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emilyrainsford's reviews
367 reviews
The Silence Factory by Bridget Collins
Did not finish book. Stopped at 17%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 17%.
I have now attempted to get into this book twice and have decided to DNF at page 66.
The writing style is very lovely and fluid, but the flowery nature of it serves to make the story feel very slow moving. I was initially intrigued by the interesting and unique premise of the silk and the spiders, but by page 66 I felt somehow quite sure that this wasn't going anywhere unexpected or interesting. I absolutely couldn't not care less about what happened on the island, when I've already sent the outcome of it. The book opens with the historical character leaving the island so the flashbacks to that just seem pointless and boring.
I checked some Goodreads reviews before making my decision, and they all seem to indicate that my hunch about the book not really going anywhere interesting is true, so I'm not going to spend any more time on it. I don't find myself wanting to return to it or pick it up, so on to greener pastures.
The writing style is very lovely and fluid, but the flowery nature of it serves to make the story feel very slow moving. I was initially intrigued by the interesting and unique premise of the silk and the spiders, but by page 66 I felt somehow quite sure that this wasn't going anywhere unexpected or interesting. I absolutely couldn't not care less about what happened on the island, when I've already sent the outcome of it. The book opens with the historical character leaving the island so the flashbacks to that just seem pointless and boring.
I checked some Goodreads reviews before making my decision, and they all seem to indicate that my hunch about the book not really going anywhere interesting is true, so I'm not going to spend any more time on it. I don't find myself wanting to return to it or pick it up, so on to greener pastures.
She Left by Stacie Grey
dark
mysterious
tense
4.0
I'm surprised to see the review average on this one, because I enjoyed it! To be fair, I think I'm pretty easy to please in this genre - give me a locked room plot in an isolated location with bad weather and I'm all over it.
When the MC was a teenager, she stormed out of a cabin she was staying at with friends and went home - only to find out the five friends had been brutally murdered after she left. 20 years later, a number of people connected to the victims are pulled together to stay in a fancy house in the woods by a journalist wanting their stories - but all is not as it seems...
This one had definite echoes of And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie and honestly, I really enjoyed that about it. It's the first ATTWN-inspired story I've read that I could actually really see and feel the inspiration in the story, beyond just having the locked room trope.
This might make me sound a bit questionable but I also liked that a decent amount of people died! It wasn't just one death and then everyone running around, it had that consistent pattern like its inspiration.
I also liked the out of the box thinking with regards to how to solve the modern locked room thriller problem of everyone having mobile phones.
No it's not the kind of book where you're going to get super invested in the characters, or be utterly shocked and blown away by anything, but it's fun, easy reading, atmospheric and kept me turning pages.
I thought it was a solid example of the genre and I had a good time with it!
When the MC was a teenager, she stormed out of a cabin she was staying at with friends and went home - only to find out the five friends had been brutally murdered after she left. 20 years later, a number of people connected to the victims are pulled together to stay in a fancy house in the woods by a journalist wanting their stories - but all is not as it seems...
This one had definite echoes of And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie and honestly, I really enjoyed that about it. It's the first ATTWN-inspired story I've read that I could actually really see and feel the inspiration in the story, beyond just having the locked room trope.
This might make me sound a bit questionable but I also liked that a decent amount of people died! It wasn't just one death and then everyone running around, it had that consistent pattern like its inspiration.
I also liked the out of the box thinking with regards to how to solve the modern locked room thriller problem of everyone having mobile phones.
No it's not the kind of book where you're going to get super invested in the characters, or be utterly shocked and blown away by anything, but it's fun, easy reading, atmospheric and kept me turning pages.
I thought it was a solid example of the genre and I had a good time with it!
The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers by Samuel Burr
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
3.75
This was a very sweet, cosy read that was pretty much exactly what I expected from the cover, title, and Alexander McCall Smith endorsement.
A group of older midlife puzzle creators all live together in a big house. One day a baby is left on their doorstep and they all raise the child. When the mother figure Pippa dies, the child Clayton, now in his 20s, is sent on a quest of clues and adventures to find out the identity of his birth parents.
Clayton is a somewhat reclusive fellow, so of course this quest forces him to get out, meet people, live a little, even find a cute little romance.
