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govmarley's review
3.0
My first Kate Martinelli book, but definitely won't be my last. She's a bit prickly, but I liked her. And I really liked Al. Curious to see where this partnership goes.
Kate is assigned to a case with a new partner because she has the right requirements, which seems to be lady parts. We have young girls who are being murdered and dumped, which sounds awful but is oddly brushed over. We have a mysterious past, a weird cult-like community that lets me down by the end, and much less darkness than I expected. However, I still liked the story, the characters, and the potential for more.
A good start to a new series for me. Three stars.
Kate is assigned to a case with a new partner because she has the right requirements, which seems to be lady parts. We have young girls who are being murdered and dumped, which sounds awful but is oddly brushed over. We have a mysterious past, a weird cult-like community that lets me down by the end, and much less darkness than I expected. However, I still liked the story, the characters, and the potential for more.
A good start to a new series for me. Three stars.
liralen's review
3.0
I was not there when my book club picked this book, so when I saw the title—and then the cover—I thought this was going to be a vampire book. (Does that say more about me, or about publishing trends?)
In any case, there are no vampires here—only a deeply closeted detective (even the author is coy about her relationship right up until page 174), an artist, and a string of murdered children.
A Grave Talent was published in the early 90s, something reflected in both Martinelli's reluctance to come out (and her fear of professional reprisal if she does) and Hawkin's general sexism. (I was only five in 1993, so I'll leave it for others to determine how accurate both of those are in terms of the timing, but it definitely feels dated today.) Hawkin is an oddity—he protests loudly at being paired with Martinelli (with a woman! the horror!) but treats her with respect...except when his discussion of her personal life sounds an awful lot like blackmail (204), and except for thing like this: Two, no, three years ago in Los Angeles he'd been assigned a lady whose long legs and blond curls had been painfully distracting to work next to. He'd finally gone to the man in charge, and a few weeks later, when she was transferred with a promotion, he was freed from Law One [Thou shalt not get involved with a female colleague] and had found her distractions a source of pleasure rather than discomfort (68). I just...can you imagine a female detective pulling that? 'Sorry, boss, but he's too hot, and it's distracting'? She'd be ridiculed and considered unprofessional at best. I don't think the leggy blonde should have gotten a promotion; I think Hawkin should have gotten a demotion...and been rejected by the blonde.
Sigh. Off topic.
Anyway. Otherwise, mostly fine. Not terribly high tension—they figure out who the killer is pretty early on, and while on some level I appreciate that (much better that they know who's trying to kill them than that they run in circles until he leaps from a corner holding a gun), the story slowed considerably, and we were instead treated to some rather odd therapeutic techniques and repeated descriptions of a particular character's incredible talent and vulnerability and profound effect on other people. It was more interesting when they were still looking hard at Tyler's Road, I think.
Not a book club standout, but it's been a while since I read a murder mystery, so that was nice.
In any case, there are no vampires here—only a deeply closeted detective (even the author is coy about her relationship right up until page 174), an artist, and a string of murdered children.
A Grave Talent was published in the early 90s, something reflected in both Martinelli's reluctance to come out (and her fear of professional reprisal if she does) and Hawkin's general sexism. (I was only five in 1993, so I'll leave it for others to determine how accurate both of those are in terms of the timing, but it definitely feels dated today.) Hawkin is an oddity—he protests loudly at being paired with Martinelli (with a woman! the horror!) but treats her with respect...except when his discussion of her personal life sounds an awful lot like blackmail (204), and except for thing like this: Two, no, three years ago in Los Angeles he'd been assigned a lady whose long legs and blond curls had been painfully distracting to work next to. He'd finally gone to the man in charge, and a few weeks later, when she was transferred with a promotion, he was freed from Law One [Thou shalt not get involved with a female colleague] and had found her distractions a source of pleasure rather than discomfort (68). I just...can you imagine a female detective pulling that? 'Sorry, boss, but he's too hot, and it's distracting'? She'd be ridiculed and considered unprofessional at best. I don't think the leggy blonde should have gotten a promotion; I think Hawkin should have gotten a demotion...and been rejected by the blonde.
Sigh. Off topic.
Anyway. Otherwise, mostly fine. Not terribly high tension—they figure out who the killer is pretty early on, and while on some level I appreciate that (much better that they know who's trying to kill them than that they run in circles until he leaps from a corner holding a gun), the story slowed considerably, and we were instead treated to some rather odd therapeutic techniques and repeated descriptions of a particular character's incredible talent and vulnerability and profound effect on other people. It was more interesting when they were still looking hard at Tyler's Road, I think.
Not a book club standout, but it's been a while since I read a murder mystery, so that was nice.
ms_kippes's review
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
laurend's review
3.0
Not sure it should have won an Edgar but maybe that only proves how dismal the other options were. This is definitely not my genre.
margardenlady's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This was my first Kate Martinelli mystery, but I was confident going on since i have enjoyed King’s writing in other series. I was right. The characters are drawn as fallible, believable humans and the storyline is intriguing. In this book Martinelli is investigating child murders and is drawn into the art world, once a link to a reclusive artist is made. Lots of personal and professional conflict here.
rockinghaims's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
lola1229's review
3.0
Took entirely too long to get going; but the last ~1/3 was spectacular. Hopeful the second book is better, now that the characters have been introduced.
claudia_is_reading's review
3.0
I liked the writing, and I liked the way in which we get to know the characters. The mystery? Not so much, as we knew pretty soon who the killer was and from then on the story become... slow.
It lacks suspense, I didn't feel any rush to get to the end. But, as I said, I liked the writing and I'm curious about Kate, so I'll be reading the second book.
It lacks suspense, I didn't feel any rush to get to the end. But, as I said, I liked the writing and I'm curious about Kate, so I'll be reading the second book.
erablaise's review
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
vesperreads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25