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thestardanzer 's review for:
The Girl with a Clock for a Heart
by Peter Swanson
Thank you to Peter Swanson and William Morrow publishing house for a free copy of the advance edition for this novel, and my deepest apologies for being unable to review it prior to its release in February. I've just come off half a year of absolute insanity, and now that my life has finally settled back down I should be better about timely reviews going forward.
George is just a guy. Nearly forty, well established in his loft and his career, and with an on again off again girlfriend who doubles as his best friend, George has stayed exactly the same since his first semester of college. Maybe that's why Liana seeks him out. Whereas George is solidly constant, Liana is constantly shifting through personalities and identities and getting deeper into trouble each time. So when Liana shows up at George's favorite local bar one evening, he knows that his college best friend is about to make his life so much more complicated.
The Girl with a Clock for a Heart is the perfect summer read. Whether you're lounging poolside or kicking back over a cold drink after a long, hot day working outside, the novel has enough twists and turns to keep you guessing the whole time. Much like Liana herself, the novel is constantly redefining itself as readers discover new information and pieces of the puzzle. At times this convolution does feel overdone - as a reader I like to be able to follow clues alongside the protagonist and work each one out with them, but in this novel events aren't clearly enough connected and the reader is left at the end of the novel with a several page account by George of what he thinks happened that feels like a deus ex machina - and there were a few moments where repeated phrases or situations stood out to me as trite. That aside, the weaknesses did not overshadow the story and I enjoyed the time I spent reading this book fully.
Recommended for anyone who loves mysteries, film noir setups, or just looking for an engaging summertime read!
George is just a guy. Nearly forty, well established in his loft and his career, and with an on again off again girlfriend who doubles as his best friend, George has stayed exactly the same since his first semester of college. Maybe that's why Liana seeks him out. Whereas George is solidly constant, Liana is constantly shifting through personalities and identities and getting deeper into trouble each time. So when Liana shows up at George's favorite local bar one evening, he knows that his college best friend is about to make his life so much more complicated.
The Girl with a Clock for a Heart is the perfect summer read. Whether you're lounging poolside or kicking back over a cold drink after a long, hot day working outside, the novel has enough twists and turns to keep you guessing the whole time. Much like Liana herself, the novel is constantly redefining itself as readers discover new information and pieces of the puzzle. At times this convolution does feel overdone - as a reader I like to be able to follow clues alongside the protagonist and work each one out with them, but in this novel events aren't clearly enough connected and the reader is left at the end of the novel with a several page account by George of what he thinks happened that feels like a deus ex machina - and there were a few moments where repeated phrases or situations stood out to me as trite. That aside, the weaknesses did not overshadow the story and I enjoyed the time I spent reading this book fully.
Recommended for anyone who loves mysteries, film noir setups, or just looking for an engaging summertime read!