robinwalter's reviews
1638 reviews

Ancestors: A prehistory of Britain in seven burials by Alice Roberts
Did not finish book. Stopped at 35%.

I just couldn't get into it, the author's writing style didn't gel with me

The Seven by Chris Hammer

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.5

Truly gripping. I am very much not a fan of the multiple timeline style of mystery, but this one really worked.  The story was tight and taut, the mysteries nicely layered and the resolution made perfect sense. I'm going to look out for more by this author.

Harlequin Historical February 2024 - Box Set 1 of 2 by Lydia San Andres, Sadie King, Christine Merrill

emotional hopeful relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

Two out of three ain't bad, the heroine in the middle story was just too aggravatingly stupid

The Scythian Empire: Central Eurasia and the Birth of the Classical Age from Persia to China by Christopher I Beckwith

informative medium-paced

4.0

Some interesting information, but his pedagogic style (WHO includes "e.g." in a list of abbreviations?!)  and the whole "It's all Scythians, everywhere, for everything" insistence, was a bit wearing

Harlequin Historical August 2022 - Box Set 1 of 2 by Joanna Johnson, Lydia San Andres, Louise Allen

emotional hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

The first two quite good, the third less so

And Justice There Is None by Deborah Crombie

dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.5

A huge improvement over the previous instalment, I am nonetheless growing weary of the dual-timeline approach. I would love it if the series reverts to crimes in the here and now. On the positive side, the personal deverlopments in the the Kincaid/James family were welcome, even if one element was telegraphed very early on

An Unsuitable Heiress by Jane Dunn
Did not finish book. Stopped at 95%.

The characters never clicked, as soon as I found out what happened, it was DNF time

A Finer End by Deborah Crombie

dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

2.0

Full of tedious mystical mubo-jumbo and the unfathomable fixation on a small hill (Glastonbury Tor), I just skimmed this one for the developments in Duncan & Gemma's lives, not the woo-woo murder mystery that I could not give a fetid dingo kidney about. 

Kissed a Sad Goodbye by Deborah Crombie

emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Not as strong as the preceding couple  in the series, this one had a VERY obvious murderer - I knew who was most likely very, very ealy on, and was absolutely right. The interpersonal elements seemd a bit disjointed too. Hopefully it picks back up again in the next one. 

An Affair at Stonecliffe by Candace Camp

adventurous lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.25

The romance was unremarkable but the mystery was entertaining