Anonymous

I can Suspend Disbelief, but . . .

Reviewed: 02-19-25

I typically love Elizabeth Hoyt, so this pains me, but it must be said. SPOILER ALERT! I tolerated the "Wise Women" throughout this series, but I just can't handle it any more. Okay, so I suspended reason and accepted the possibility that there could be a sect of women who remained hidden throughout a millennium in Scotland (uh- right - sure they could). But this secret society dedicated to helping women now is sending assassins to kill women who have left (or not left?) their now closed society? What? Why? Why the particular target in this book? Why is she somehow threatening? Not clear, not explained, probably because there is no semi-reasonable explanation. In a separate plot spanning the entire series, there is no semblance of an explanation offered for why one family member has been killing or trying to kill other family members. ???? On top of all that, this book goes further than the other books in this series in promoting paganism. What a disappointment in so many ways.

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I love the author but want more Story

Reviewed: 10-11-23

About 2/2 through I started wishing I had timed the minutes spent on sex vs story development. I am OK with the sex but this book spent a huge amount of time on sex and the lead-up dancing and not much time actually moving the story forward. Please give us more story and character development.

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I hate it when . . .

Reviewed: 08-10-20

. . . I don’t like any of the primary characters and would want to bang my head against a wall if forced to spend a few hours with any of them.

. . . a supposedly strong female character is actually insipid and always reacting rather than proactive.

. . . I stop caring who did what or if the main character lives or dies by halfway through the book.

. . . the main character is stupid.

. . . suddenly it seems several characters have a personality transplant in the final chapter and are now much more likable.

. . . it’s so obvious that the reader is supposed to suspect a specific person that it’s obvious that person is not the killer. Or the next most obvious person. Sigh.

. . . I figure out all the upcoming major plot points by 2 hours in. Literally only one thing surprised me. I finished the book, hoping I was wrong but, nope, had figured out the killer way early.

. . . It is not that I’m so brilliant so it must be that the author is telegraphing these things. I am sure others must have had a similar experience.

. . . I return a book, which I almost never do. This one is going back.

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What a Disappointment -- and a Misleading Summary

Reviewed: 03-03-19

Had there been a more complete Publisher's Summary, I would never have bought this book. I love a good mystery and like Karin Slaughter, so I more-or-less automatically buy a new book by this author. I made my way through the entire book, despite being tempted to stop about 1/3 of the way through when it became clear why one of the protagonists (the Mom) had a hidden life. And I was SOOO tempted to just throw in the towel at many points after that . . .but I kept thinking, surely this is going to turn around and make me glad I kept listening. Nope.

I absolutely despite books that justify or even glorify unforgivable activities -- and despite half-hearted attempts to redeem the central character with "consequences" and "motivations" -- that is exactly what this book does. The clear primary rationale for the main character's hidden activities is to please her abusive lover and, despite the consequences, it's quite clear she had no real remorse and would do it all again. (Much like she stayed with said abusive lover even after he beat her to intentionally cause her to miscarry.) By the end of the book, I felt about as kindly to the Mom as one of the characters in the book who wanted revenge. Of course, I didn't like those characters, either.

The daughter is the only person to "root for" in this book, but that's a challenge too because she's such a dishrag. The mystery and investigation by the daughter kept me listening, but the alleged growth of that character throughout the book didn't ring true. In fact, the vast majority of characters in this book are people I wouldn't want to have to endure an elevator ride with, much less an entire day.

I'd love to enumerate all the many, many reasons I am disgusted with the central character and other characters in this book, but I hate to give out critical spoilers and don't want to ruin the mystery for those who may not be as disgusted as I am. So, despite being happy to re-read all of Karin Slaughter's other books I never will waste a second more on this love letter to dysfunction.

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6 people found this helpful

Far wierder than expected

Reviewed: 03-10-15

I don't mind occasional psychic ability. I'm not exactly fond of characters who see ghosts, but I can tolerate that if necessary. But this book goes way beyond those lines. Had I known what this story was about, I would never has bought the 3rd book in the trilogy.

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2 people found this helpful

Long, Dark, Depressing, Boring & Disappointing

Reviewed: 08-14-14

Normally I love Nora Roberts' work, but there's boatloads I dislike about this book. I rarely write a review unless I really love or really can't stand a book, but when I do, I go into detail. I'm trying not to give away major plot twists below.

First, I REALLY hate it when the copyrights listed on Audible read "2014" for author and audio publisher, but in reality the book has a 1990 publication date. Audible/Amazon, let's have some truth in labelling and note when it's really a reissue of an old book.

Second. a good editor would have cut out at least one-third of this book. The first 30-40% DRAGS to the extent that I'd zone out for several minutes - something I very rarely do when listening to ANY book - and worse, when I'd rewind I'd find that I didn't miss anything I hadn't heard before. After the first couple zone-outs, I didn't care enough to rewind to catch what I'd missed! That almost NEVER is the case.

Third, if I wanted to read an ode to rock, drugs, other drugs, more drugs, drug abuse, overdoses (I'm not sure I've come across so many different references to drugs in any other fiction book), capricious sex, semi-incestuous sex, AIDS, child abuse, physical abuse, murder, attempted murder, long-term betrayal, etc., etc. I'd read a biography of a 60's/70's rock icon. It seems the author was living out her teenage fantasies about British/Irish rockers. I suspect that a good number of those highly positive reviews are written by folks who either came of age in the 60's or have deep nostalgia or identification with the era. If you don't already love the 60's, I doubt you'll love this book.

Fourth, I'd have rated the book higher if the central mystery had been engaging. Nope. Even most of the primary characters seem to have lost interest in finding out "whodunnit" after a couple years Few additional clues were dropped over time. And worse, my immediate suspects turned out (many) hours later to be the primary culprits. Yawn. If this crime was not a purely random act, who else had any motive?