The story moves between this present quest storyline, and flashbacks to what happened in the past leading up to Clayton's arrival as a newborn in a hatbox on the doorstep.
It is definitely a slow moving story, something to read when you want cosiness, not compelling intrigue. I agree with other reviewers that at times the past timeline felt a bit dragged out.
Unfortunately, all the male characters in the house kind of blended together in my head. Of course a couple stood out as being more solidly characterised, but many of them I may couldn't form a clear picture of in my mind.
I did struggle to get past the feeling that this treasure hunt Clayton is sent on to find out something so important to him is just cruel. It made me feel a lot less endeared to the character of Pippa, because why would she keep his identity from him until she died and then send him on this wild quest, instead of just telling him the information that he's really quite entitled to know about himself?
There are only two women in the story other than Pippa, so the identity of the mother is hardly shocking. The identity of the father is pretty confusing, because the reasoning given for him not to have raised Clayton like a father his whole life is not only extremely flimsy, it's also basically negated by something in one of the flashbacks. It felt to me like a draft in which the plot hadn't quite been properly ironed out yet to make a modicum of sense.
The saving grace of the whole story for me was the boy-meets-boy romance storyline, which I thought was adorable.
One thing that genuinely shocked me was how badly this book was edited. I can't remember ever finding so many errors in a trad published book. Continuity errors, word errors, fact errors (newborn babies don't have tears), errors in the puzzles which are the whole gimmick of the book. I just learned that this book was the subject of an eight way auction, so it's kind of shocking that a publisher would spend however much they spent on this and then seemingly skip an entire round of editing. The acknowledgements specifically thank an "eagle-eyed" copy editor and I'm just like.... is the eagle in the room with us?? Can it come back??
I do think it was a sweet story with a unique storyline, and Clayton was an endearing character. Perhaps less picky readers than I am will be happier to gloss over the issues for the sake of vibes. I do think it was pretty much what it promises to be on the tin, so if that appeals, I wouldn't dissuade you from picking it up. Could be a good book club read.
A group of older midlife puzzle creators all live together in a big house. One day a baby is left on their doorstep and they all raise the child. When the mother figure Pippa dies, the child Clayton, now in his 20s, is sent on a quest of clues and adventures to find out the identity of his birth parents.
Clayton is a somewhat reclusive fellow, so of course this quest forces him to get out, meet people, live a little, even find a cute little romance.
The story moves between this present quest storyline, and flashbacks to what happened in the past leading up to Clayton's arrival as a newborn in a hatbox on the doorstep.
It is definitely a slow moving story, something to read when you want cosiness, not compelling intrigue. I agree with other reviewers that at times the past timeline felt a bit dragged out.
Unfortunately, all the male characters in the house kind of blended together in my head. Of course a couple stood out as being more solidly characterised, but many of them I may couldn't form a clear picture of in my mind.
I did struggle to get past the feeling that this treasure hunt Clayton is sent on to find out something so important to him is just cruel. It made me feel a lot less endeared to the character of Pippa, because why would she keep his identity from him until she died and then send him on this wild quest, instead of just telling him the information that he's really quite entitled to know about himself?
There are only two women in the story other than Pippa, so the identity of the mother is hardly shocking. The identity of the father is pretty confusing, because the reasoning given for him not to have raised Clayton like a father his whole life is not only extremely flimsy, it's also basically negated by something in one of the flashbacks. It felt to me like a draft in which the plot hadn't quite been properly ironed out yet to make a modicum of sense.
The saving grace of the whole story for me was the boy-meets-boy romance storyline, which I thought was adorable.
One thing that genuinely shocked me was how badly this book was edited. I can't remember ever finding so many errors in a trad published book. Continuity errors, word errors, fact errors (newborn babies don't have tears), errors in the puzzles which are the whole gimmick of the book. I just learned that this book was the subject of an eight way auction, so it's kind of shocking that a publisher would spend however much they spent on this and then seemingly skip an entire round of editing. The acknowledgements specifically thank an "eagle-eyed" copy editor and I'm just like.... is the eagle in the room with us?? Can it come back??
I do think it was a sweet story with a unique storyline, and Clayton was an endearing character. Perhaps less picky readers than I am will be happier to gloss over the issues for the sake of vibes. I do think it was pretty much what it promises to be on the tin, so if that appeals, I wouldn't dissuade you from picking it up. Could be a good book club read.
The Fog by Brooke Hardwick
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.25
A traumatised woman with gaps in her memory attends an unorthodox writer's retreat at a cliffside mansion on an isolated island in Northern Ireland, that promises to unlock whatever's causing your writer's block. But as the methods become more bizarre, is she prepared for what she'll uncover...?
This was a really solid suspense read. I was quickly hooked on this book and it held my usually-sporadic attention. I could barely put the last half down.
I love an isolated location vibe and this one delivered plenty of atmosphere. Loved the Celtic mythology woven into the story, adding to the sense of otherworldly-ness and delusion felt by the main character.
The slowly revealing aspects of the MCs memory was done really well and kept you hooked on wanting to know the truth. The depiction of coercive domestic abuse was masterful, demonstrating how the victim gets twisted up until they no longer trust their own mind or judgement.
I think it wrapped up pretty well and I liked how the MC got to take her power back.
There are some pretty heavy traumatic themes that may not be for everyone, so check content warnings if you feel you need to.
Overall a gripping remote-location psychological suspense read that keeps you turning pages.
Content warnings (may be slight spoilers): coercive domestic abuse, forced abortion, infant death, scenes of dubious sexual consent, animal death
This was a really solid suspense read. I was quickly hooked on this book and it held my usually-sporadic attention. I could barely put the last half down.
I love an isolated location vibe and this one delivered plenty of atmosphere. Loved the Celtic mythology woven into the story, adding to the sense of otherworldly-ness and delusion felt by the main character.
The slowly revealing aspects of the MCs memory was done really well and kept you hooked on wanting to know the truth. The depiction of coercive domestic abuse was masterful, demonstrating how the victim gets twisted up until they no longer trust their own mind or judgement.
I think it wrapped up pretty well and I liked how the MC got to take her power back.
There are some pretty heavy traumatic themes that may not be for everyone, so check content warnings if you feel you need to.
Overall a gripping remote-location psychological suspense read that keeps you turning pages.
Content warnings (may be slight spoilers): coercive domestic abuse, forced abortion, infant death, scenes of dubious sexual consent, animal death
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Abortion, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Dementia
The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder by C.L. Miller
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
3.0
This was a 100% cover and title buy. I didn't know anything about it prior to reading it.
I think the contents match the cover. It's very much a cosy, kind of twee, Agatha-Christie-ish little mystery story involving antiques, a middle aged lead with an elderly sidekick, all set in the English countryside.
It's a quaint little story and to be honest, I think I gave it a bit more leeway than it really deserved as I was reading it because I really *wanted* to like it.
It started out pretty decent, but it kind of felt like it never really stopped... starting. There was no moment when I felt invested in a high stakes moment or shocked by a reveal. The characters didn't have a lot of depth and it all felt slightly removed.
There was a lot of repetitiveness and the pacing was pretty slow. The main character Freya is pretty insipid and while I appreciate a story of a woman in her 40s finding herself again after divorce, the point was beleaguered SO much that I got utterly sick of hearing about it. Her older aunt Carole was I think supposed to be funny and quaint, but instead was incredibly annoying.
The actual plot with the antiques I found quite confusing and to be honest, I barely understood what was going on there enough to care about any of it.
I think this book was mostly vibes tbh. It was definitely cosy and cute, but it never really delivered on its potential.
It is set up at the end to lead directly into a sequel. I'm not sure I would pick it up - maybe if I felt like a really easy, mind-off read.
I think the contents match the cover. It's very much a cosy, kind of twee, Agatha-Christie-ish little mystery story involving antiques, a middle aged lead with an elderly sidekick, all set in the English countryside.
It's a quaint little story and to be honest, I think I gave it a bit more leeway than it really deserved as I was reading it because I really *wanted* to like it.
It started out pretty decent, but it kind of felt like it never really stopped... starting. There was no moment when I felt invested in a high stakes moment or shocked by a reveal. The characters didn't have a lot of depth and it all felt slightly removed.
There was a lot of repetitiveness and the pacing was pretty slow. The main character Freya is pretty insipid and while I appreciate a story of a woman in her 40s finding herself again after divorce, the point was beleaguered SO much that I got utterly sick of hearing about it. Her older aunt Carole was I think supposed to be funny and quaint, but instead was incredibly annoying.
