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A review by the_joyful_book_club
What Have You Done? by Shari Lapena
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
WOW. This story is just...WOW. I devoured this story in one day, and I can't stop thinking about it.
This story starts with a farmer finding a woman's body in his farm field. There is shock, horror, and disgust from nearly everyone in town. No one can believe this happened in Fairhill. Everyone knows everyone in Fairhill. Or do they?
The narrator for this book is primarily January LaVoy, but we also see Jorjeana Marie narrate for Diana, and Bennett Leddy narrate another character in the story. The narration was done well, and kept me engaged in the story. One thing I've struggled with, specifically with Shari Lapena books since they are typically domestic thrillers, is that sometimes the narrators have made me feel neurotic along with the characters. This does not happen in this book. The tension, panic, and fear come through, but it never crosses into annoyance.
There is a wide cast of characters in this story. However, once you're a few chapters in, we are seeing the same repeating characters, and I didn't find it confusing or hard to keep track of anyone. I think part of this also comes from each character being defined fully and having their own voice.
There isn't a ton of character development in this story. And while normally, readers may see that as a bad thing, in this case, it works splendidly. It becomes a cat-and-mouse game of trying to figure out who really could have killed Diana, as everyone is unreliable to an extent because we don't know them. Add in some sketchy behavior and suspects start to look even worse.
I did somewhat guess the ending, but I wasn't confident in my thoughts. This story kept me jumping from character to character because so many acted so guiltily (and stupidly).
If you're looking for a mystery set in a small town, with non-stop sketchy characters that will keep your attention and have you guessing until the end, this one is for you!
This story starts with a farmer finding a woman's body in his farm field. There is shock, horror, and disgust from nearly everyone in town. No one can believe this happened in Fairhill. Everyone knows everyone in Fairhill. Or do they?
The narrator for this book is primarily January LaVoy, but we also see Jorjeana Marie narrate for Diana, and Bennett Leddy narrate another character in the story. The narration was done well, and kept me engaged in the story. One thing I've struggled with, specifically with Shari Lapena books since they are typically domestic thrillers, is that sometimes the narrators have made me feel neurotic along with the characters. This does not happen in this book. The tension, panic, and fear come through, but it never crosses into annoyance.
There is a wide cast of characters in this story. However, once you're a few chapters in, we are seeing the same repeating characters, and I didn't find it confusing or hard to keep track of anyone. I think part of this also comes from each character being defined fully and having their own voice.
There isn't a ton of character development in this story. And while normally, readers may see that as a bad thing, in this case, it works splendidly. It becomes a cat-and-mouse game of trying to figure out who really could have killed Diana, as everyone is unreliable to an extent because we don't know them. Add in some sketchy behavior and suspects start to look even worse.
I did somewhat guess the ending, but I wasn't confident in my thoughts. This story kept me jumping from character to character because so many acted so guiltily (and stupidly).
If you're looking for a mystery set in a small town, with non-stop sketchy characters that will keep your attention and have you guessing until the end, this one is for you!