A review by crabbyabbe
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I wish I could give this 4.5 stars instead of 4. I loved it; the character of Margaret is a lot like me--insofar as being an introvert goes. To work in an antiquarian bookshop and read books all day would be THE DREAM JOB of all time. Having the story lead into a dark mystery with tragic pasts only made the novel more enjoyable and took my mind off the daily problems of life here in the Covid pandemic. The book left me wanting to know more and not wanting to leave the characters--even the ones who sorrowfully died. A thought-provoking page-turner. The only reason I knocked off half of a star was because the ending was too quick and too perky for the tone that encompassed the rest of the novel.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings