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meganstreb's review against another edition
4.0
Really enjoyed it, but I struggled with the jumps in narrative in each chapter between different characters (and sub plots.)
Not entirely sure why Murdoch seems unable to stick to one alias. Is that meant to make him seem more likable to the reader?
Not entirely sure why Murdoch seems unable to stick to one alias. Is that meant to make him seem more likable to the reader?
dave37's review against another edition
3.0
The story is set in the late 1800s, and, at times, it seemed as though the author was attempting to write like a person from that time - particularly as it related to characters' personal relationships. I found that a bit precious for my taste.
There are good bones to the story, but, again, it seemed to be a bit over-complicated, and then resolved itself very quickly. Not my favorite layout for a mystery. It's often not accurate to judge a series when you jump in at a later book, so I'll give Det. Murdoch another shot.
There are good bones to the story, but, again, it seemed to be a bit over-complicated, and then resolved itself very quickly. Not my favorite layout for a mystery. It's often not accurate to judge a series when you jump in at a later book, so I'll give Det. Murdoch another shot.
addy1991's review against another edition
3.0
In this book, Acting Detective Murdoch's personal life crosses over into his job. His sister, who joined a cloistered convent when she was young, is on her deathbed. His estranged father is in jail, convicted of murder, and seeks out Murdoch to prove his innocence. He might not like or respect his father, but Murdoch wants to be sure justice is served and accepts the case. Past and present continue to mingle as the tale unfolds and Murdoch follows each clue. The more I get to "know" Murdoch, the more I like him.
lian_tanner's review against another edition
4.0
A good solid mystery with convincing historical background and attitudes. It's the first Murdoch book I've read, so will now go back to the beginning of the series and see what the rest are like.
appalonia's review against another edition
3.0
Although I was happy to learn more about Murdoch's family and its history, there seemed too many characters with too many plot lines in this one. I enjoyed it, but it became a little convoluted.
secre's review
5.0
This is undoubtedly the best Murdoch novel yet and it kept me guessing all the way through to the end. It adds some additional background for Murdoch himself, delving into his early family life and his relationships with his sister and father. It's an interesting read and one that takes the plot into a distinctly more personal line than the previous novels. The evidence seems fairly clear cut and I found myself reading with great gusto to find out what had actually happened. Once again, there are at least three different side plots and story threads and half of the game is to figure out the important one.
polywogg's review against another edition
5.0
PLOT OR PREMISE:
Detective Murdoch has family problems -- his sister, a cloistered nun, is dying and he can't even see her to really say goodbye, just through a screen. His drunk of a father is in jail convicted of murder and ready to hang, but proclaiming his innocence -- so even though it's been many years since they spoke, Murdoch tries to find out the truth of the death of his father's acquaintance following a potentially rigged dog race.
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WHAT I LIKED:
This is the best one yet in the series, although perhaps the historical features are not as pronounced in favour of telling a good tale. The storyline takes place for the most part outside of Toronto, and that also helps as it gives the story an unique atmosphere with lots of good local characters to investigate, all with their own dirty little secrets that clog up the investigation -- cats and dogs, flirts and pervs. They're all there. The social life of Murdoch heats up, although after two years of introspection, it comes with a bang, hardly reminiscent of the slow methodical progress before.
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WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
Very little bothered me in the story, although there is a confusing sub-plot about another crime and another investigator who is in the way of Murdoch's investigation.
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BOTTOM-LINE:
Best one yet in the series
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DISCLOSURE:
I received no compensation, not even a free copy, in exchange for this review. I am not personal friends with the author, nor do I follow her on social media.
Detective Murdoch has family problems -- his sister, a cloistered nun, is dying and he can't even see her to really say goodbye, just through a screen. His drunk of a father is in jail convicted of murder and ready to hang, but proclaiming his innocence -- so even though it's been many years since they spoke, Murdoch tries to find out the truth of the death of his father's acquaintance following a potentially rigged dog race.
.