Fifth, at one point, the original primary detective showed out-of-character stupidity. Then at a critical turning point, the heroine is distressingly stupid. And finally, neither the detectives (nor the other main characters) actually solve the crime. They didn't identify any of the perps who, luckily, were all identified in other ways. Such good luck for our heroine they were so stupid, too. Sigh, it's disappointing when an author can't move the plot forward without resorting to that "let's have someone do something stupid" tactic - but multiple times in a single book? Nora, you're so much better than that - usually!

Sixth, there were so many male characters in this book frequently lumped together in conversation with each other that it was nearly impossible to follow who said what to whom. I think I'd have had a problem keeping the male characters straight without a chart even in written text, but it was very difficult in audio where the various voices were unclear. However, I feel sorry for the narrator who may have been as bored as I was and found it hard to keep the many characters separate in her mind as well. At a later point in the book one character had a serious illness and until more details were given I honestly couldn't remember who he was or why I should care.

The only reason I give 2 stars instead of 1 is for the slightly more interesting last fourth of the book. But even that was a close call.

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147 people found this helpful

Confusing, Ridiculous & Almost Everyone's Insane

Reviewed: 09-07-13

People were raving about this book in reviews at Audible, and I usually like Lisa Jackson, so I was looking forward to it. This is one of the most disappointing books ever. First, in print, perhaps it wouldn't be as confusing, but in audio the vast cast of characters is largely indistinguishable. You'll need a chart to keep track of everyone - is he a brother, half-brother, cousin, friend, hired help? Is she a cousin, old friend, daughter of the housekeeper or nurse or therapist . . . After I while I stopping trying to place who was who because almost everyone was obnoxious and crazy regardless.

Second, a lot of people's actions just doesn't make any sense. I liked the main character. But, like every other character, her actions/inactions don't make much sense given her supposed motivations. The author tries to explain this as resulting from confusion, fear, drugging, control of finances, but that's harder to buy over time. However, the main character is a paragon of reason and consistency compared to the other wackos that reside in her apparently massive mansion. I found it impossible to buy the basic story -- if these people were so motivated to pursue their goals that they'd be willing to do the things attributed to them in this book (trying to avoid spoilers), there were much simpler and safer ways to achieve their goals. How many dozen people living in that house had to be either complicit or an idiot? And why, pray tell, would the husband decide to bring a new employee into this situation?

Third, even if you buy the plot and storyline, the book is about 50% longer than it should be to tell that story. Needlessly repetitive, extraneous minor characters whose only apparent purpose is to provide red herrings or cause confusion or drop one relevant "clue," I was so bored by the first third of the book that I barely soldiered on . . . but I usually like Lisa Jackson, so I persevered. Wish I hadn't.

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5 people found this helpful

Paid by the Word? Double for "the boy"?

Reviewed: 08-14-13

Patience. This is, without doubt, the most repetitive book I've read, including cookbooks. I dare you to take a sip of wine every time "the boy" is mentioned in the latter half of this book and try to finish a chapter before passing out. Truly, this story (don't confuse it with history) could have been told in one-third the length.

Nearly every one of Elizabeth's thoughts, and her conversations with Maggie, with Henry, with Margaret, with her mother (notice a pattern?), are repeated almost verbatim and/or paraphrased multiple times -- some ad nauseam. Entire chapters consist of repetitions, with only one new minor point plot offered. Describing being drawn and quartered once in excruciating detail will suffice, thanks. Just write "drawn and quartered" after that, we're smart enough to know what you mean. We don't need to be lectured in almost identical detail twice, and partially a third time . . . maybe more. I confess I drifted off a number of times, but I doubt I missed anything I hadn't heard previously several times.

If I hadn't liked The White Queen so much, I wouldn't have persevered to finish, hoping for more and better. It's hard to swallow the premise that the calm, poised, wise-beyond-her-years Elizabeth of The White Queen would develop a grand passion for her uncle, who betrayed a promise to her father, imprisoned and potentially murdered her dear brothers. Cultivating his interest for strategic reasons to protect the Woodvilles may make have made sense. The main characters are static over a near 15-year time span, never growing or learning from their mistakes. If Henry VII was as incapable, cowardly, sniveling, and mother-dominated as depicted here, his uncle would have made a deal with the Yorks to knock him off as soon as there was an heir and a spare, putting the York-Tudor hybrid Arthur on the throne. In reality, history suggests Henry VII had no mistress after marriage to Elizabeth, that Elizabeth and Henry had a successful perhaps loving marriage, that Margaret Beaufort was not an ogre, that Henry's reign was more successful, etc.

What a disappointment!

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29 people found this helpful

Is there a way I can give this book 5+ stars?

Reviewed: 07-30-13

Writing bleary-eyed after pushing off work and staying up half the night listening to this amazing book. Rarely write reviews, but all I can say is - if you're even considering this book, stop and use that credit right now!

Rarely do romance books address the dreadful reality that faced (faces) abducted women. This one does -- and in so doing provides a surprising but completely reasonable answer to the only plot element that I found to be unrealistic in Book 1 in the series (won't give a spoiler, so I'll only say it has to do with the fate of heroine near the end of that book).

What a story, what a narrator. If this quality is maintained, this series will easily be one of my all-time favorites. Can't wait for the next book.

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1 person found this helpful

Wow. Prepare for a marathon listen.

Reviewed: 07-30-13

One of the most intriguing heroines of a romance novel I've come across in a long time. Well-drawn characters and compelling story of deception, misunderstanding, and deep emotions. Scottish clans were notorious for their rivalries and enduring feuds, which makes the depth of animosity believable. And fantastic narration. If this series can maintain this standard, it will be one for the record books.

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1 person found this helpful