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rachelsread's reviews
247 reviews
Moon Dust in My Hairnet by JR Creaden
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I absolutely adored this story! A queer, autistic, polyamorous main character? Sign me up immediately. I loved Lane more than I've loved any character in a long, long time and having a multitude of queer, neurodivergent, and POC secondary characters felt gratifying and almost revolutionary to read! The plot was incredible and unique and the ending could not have been more perfect. Seeing Lane's struggle and her journey through therapy and the various stages of grief was also like nothing I've ever read before and it was liberating to see. The futuristic world that Creaden created was incredibly well-developed and surprisingly, and somewhat worryingly, realistic (I really hope that humanity isn't heading in that direction, but with the way things are going...) Although I guessed who one of the spies was early on, I was still excited to continue reading to find out their motives because I just knew that it wouldn't be so straight-forward given how expertly crafted the rest of this book is. I cannot even begin to express how satisfying the ending of this book was as well. There was no "one hero who saves the day" - it was a group effort and that is more gratifying than I can say. Lane doesn't suddenly become this fearless powerful leader who saves everyone, she's just the same Lane she's always been (although with marginally better mental health after a few months of therapy) and I appreciated that immensely. This was the easiest five-star rating I've given this year, and I cannot wait to purchase the physical book to reread again!
Tied to Murder by Brian Battison
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? It's complicated
4.0
I thoroughly enjoyed this story in its entirety. The characters were complex and interesting, each with their own personal struggles, backgrounds, and faults. I appreciated the fact that this extended to the main characters as well - even the protagonist is not infallible. The murder mystery was also interesting with many possible suspects and expertly interwoven connections with each other. The murderer wasn't obvious until the end of the novel and that specific character was well-hidden throughout the first half of the story, appearing even more innocent than most. The generational difference between the two main detectives was fascinating to read as they conflicted on practically everything and yet still got the job done. It was an enjoyable novel and I can't wait to read the next in the series!
The Missing Nurse by Roger Silverwood
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This was an interesting murder mystery that had all the makings of a 5-star read until the very end. There was a broad range of characters, each well-developed with their own faults and motives and the mystery itself was enjoyably complicated with many different layers. The only downside, aside from the blatantly unnecessary misogynism throughout the novel, was the grand reveal at the end. Although I enjoyed the scene itself where the police catch the "killer" and they tell their side of the story, the identity of the actual killer was confusing and disappointing. It was impossible to guess who they were, but this wasn't due to an expertly set-up plot or incredible writing, it was because the motives for the murders weren't even briefly mentioned once until after the killer was identified. This frustrated me greatly as there was nothing to piece together and no hints or clues for the reader to follow. Although there were many well-thought-out red herrings near the end of the story, it was still irritating that the author left nothing for the reader to go on to try and solve the murder themselves.
The Reunion Party by Penny Batchelor
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
I found the first half of this book brilliant - the characters were individually interesting and well-developed, one of the protagonists was queer, and the various "incidents" that kept happening had me on the edge of my seat, waiting to see what would happen next. That's why I gave it two stars instead of one, given that I truly hated the rest of the story. I can't fully express why without revealing who the killer was, but I will say that I was expecting a plot twist or some grand reveal where someone would step up and explain why they did it - except that never happened. Instead, the identity of the killer disappointed me thoroughly. It felt like the author was taking the easy way out and it soured the entire novel for me, making me feel cheated. It was also incredibly unrealistic because who on earth would wait twenty-five years before doing the things that the killer did?! It makes no sense to me whatsoever and felt cheap, like the author worked really hard on the first half of the book and then just gave up caring. The so-called "twist" regarding the chef was also incredibly disappointing, totally unnecessary, and yet another easy way out. This story had such promise at the beginning and I was so excited to see where it went, but as soon as the killer was revealed, I wanted to stop reading.
The Mystery of the Crooked Man by Tom Spencer
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This was one of those books where you love and hate the main character in equal measure, which truly is an incredible feat of writing on the author's behalf. There were many moments where I truly hated Agatha for her arrogance, callousness, obliviousness, etc. but I still couldn't help but root for her (the fact that she's a queer MC certainly helped!) The "mystery" was interesting and just the right level of confusing for you to feel just as lost as Agatha was while she searched for the answers which kept me hooked from the very first sentence. The only downside to this book was the identity of the "Crooked Man", a person which I already suspected from the very first chapter due to a particular memory of Agatha's. Although that was definitely disheartening, I still enjoyed the rest of the story as despite knowing who the killer was, I had no idea what their motives behind their actions were, and it was interesting to find out - as well as to suddenly realise how all of the supposedly individual subplots were interconnected!
The Dead Friend Project by Joanna Wallace
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Being perfectly honest, I wasn't entirely sure if I was going to like this book but I ended up loving it! Beth is initially a character that I struggled to care about but I kept listening to the audiobook and I grew to love her and pity her disastrous life in equal measure. I sympathised with her obsession over Charlotte's death and how everyone around her thought it was the ramblings of an overly stressed and exhausted single mother of three - something which they came to regret. The characters were incredibly fun and well-developed and the narrator's accents were impeccable, making it feel like there were multiple speakers rather than one. The author also planted multiple red herrings and set me up to believe that character X was the killer, which initially irritated me because I kept thinking "surely it can't be that obvious" - until the grand reveal at the end where I realised "no, actually, it's not that obvious". I was completely blindsided by who the killer was until Beth herself started to get suspicious of them, and as someone who devours crime novels and can usually figure it out before the end, it was a wonderful relief to realise that there was, in fact, a plot twist!
Murder at an English Pub by Alice Castle
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
I really enjoyed the characters of this book, and Sarah especially, but I felt very let down by the plot. Although the premise of the story was interesting, the murderer was glaringly obvious - especially since the book is called "Murder at an English Pub". That gave it away immediately, and I was even more convinced I'd guessed right when none of the murders themselves actually took place in a pub. The fact that the very title of the book refers to the killer is frustrating to me and I struggle to understand just why the author did it. But as I said, the characters themselves were sufficiently developed, each with their own backgrounds and motives, and the little twists and turns in their own personal lives is what kept me listening until the end.
The Queen of Poisons by Robert Thorogood
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This was a middling novel for me that didn't cause any extreme emotions. The characters were mostly well-developed, although I did find it difficult to remember who was who at the start of the story - part of this may be because this is part of a series that I haven't read. I enjoyed that the "detectives" were three middle-aged women, each with their own personal problems too, and the plot was interesting and largely believable. The ending did contain a plot twist, but I found it predictable, and although I hadn't been able to figure out who the killer was, I didn't really care when they were revealed because I found it difficult to care about most of these characters, given what they have done in the past. Overall it was an interesting murder mystery but not one that I'll likely ever read again.