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A review by litwithleigh
Unsolved by Heather Critchlow
3.0
Thank you Canelo and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. IYKYK, my reviews are very honest.
Writing: 4/5 | Plot :3/5 | Ending: 3/5
SYNOPSIS
True crime podcast Cal Lovett is sent to find out what happened to Layla in 1986, triggering unfriendly memories of his own sister's disappearance.
MY OPINION
Canelo is my Honda Civic Reliable publisher. They reliably publish well-written books; I think I've only DNF'd one from them. This book was no different – the writing quality was on brand for them, BUT unfortunately this one fell a little short. It kinda find like a debut, which it isn't. The ingredients were there, but the measurements were wrong.
This is one of the rare cases where I struggle to find the words to why this didn't quite work for me. Not that I'm the most articulate person on this site, but I definitely bring the receipts, so I apologize if this one is a bit vague. But for one, I felt like it lacked the emotional punch I expect from this type of prose. It was clear the author was trying to make us feel Cal's pain for his missing sister Margot, but I don't think she painted us a clear enough image of who Margot was and their relationship to feel his pain. However, there are some emotional scenes between Cal and his daughter – I wish the author had carried that kind of storytelling over the rest of the book.
While Layla's flashbacks were interesting, I didn't feel any suspense as we move between her past and Cal trying to solve the case in the present. It seemed rather easy/convenient how everything came together. Also, if Cal's whole ass career is true crime podcasting, how can this one little case which bore no resemblance (at least not explicitly) to his sister's, be so triggering?
Although I'm not emotionally invested or super curious about what happened to Margot, I do like the writing enough to continue with this series. Sometimes the first book in a series can be its weakest, so I'm curious to see if the author finds her stride in book #2. The excerpt was quite intriguing. Regardless of this wishy washy plot, it's clear that Canelo has a knack for finding talented authors.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: well-written, scenes with his daughter put me in my feels
Cons: uneven pacing, failed to get emotionally attached to Cal's struggles with his sisters disappearance
____________________________
For some sick reason, do you want to hear more of my nonsense? Check out my podcast: Novels & Nonsense streaming everywhere.
Writing: 4/5 | Plot :3/5 | Ending: 3/5
SYNOPSIS
True crime podcast Cal Lovett is sent to find out what happened to Layla in 1986, triggering unfriendly memories of his own sister's disappearance.
MY OPINION
Canelo is my Honda Civic Reliable publisher. They reliably publish well-written books; I think I've only DNF'd one from them. This book was no different – the writing quality was on brand for them, BUT unfortunately this one fell a little short. It kinda find like a debut, which it isn't. The ingredients were there, but the measurements were wrong.
This is one of the rare cases where I struggle to find the words to why this didn't quite work for me. Not that I'm the most articulate person on this site, but I definitely bring the receipts, so I apologize if this one is a bit vague. But for one, I felt like it lacked the emotional punch I expect from this type of prose. It was clear the author was trying to make us feel Cal's pain for his missing sister Margot, but I don't think she painted us a clear enough image of who Margot was and their relationship to feel his pain. However, there are some emotional scenes between Cal and his daughter – I wish the author had carried that kind of storytelling over the rest of the book.
While Layla's flashbacks were interesting, I didn't feel any suspense as we move between her past and Cal trying to solve the case in the present. It seemed rather easy/convenient how everything came together. Also, if Cal's whole ass career is true crime podcasting, how can this one little case which bore no resemblance (at least not explicitly) to his sister's, be so triggering?
Although I'm not emotionally invested or super curious about what happened to Margot, I do like the writing enough to continue with this series. Sometimes the first book in a series can be its weakest, so I'm curious to see if the author finds her stride in book #2. The excerpt was quite intriguing. Regardless of this wishy washy plot, it's clear that Canelo has a knack for finding talented authors.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: well-written, scenes with his daughter put me in my feels
Cons: uneven pacing, failed to get emotionally attached to Cal's struggles with his sisters disappearance
____________________________
For some sick reason, do you want to hear more of my nonsense? Check out my podcast: Novels & Nonsense streaming everywhere.