Reviews

What We Buried is a twirling staircase of trauma after trauma until you finally reach the top and think, “holy shit… no fucking waaay!”

The suspense starts on page 1.
A determined Detective Kennicott is looking for the person(s) responsible for killing both his parents and older brother, but he unexpectedly uncovers a nazi atrocity hiding 80 years under the surface.
Wowza.

Get comfortable!
It’s a wild ride of perilous demons… past and present.

S :)

cheryllovesbooks's review

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emotional mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This was an enjoyable mystery novel with an interesting historical twist. The ending wasn’t quite what I expected.

readwithkaittt's review

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adventurous dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense medium-paced

4.0

Thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada for the ARC of What We Buried by Robert Rotenberg.

I had this book in my hands for a few months and like the procrastinator I am, I finished it in 2 days once I was finally able to sit down and read the book.

When I tell you that this book had me HOOKED from the moment I read the first page, it was almost intoxicating how I couldn't put this book down especially because it was filled with short chapters that contained new information, every. single. chapter.

This is my first book by Robert and definitely won't be my last, he knows how to write a thriller, mystery book! I also enjoyed that this book was based mostly in Canada - Toronto and Muskoka to be exact! As a former Toronto girl, it was really great to see the representation.

This book does touch on heavy subjects such as murder, the war and Nazis so please be aware of the trigger warnings before you head into this book!

What I enjoyed about What We Buried:
- The short chapters and multiple POV's
- How descriptive Rotenberg was of Gubbio, Italy
- The history around the war and Nazis - while this is a sensitive subject, it was also very eye opening for me.
- The murder mystery solving!! Those detectives constantly had me in awe while working on the murder cases

Rotenberg did a great job showcasing the two sides of the war, the Nazis who did unspeakably terrible things and the Holocaust survivors who carried their own secrets and wounds.

Even though at times it felt like we were being carried through 3 different storylines (the solving of the MMC Daniel's parents' murder, Daniels brother's murder and his familial history in Italy) I thought the ending tied in all the storylines perfectly.

While the book didn't end on the happy note I was hoping for, I think this book taught a valuable lesson in that, the happy ending does not always come. While the book answered all my unanswered questions, I would've loved to see justice prevail but alas, the world is not fair.

I've been recommending this book to all my friends and family who love to learn about war, and the Nazis with a little thriller mystery thrown into the story.

_ashtray_'s review

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dark mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

megwheeler's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

thereadergram's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

bakingbookworm's review

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adventurous dark emotional informative mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Wow! It's been a while since a book captivated me like Robert Rotenberg's upcoming book, What We Buried.

Part historical fiction, part mystery, part police procedural, this is a fast-paced, short chaptered and unputdownable book that has multiple timelines and settings in small-town Italy and here in Canada featuring recognizable Toronto neighbourhoods and beautiful Ontario cottage country.

This is a fantastic combination of well-researched history and suspense that benefits from an interesting and diverse cast of characters. Told using multiple POVs, a sinister plot unfolds as Toronto police detectives unearth how events that happened decades before in a small Italian town impact what was initially thought to be a simple yet tragic current day vehicular accident.

Layered and complex without being fussy or hard to follow, What We Buried is strong in its characterizations, intriguing plot and suspenseful storytelling, giving readers one helluva ride that will have them reading 'just one more chapter'.

I look forward to reading Rotenberg's backlist featuring Ari Greene, starting with Old City Hall.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Simon and Schuster Canada for the complimentary copy of this book that I received from the publisher at the Ontario Library Conference in Toronto.

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