The actual plot with the antiques I found quite confusing and to be honest, I barely understood what was going on there enough to care about any of it.
I think this book was mostly vibes tbh. It was definitely cosy and cute, but it never really delivered on its potential.
It is set up at the end to lead directly into a sequel. I'm not sure I would pick it up - maybe if I felt like a really easy, mind-off read.
John Dies at the End by David Wong
Did not finish book. Stopped at 7%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 7%.
I enjoy this author's Tiktok videos and thought the title was funny and clever. I genuinely thought I would like this book. By the end of the prologue, I knew I was wrong. It was one of the stupidest things I've ever read. And I have a very immature sense of humour, but this just felt off in a way that's hard to put my finger on. The moment when the basement door handle turned into a penis which caused them to be locked in a dangerous situation because the protagonist was too much of a damn child to touch a peen was where it started to go downhill. Moments later, the basement was filling with literal shit for apparently no other reason than "hehe poopoo funny". Then a pile of frozen meat turned into an ambulatory creature and I knew this was all just way too stupid for me. And as I say, it's not that I have a high brow sense of humour. I thought Percy Jackson was hilarious and it's literally written for 12 year old boys. This just all felt like it was trying too hard.
I decided to give it a chance and started on chapter one and was absolutely shocked by a casual and joking use of the N word with hard "r" for no good reason at all?? Then repeated paragraphs about the protagonist obsessing over the "Asian waitress"'s boobs.
I looked up reviews to see if it was going to get better, and learnt that apparently the R word is used later in the book, in reference to a girl the protagonist thought was autistic, and when it turns out she's actually "just" depressed, he decides he's attracted to her.
I am honestly shocked, I thought the author's Tiktoks were intelligent and insightful, and now I can't even watch them anymore, knowing the creator of them wrote this steaming pile of edgelord garbage.
I decided to give it a chance and started on chapter one and was absolutely shocked by a casual and joking use of the N word with hard "r" for no good reason at all?? Then repeated paragraphs about the protagonist obsessing over the "Asian waitress"'s boobs.
I looked up reviews to see if it was going to get better, and learnt that apparently the R word is used later in the book, in reference to a girl the protagonist thought was autistic, and when it turns out she's actually "just" depressed, he decides he's attracted to her.
I am honestly shocked, I thought the author's Tiktoks were intelligent and insightful, and now I can't even watch them anymore, knowing the creator of them wrote this steaming pile of edgelord garbage.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Misogyny, Racial slurs
Moderate: Gore, Homophobia, Car accident
Tales Of A Vet Nurse by Jade Pengelly
hopeful
informative
sad
4.0
I found this little gem while shelf checking in the Animal section of our non-fiction collection at work.
I'm telling you, next time you're at the library, try checking out the hidden corners of the non-fic shelves. You'd be surprised at the cool stuff you can find!
This one one actually only published last year and is all about the author's experiences as a vet nurse. She has worked in multiple clinics in New Zealand and the UK and has lots of stories to tell.
I think this is one of those jobs that really has to be a vocation. This book gave a wonderful behind-the-scenes insight into the realities of vet nursing. It's an incredibly varied role - interesting but also intense - and frankly a lot more thankless than it should be. Vet nurses need a huge breadth of specialised knowledge across many species, often deal with difficult situations and long hours, and get paid a pittance.
The tales in this book cover the full realities of the role, which can be bittersweet. There are the fun, cute, and heartwarming stories, but also a lot of heartbreak. As the author says "the highs are high, and the lows are so low." It might be sadder than the cute and cheery cover would have you expect, but that's the reality of it.
I really enjoyed this read, it was a really interesting insight into the realities of being a vet nurse.
I'm telling you, next time you're at the library, try checking out the hidden corners of the non-fic shelves. You'd be surprised at the cool stuff you can find!
This one one actually only published last year and is all about the author's experiences as a vet nurse. She has worked in multiple clinics in New Zealand and the UK and has lots of stories to tell.
