swampkun's reviews
102 reviews

The Trials of Lila Dalton by Laura J. Shepherd

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

3.5

3.5 ⭐️

Thank you Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the eARC! Spoiler-free review below.

For fans of: 1899, The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, Anatomy of a Fall, The Wedding of Natsume Arata 

I think this book had a solid foundation to start: part courtroom thriller, part conspiracy theory hunt, and a dash of light speculative fiction to keep you constantly trying to pick apart the mystery. The narration felt unreliable in an effective, deliberate way, allowing for me as a reader to constantly feel as susceptible to conspiracy as the character herself—a particularly clever bit of writing that suited the both the story and the broader points the author was trying to explore about truth, reality, and the rise of disinformation very well. However, I felt that the narrative was lacking towards the end, with the final reveals leaving me both underwhelmed and confused. Characters stopped talking like character and instead like think pieces on the dangers of a post-truth society and cancel culture, twists felt telegraphed from a mile away, and ultimately it felt as though a satisfying narrative ending was pushed aside to allow the author to grandstand a bit.

Overall, I really enjoyed the legal drama elements and how the author explored modern day Nazism’s relation to theosophy and occultism as a means to build an atmospheric thriller. The story fell flat towards the end, with more than a couple questions lacking satisfying payoff. I don’t know—maybe it’s because I read this so late at night, but there were some questions I had left upon finishing that I think the author really felt she had answered but that I just don’t grock?

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Island of Whispers by Frances Hardinge

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adventurous emotional mysterious reflective fast-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

4.5

Read for work. A sweet book that I think will really resonate with young, spooky readers. 

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The Meiji Guillotine Murders by Fūtarō Yamada

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

4.0

Thank you NetGalley and Pushkin Press for the opportunity to read this book! My spoiler-free review lies below, cradling its head in its hands: 

My opinion on this book warmed so much the more I read—while it started feeling a bit like I was pushing through a fairly dense history book at the beginning, by the middle I couldn’t put the book down. The final 40 or so pages were devoured, leaving me thrilled. 

For readers expecting a cozy murder mystery or a classic detective novel, know that this is more similar to a bound anthology in nature: our pair of detectives (technically government investigators) investigate five murders over the course of about a year, with the help of a French miko and a gaggle of dimwitted by useful rasotsu. The overarching through line is the interrogation of a Just Government—is it possible for a governing body to be free of corruption, to mete out justice, and to be manned transparently? The two main characters grapple with this throughout, within the heavily-detailed setting of early Meiji Japan. 

At times the historical background and set dressing felt dry, and many of the less-fleshed-out characters bled into each other. I think in large part, this is due to my reading this out of it’s original context: many of the characters in the story, including one of the protagonists, are important figures in Japanese history. Even if Japanese readers aren’t necessarily familiar with all of them by name, the backdrop of the Meiji Restoration is enough to provide sufficient context. I can’t fault the writer or the translator for my own ignorance on the topic—I think it’s just worth noting to anyone picking up this book that they may get more of a history lesson than they may anticipate, as this element is less advertised in the summary.  

While reading this book, I tried to keep in mind the context of it’s original publication—the late 1970s were a period of marked political, economic, and social change for Japan—and how the novel’s setting must have resonated with readers at that time. What’s more, I feel that Pushkin Vertigo’s decision to publish this book in 2023 is equally as timely. The feel of complete helplessness in a time of political turmoil is just as overwhelming now as it was for the characters in 1869, and I find both protagonists’ diametric ideals about government to echo public sentiment today. 

Overall, I had hoped for a detective story and got something a little bit more than that. It wasn’t what I expected, and it had a slightly slow start, but the last chapter left me thinking about it a lot more than I probably would have if it were just another whodunnit. 4/5 stars.

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Dracula by Bram Stoker

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

5.0

Girl it’s mf Dracula!!! You already know!!!!
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

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

5.0

A funny, charming, and cozy read that both serves as a love letter to the English murder mystery canon and a heartfelt homage to the elderly community. The character voices are well-defined, meshing to create a beautifully knit cast of characters, and the mystery unravels at a satisfying pace. A perfect weekend read—i can’t wait to crack into book 2.
The Enigma of Room 622 by Joël Dicker

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

1.75

Unbelievably boring, with flat characters constantly self-sabotaging, relying on how sexy you find the female characters and how riveting you find the lives of wealthy Swiss bankers. Clumsy plot twists are sprinkled throughout, but none clever enough to warrant the nearly 600pg page count. I can only recommend this books to fans of James Bond who are unironic fans of all its flaws. 
The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton

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adventurous dark mysterious tense 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

5.0

An absolutely swashbuckling mystery, full of devilry and dripping with intrigue. I tore this book apart in a matter of days, unable to wait to find out where each revelation led. Moody, tense, and full of deeply compelling characters and motives, Turton has weaved a highly-atmospheric follow up to Evelyn Hardcastle. 

PS, Stu-Turt, if you’re reading this: I’m sorry. I’m one of those readers who can’t stop thinking about how dreamy Arent is. Last night I fell asleep imagining his big arms and wide chest. If you didn’t want us to fall in love, I’m sorry to say that’s the only place where your writing has failed.

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The Cloisters by Katy Hays

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

4.0

thought this book was a great cozy end-of-summer read, though at times it felt slow and the dialogue unrealistic, as if striving for poetic over believable. But the writing style is compelling, and I enjoyed the way the writer explored fate through the lens of grief.

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Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann

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challenging dark informative tense fast-paced

5.0

An absolutely thrilling read, Killers of the Flower Moon is a meticulously researched dive into a horrific period of American history that interrogates White Americans’ relationship with wealth, land, and Native American lives—and how sickeningly their perceived entitlement to it all permeated every aspect of society. The author both carefully records the investigations carried out during the Reign of Terror and sympathetically details the lasting impact of these harrowing events still felt by the victims’ families today. I felt the book was incredibly well-written, bringing to vivid life the people and places central to the narrative. Killers of The Flower Moon is a necessary novel that spotlights an oft-forgotten tragedy for the crime-obsessed current generation.

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