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fionat15 's review for:
Holy Island
by L.J. Ross
Oh dear. More holes than a Seahouses fisherman's net. Couldn't decide whether this was a bodice ripper or really bad crime fiction. It's like Barbara Cartland threw in the odd paragraph. The main character DCI Ryan is a hideous throwback the like of which I thought the police force was now largely free off. The idea that the highly educated young historian would fall for him, however good-looking the arrogant pig, is pushing the limits of believability to the extreme. And on the subject of Dr Taylor, are we really meant to believe that not even a decade after finishing school, she's an authority on pagan rituals?
I was almost driven to distraction by the abundance of description which really wasn't necessary; then again, it struck me that it was maybe there to stop the whole shebang from falling apart as the plot holes needed something to stitch them up. There were Americanisms thrown in (including terms that are used in the police) and turgid, unrealistic dialogue.
Are there any positives in Holy Island? Well, yes, surprisingly. The basic premise of killings taking place on an island that is separated from the mainland by a causeway that is dependent on the tides. This had implications for getting police officers and other resources to the investigation. This situation was quite original but alas it was squandered with such poor support from the characters and style.
I can't recommend this book. It was nothing short of a disappointment. I wanted to like it as it's set in the part of the world from which I originate, but I found little to like.
I was almost driven to distraction by the abundance of description which really wasn't necessary; then again, it struck me that it was maybe there to stop the whole shebang from falling apart as the plot holes needed something to stitch them up. There were Americanisms thrown in (including terms that are used in the police) and turgid, unrealistic dialogue.
Are there any positives in Holy Island? Well, yes, surprisingly. The basic premise of killings taking place on an island that is separated from the mainland by a causeway that is dependent on the tides. This had implications for getting police officers and other resources to the investigation. This situation was quite original but alas it was squandered with such poor support from the characters and style.
I can't recommend this book. It was nothing short of a disappointment. I wanted to like it as it's set in the part of the world from which I originate, but I found little to like.