Diane

Fun, Suspenseful Historical Fiction

Reviewed: 07-17-23

This is a new writer for me. I enjoyed the strong character development of the two main characters. The characters were true to their backgrounds. (I really dislike when a character does something that’s out of their character without a good reason. I expected Harriet to be brave. I expected Curran to be a gentleman. It was fun and interesting being in turn-of-the-century (19th to 20th) Singapore. I look forward to further adventures of Harriet and Curran.

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2 people found this helpful

Character Issue

Reviewed: 12-07-22

The main character, the author, has become so whiny and insecure as to be unlikeable. He disrespects his wife, his agent and Hawthorne in his new adopted persona similar to a whiny, spoiled teenager. I wanted him to be arrested and thrown into jail without any writing implements.

This will probably be the last of this series I’ll read. Too bad, because I’ve been a big fan and promoter of Anthony Horowitz’s previous work.

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Well Done in All Aspects

Reviewed: 06-28-22

Enjoyed this book twice. Well-plotted storyline. Third-person POV allows readers to understand each character and his/her motivation. Provides good insight into Irish culture and norms. Just the right amount of tension being eased and increased. Will definitely read more by this author. Well-done performance by the Irish narrator.

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1 person found this helpful

Cheerful Mystery

Reviewed: 10-30-21

The women are at it again solving another murder that lands on their doorstep. Brett continues to develop the two main characters and the minor characters around them. Credible plotting. It’s fun. It’s suspenseful watching Brett weave the story.

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Mediocre Plot and Weak Ending

Reviewed: 02-03-19

I’ve been reading Penny’s books since the first. This one fell short in plot and complexity.

Too many things felt contrived. Beauvoir’s dilemma seemed to go nowhere, then miraculously became an issue at the end. How does a suspended senior officer have the entire police force at his command? Gamache had all the authority except the power to go into the office.

The worst part was the ending. It had that “and they lived happily ever after” feeling.

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Great Structure, Unfulfilled Ending

Reviewed: 09-14-17

I found the structure of starting with the end and winding its way back through time well done because it increased the suspense. The ending seemed more like a Hollywood movie than a thoughtful book.

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Another Mosley Winner

Reviewed: 08-24-17

Really enjoyed the fully developed characters and well-conceived plot. The hero works hard, plays hard and is very convincing. Having lived in Los Angeles during some of those years, i found the characterization of the city quite accurate.

I love the way Mosley gets into the heads of his black characters. We see the city and life through truthful eyes.

Kudos on another enjoyable read.

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Brilliant, Insightful Writing

Reviewed: 06-04-16

The stories are full of insight and passion. Berlin is a keen observer of life and it's many nuances.

Writers--and those who aspire to be writers--will find the collection especially enjoyable. Those who rigidly believe that all stories should have a certain structure or form will fight their way through because Berlin is a genius at understanding what really makes a story a story. She is not limited by structure. Instead, she allows her stories the form they must take to have the meaning she wished to express.

The stories are full of passion, but with not sentimentality. Life as she sees it is way to harsh for that. She is a realist.

I've already listened to several of the stories more than once. Now I'm going to start listening to the entire collection again. Bravo!

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Masterful Storytelling

Reviewed: 07-24-15

You will hate these characters, feel sorry for them and then you will wish they would kill each other. The author's insight into marital relations is so sharp that you turn the pages of the book and find your hand has paper cuts. The tension squeezes the characters and the reader so tightly that you feel you need to gasp for air. Did Nick kill Amy? Or did Amy kill Nick? We're left hanging even after the story ends.

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Fabulous writer

Reviewed: 04-07-15

Coming of age has never been explored on such an intimate level. Gripping and with beautiful language. It's particularly good at enlightening the economics of our living conditions.

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12 people found this helpful