I think this is one of those jobs that really has to be a vocation. This book gave a wonderful behind-the-scenes insight into the realities of vet nursing. It's an incredibly varied role - interesting but also intense - and frankly a lot more thankless than it should be. Vet nurses need a huge breadth of specialised knowledge across many species, often deal with difficult situations and long hours, and get paid a pittance.
The tales in this book cover the full realities of the role, which can be bittersweet. There are the fun, cute, and heartwarming stories, but also a lot of heartbreak. As the author says "the highs are high, and the lows are so low." It might be sadder than the cute and cheery cover would have you expect, but that's the reality of it.
I really enjoyed this read, it was a really interesting insight into the realities of being a vet nurse.
Deep Is the Fen by Lili Wilkinson
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.0
I didn't overly enjoy A Hunger of Thorns, which was set in the same magic world as this, so I was a bit nervous about this one but decided to give it a crack anyway. Happily, I enjoyed this one a lot more.
I thought the whole idea of "toad magic" and a creepy society of toads was really unique and interesting, different from anything I've read before. There's definitely some underlying critique here of social inequality and capitalism, but I don't think it's too in your face.
I enjoyed the creepy vibes of the swamp and the toads, but I have to say, it's QUITE dark. There are some mild body horror type elements that to me went beyond what I would expect in a YA story. I felt the book read more like a dark fairytale with teen characters, rather than being a book FOR teens, but that might just be me.
The one confusing thing about the worldbuilding is that it reads kind of medieval village style, but then all of a sudden they're driving cars. But there are no smartphones or computers. I guess there's no reason why a fantasy universe has to line up with a specific time period in the real world, but the cars and jeans did feel a little jarring tbh.
The main character was quite annoying and the story is in first person so you spend the entire book in her head. Some of her views are clearly not meant to be agreed with - just because a POV is first person, doesn't mean you're necessarily meant to agree with or empathise with them. But her small-mindedness and not-like-other-girls stubbornness was definitely grating at times.
Overall though, I did find it a really unique and satisfying read with interesting magic and a macabre atmosphere.
I thought the whole idea of "toad magic" and a creepy society of toads was really unique and interesting, different from anything I've read before. There's definitely some underlying critique here of social inequality and capitalism, but I don't think it's too in your face.
I enjoyed the creepy vibes of the swamp and the toads, but I have to say, it's QUITE dark. There are some mild body horror type elements that to me went beyond what I would expect in a YA story. I felt the book read more like a dark fairytale with teen characters, rather than being a book FOR teens, but that might just be me.
The one confusing thing about the worldbuilding is that it reads kind of medieval village style, but then all of a sudden they're driving cars. But there are no smartphones or computers. I guess there's no reason why a fantasy universe has to line up with a specific time period in the real world, but the cars and jeans did feel a little jarring tbh.
The main character was quite annoying and the story is in first person so you spend the entire book in her head. Some of her views are clearly not meant to be agreed with - just because a POV is first person, doesn't mean you're necessarily meant to agree with or empathise with them. But her small-mindedness and not-like-other-girls stubbornness was definitely grating at times.
Overall though, I did find it a really unique and satisfying read with interesting magic and a macabre atmosphere.
Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli
dark
mysterious
tense
2.0
The problem I have with witch vs witch hunter enemies-to-lovers stories is that they inherently require you to accept a character (let's face it, always the dude) who is not only totally a-okay with genocide, but actively perpetuates it. Usually the journey involves him eventually considering that, hey, maybe he should view this entire group of people as human because one of them gets his peepee excited.
In this story, an attempt is made to justify his actions with prior trauma at the hands of a member of the hunted group, but I'm sorry, that's a pretty pitiful excuse for trying to wipe out an entire group of people by publicly slitting their throats.
The witch and witch hunter end up courting each other to further their own ends - him because he suspects her of being the "Crimson Moth" outlaw who is rescuing witches from brutal annihilation, her because she is in fact the Crimson Moth and she wants his Blood Guard secrets to help her in her mission. But at one point, she does the whole "I realise I was just as bad as him for my actions" thing, and like... He was trying to brutally and publicly murder you for existing, and you were trying to save your people from the same fate. On no planet are you "just as bad" as him.
The fact he's literally trying to physically kill her and her internal monologue is thinking about how big and strong and hot he is??? Like, girl, what??