WHAT I LIKED:
This is the best one yet in the series, although perhaps the historical features are not as pronounced in favour of telling a good tale. The storyline takes place for the most part outside of Toronto, and that also helps as it gives the story an unique atmosphere with lots of good local characters to investigate, all with their own dirty little secrets that clog up the investigation -- cats and dogs, flirts and pervs. They're all there. The social life of Murdoch heats up, although after two years of introspection, it comes with a bang, hardly reminiscent of the slow methodical progress before.
.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
Very little bothered me in the story, although there is a confusing sub-plot about another crime and another investigator who is in the way of Murdoch's investigation.
.
BOTTOM-LINE:
Best one yet in the series
.
DISCLOSURE:
I received no compensation, not even a free copy, in exchange for this review. I am not personal friends with the author, nor do I follow her on social media.
lars's review against another edition
4.0
A solid 3.5 stars. This is the first Murdoch Mysteries book I've ever read (why the 4th book first? Well I went to an event and Maureen Jennings was there signing books, so I read the blurbs and decided this one was the most interesting. Plus I figured I was well enough acquainted with the characters.)
Anyways! I found this book to be entertaining, but exhausting at times. There's a reason I shy away from books and tv shows with too many characters--I can't follow along. I know I know! That means I can't experience Game of Thrones. Though this book had nowhere near the amount of characters and plot lines as GoT, it still had too many. This, of course, didn't help when I took a bit of a break between readings. I found it hard to remember who was who, and why there were so many different chapters dedicated to characters who had no major impact on the story (like thefamily that was making counterfeit money ). I also didn't like the lack of supporting characters. Crabtree shows up once for about one or two pages, and Brackenreid for about ten . Other than that, it's Murdoch and his landlady that are the only real reoccurring characters present in this book.
The thing I liked about the book was the accuracy. You could tell Jennings put a lot of time and effort into making sure things were as on point as she could. It really helped set the scene. I also liked how well layered and multi-dimensional Murdoch was. He comes off as a shy man, who likes to keep to himself, and who has a strict code of ethics and morals he likes to live by. But, as the story goes on, we see more to Murdoch. We see parallels between Murdoch and his father; the anger and the inability to express emotions well. Below his calm exterior, there's complex feelings, emotions, wants, and desires. It's even more interesting to see agrown male character virgin. You rarely (if ever?) see it, and I thought it was bold, but good move on Jennings part to include that as part of Murdoch's story .
Overall, Let Loose the Dogs was worth the read. I'm not sure I'll read any of the other books, but will probably just watch the series instead.
Anyways! I found this book to be entertaining, but exhausting at times. There's a reason I shy away from books and tv shows with too many characters--I can't follow along. I know I know! That means I can't experience Game of Thrones. Though this book had nowhere near the amount of characters and plot lines as GoT, it still had too many. This, of course, didn't help when I took a bit of a break between readings. I found it hard to remember who was who, and why there were so many different chapters dedicated to characters who had no major impact on the story (like the
The thing I liked about the book was the accuracy. You could tell Jennings put a lot of time and effort into making sure things were as on point as she could. It really helped set the scene. I also liked how well layered and multi-dimensional Murdoch was. He comes off as a shy man, who likes to keep to himself, and who has a strict code of ethics and morals he likes to live by. But, as the story goes on, we see more to Murdoch. We see parallels between Murdoch and his father; the anger and the inability to express emotions well. Below his calm exterior, there's complex feelings, emotions, wants, and desires. It's even more interesting to see a
Overall, Let Loose the Dogs was worth the read. I'm not sure I'll read any of the other books, but will probably just watch the series instead.
pageturner92's review
5.0
As one of the more complex MM books in the series, Jennings did an amazing job of keeping me hooked on the plot. I did find it a bit slow going at first but once I got into it and truly felt invested in the story everything picked up. The description and detail that went into it was sometimes horrifying and what I would usually expect from a Gerritsen novel. So much so with this one there were moments when I had to stop reading for a few moments and just take in what had happened. A few of those were with the main character himself. I know that the show goes off in a different direction in terms of personality and characterisation for Murdoch, Brackenreid, Dr Ogden and Crabtree but it was with this particular book where I certainly came across stark differences in Murdoch's character, and I was rather taken aback. Nonetheless it is another amazing book and definitely a series which continues to whet my appetite for detective novels.
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