ajnel's reviews
665 reviews

Don't You Cry by Mary Kubica

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

3.0

Two stories told by different protagonists, which are written to cleverly intertwine.  The main story concerns the sudden disappearance of  a roommate and the discoveries made around it.  The other, a young man who becomes obsessed with a mysterious girl.  The novel is unfortunately written in extreme detail and at times tends to drag but the reveal is well-written and supported by just enough breadcrumbs.
The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins

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adventurous dark mysterious reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A delightfully macabre novel told through both two first person protagonists and earlier written letters penned by the third protagonist.  The novel centres around a rich family, their spectacular family home and the secrets of the deemed imposters in the family, i.e. those who actually control the wealth.  An extremely engaging and very unique novel. 
The Outcast Dead by Elly Griffiths

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dark mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

One of the older novels in the series, but so many twists and turns and whodunnits.  Definitely worth reading.
The Vanishing Box by Elly Griffiths

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dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

A decent, though slower moving whodunnit from The Brighton Mysteries series.  The end is however a bit too "Hallmark channel" for my liking.
Home Before Dark by Riley Sager

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dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

A stunning pseudo supernatural thriller about the effects of a haunted house on different generations of the same family.
The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager

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dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Ritter's books under the Riley Sager nom de plume, thus far, have been written from the point of view of a female protagonist and he does this pretty well (from male perspective - I still need to get my wife's pov once she's read his books).  A hugely intricate supernatural murder mystery, with some brilliant twists and turns; this despite the slightly slow pace. 
The Zig Zag Girl by Elly Griffiths

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dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

One of the few once off novels by Elly Griffiths.  A number of magicians are murdered in a "magic act gone wrong" type of way.  Everything appears to be connected to a WWII intelligence operation wherein said magicians partook.  A well-written era whodunnit, but it lacks breadcrumbs 3.5/5
Gangland by Chuck Hogan

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dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A decent era crime novel, set in the Chicago syndicate in the late 70s and early 80s. The novel lacks some of the familiar feel of fictionalised real events / people, but the era chosen is very accurately depicted and told with the intimacy of a writer who lived in the era and partook in the event.  The story is interesting enough but a little too familiar.  3.5/5
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

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dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Way  too stylistically written.  And the central Forrest Gump  "hard work and perseverance will always lead to success, irrespective of prior trauma, but with a slither persisting melancholy" theme, is just a little too much. The whodunnit drowns in way too many obvious breadcrumbs. 
The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett

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adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Yes, it is more for teenagers, but such an epic protagonist and the witty life observations are just pure Pratchett!