Look, the story was honestly quite readable. The idea of blood magic was pretty interesting and it followed clear rules which I liked. But I just cannot read something as being "just a story" and completely suspend all sense of morality. The ONLY way I could accept this story is if in the next book, the FMC finally accepts that the witch hunter is the villain and that no amount of tragic backstory justifies genocide. I suspect that's not the story arc though, and that frankly makes me throw up in my mouth a little bit.
Even the "romance" between them is hard to buy. It's all based on physical attraction and it's hard to buy her "falling in love" with Gideon when he barely displays an ounce of personality outside of being an attractive piece of shit. I was not rooting for their connection at all.
I don't know what is up with all the romancing-the-genocider stories lately, but honestly, count me out.
In this story, an attempt is made to justify his actions with prior trauma at the hands of a member of the hunted group, but I'm sorry, that's a pretty pitiful excuse for trying to wipe out an entire group of people by publicly slitting their throats.
The witch and witch hunter end up courting each other to further their own ends - him because he suspects her of being the "Crimson Moth" outlaw who is rescuing witches from brutal annihilation, her because she is in fact the Crimson Moth and she wants his Blood Guard secrets to help her in her mission. But at one point, she does the whole "I realise I was just as bad as him for my actions" thing, and like... He was trying to brutally and publicly murder you for existing, and you were trying to save your people from the same fate. On no planet are you "just as bad" as him.
The fact he's literally trying to physically kill her and her internal monologue is thinking about how big and strong and hot he is??? Like, girl, what??
Look, the story was honestly quite readable. The idea of blood magic was pretty interesting and it followed clear rules which I liked. But I just cannot read something as being "just a story" and completely suspend all sense of morality. The ONLY way I could accept this story is if in the next book, the FMC finally accepts that the witch hunter is the villain and that no amount of tragic backstory justifies genocide. I suspect that's not the story arc though, and that frankly makes me throw up in my mouth a little bit.
Even the "romance" between them is hard to buy. It's all based on physical attraction and it's hard to buy her "falling in love" with Gideon when he barely displays an ounce of personality outside of being an attractive piece of shit. I was not rooting for their connection at all.
I don't know what is up with all the romancing-the-genocider stories lately, but honestly, count me out.
The Search Party by Hannah Richell
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.5
An ensemble-cast, isolated-location suspense read.
Jack Heath's Kill Your Husbands meets Lucy Foley's The Guest List, as old university friends meet up with their various children at a remote Cornish "glamping" site. Tensions run high and then a child goes missing...
I thoroughly enjoyed this and flew through it over two days. I did happen to be on holiday which helped, but I definitely think it's the perfect holiday read. The back and forth timeline and multiple POVs worked to drive the suspense and keep me turning the pages.
There was definitely a few times I thought I had something worked out but then it turned out a different way. I don't think it was predictable at all, but it also wasn't totally outlandish, with enough clues planted subtly throughout the story to keep it both believable and unexpected. I thought it was done really well.
I did have to put in a bit of effort to keep the many characters separate in my mind, but at the front of the book there is a character list and map, both of which I found very helpful.
I did chuckle at the extremely Simon-Cowell-coded character, with the moral of his story seemingly being "maybe don't be such a giant callous dick to people".
A solid read and I found it satisfying. Perfect to chuck in your bag for that weekend away.
Jack Heath's Kill Your Husbands meets Lucy Foley's The Guest List, as old university friends meet up with their various children at a remote Cornish "glamping" site. Tensions run high and then a child goes missing...
I thoroughly enjoyed this and flew through it over two days. I did happen to be on holiday which helped, but I definitely think it's the perfect holiday read. The back and forth timeline and multiple POVs worked to drive the suspense and keep me turning the pages.
There was definitely a few times I thought I had something worked out but then it turned out a different way. I don't think it was predictable at all, but it also wasn't totally outlandish, with enough clues planted subtly throughout the story to keep it both believable and unexpected. I thought it was done really well.
I did have to put in a bit of effort to keep the many characters separate in my mind, but at the front of the book there is a character list and map, both of which I found very helpful.
I did chuckle at the extremely Simon-Cowell-coded character, with the moral of his story seemingly being "maybe don't be such a giant callous dick to people".
A solid read and I found it satisfying. Perfect to chuck in your bag for that weekend away.