Young
3.0
The Fields was a bit too much for me. Riley Fisher, with a new promotion under her belt, is in charge of the investigation of the gruesome death of a woman found in the middle of a corn field, a woman who was Riley’s friend when they were teenagers.
Too much:
Backstory: Riley was friends with the woman, but there’s also another more tenuous personal connection to the case. I’m not a fan of dwelling on backstories and if this is actually the first of the series and relied so heavily on Riley’s past, I’m not sure I want to read the next.
Gruesome details: I read a lot of mysteries. The details here made me flinch and were just gross. For me they were over the top, and not in an enjoyable way.
Bad decisions: The detectives in books like this always make some questionable decisions, and Riley is no exception. There are also some decisions that put a child in danger, which always bothers me. That’s part of the reason I prefer my books without kids, even teenagers.
Preaching: Yes, corporate agriculture is driving out small farms, but The Fields is less than subtle in its viewpoint, so much so that it takes away from the actual plot.
Politics: I didn’t realize from the blurb that this was going to have so much politics involved. I may have avoided it had I known.
It sounds like I hated the book. I didn’t. It was compelling and I was never tempted to DNF it. Riley is a good character, tenacious, smart, and committed, trying to do the best she can.
Too much:
Backstory: Riley was friends with the woman, but there’s also another more tenuous personal connection to the case. I’m not a fan of dwelling on backstories and if this is actually the first of the series and relied so heavily on Riley’s past, I’m not sure I want to read the next.
Gruesome details: I read a lot of mysteries. The details here made me flinch and were just gross. For me they were over the top, and not in an enjoyable way.
Bad decisions: The detectives in books like this always make some questionable decisions, and Riley is no exception. There are also some decisions that put a child in danger, which always bothers me. That’s part of the reason I prefer my books without kids, even teenagers.
Preaching: Yes, corporate agriculture is driving out small farms, but The Fields is less than subtle in its viewpoint, so much so that it takes away from the actual plot.
Politics: I didn’t realize from the blurb that this was going to have so much politics involved. I may have avoided it had I known.
It sounds like I hated the book. I didn’t. It was compelling and I was never tempted to DNF it. Riley is a good character, tenacious, smart, and committed, trying to do the best she can.