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erinnh's review against another edition
2.0
*I received this book for free through a Goodreads giveaway.*
This book wasn't my favorite, but it had some redeeming qualities. The idea of this book was creative, but I felt like the plot and characters could have been more developed and, personally, I felt like the police officers in particular felt like caricatures/cliches. However, I thought the pace of the story was great, and I was able to read this pretty quickly and I never lost interest enough to stop reading.
I do have to say that I really liked the author's acknowledgements at the end, which seems weird to say, but you can tell that writing this book meant a lot to him.
Overall, I just don't think this book was for me, but I might consider reading more from this author in the future.
This book wasn't my favorite, but it had some redeeming qualities. The idea of this book was creative, but I felt like the plot and characters could have been more developed and, personally, I felt like the police officers in particular felt like caricatures/cliches. However, I thought the pace of the story was great, and I was able to read this pretty quickly and I never lost interest enough to stop reading.
I do have to say that I really liked the author's acknowledgements at the end, which seems weird to say, but you can tell that writing this book meant a lot to him.
Overall, I just don't think this book was for me, but I might consider reading more from this author in the future.
maria_morton's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.25
alexandrabree's review against another edition
4.0
Really enjoyed this novel and will probably check out the other works from this author but don't plan on reading the whole series in order right now. Was less than impressed with Stevens and was initially taken by Windermere but that faded a little as the same old same old was repeated several times (obviously she has trust and commitment issues - spawned by a difficult past and a need to prove herself - same as every other female lead I've read lately)
If you were going to read only one of Laukkanen's books I would read the synopsis to find out which ones grab out.
The first couple for which he was critically acclaimed held nothing for me where as this one caught me immediately. Same with Lost Girls which I hope to read soon.
If you were going to read only one of Laukkanen's books I would read the synopsis to find out which ones grab out.
The first couple for which he was critically acclaimed held nothing for me where as this one caught me immediately. Same with Lost Girls which I hope to read soon.
kaylovestoread's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
im_s's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
mojoshivers's review against another edition
4.0
While I thought this was a good case for the duo to handle, the repeated mentions of Carla’s baggage got on my nerves towards the end. I appreciated the linking of the case to Carla’s backstory. Lord knows she needs more personal history, but I did not appreciate the way it was handled.
It was obvious Carla would never change, was not even considering change, and her pushing everyone just served to irritate the reader. If you’re not setting up the possibility of some growth or even the faint desire to grow, all you’re doing is capturing somebody being annoying. There’s no conflict, there’s no interesting meat to lay out hooks into.
Other than that, the story was good. As aforementioned, I like how each book in the series has its own template and takes a different tack to get resolution. It makes every book unique and a joy to read when you know there’s no set procedure the book will be going through.
It was obvious Carla would never change, was not even considering change, and her pushing everyone just served to irritate the reader. If you’re not setting up the possibility of some growth or even the faint desire to grow, all you’re doing is capturing somebody being annoying. There’s no conflict, there’s no interesting meat to lay out hooks into.
Other than that, the story was good. As aforementioned, I like how each book in the series has its own template and takes a different tack to get resolution. It makes every book unique and a joy to read when you know there’s no set procedure the book will be going through.
eserafina42's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars. A fast, compelling read dealing with a serious issue (could talking suicidal teenagers into going through with it really be considered protected speech under the First Amendment?), but, and I don't know if it's really fair unloading on this particular book, the f'd up female cop/detective/FBI agent who has to be more badass than anyone else, driving herself to the limits and beyond, driven by her own personal torment from years back, is really getting to be a bit of a cliché, in my opinion. (Almost as much as the f'd up male cop/detective/FBI agent who is either an alcoholic or just neglects his health, has had his relationships destroyed by the job, lives in a pigsty, blah blah blah.)