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ludivinev's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Torture, Violence, Death, and Physical abuse
andrew61's review against another edition
4.0
Luca Veste demonstrates what good crime fiction does really well, taking issues relevant in modern society and bringing into a work of fiction.
The story centres on what happens when individuals become vigilantes against youths out of control in inner city Liverpool. It would be tempting to say that it stretches belief at times particularly at its climax but as I was reading the book it mirrored so many incidents referenced nowadays in the news on a regular basis.
This is certainly a series I am enjoying and the detectives are growing on me. An interesting and enjoyable addition to the crime genre.
The story centres on what happens when individuals become vigilantes against youths out of control in inner city Liverpool. It would be tempting to say that it stretches belief at times particularly at its climax but as I was reading the book it mirrored so many incidents referenced nowadays in the news on a regular basis.
This is certainly a series I am enjoying and the detectives are growing on me. An interesting and enjoyable addition to the crime genre.
5elementknitr's review against another edition
4.0
Had to get this one interlibrary loan, got to page 222, had to return it. Asked for it back through interlibrary loan, and they said they no longer had it! GAH!
I ended up having to buy this as a used paperback via EvilCorp.
Anyway, it was an entertaining suspense novel with some tidy twists toward the end.
I ended up having to buy this as a used paperback via EvilCorp.
Anyway, it was an entertaining suspense novel with some tidy twists toward the end.
thosedarkpages's review against another edition
2.0
The premise was interesting; different and something so awfully plausible in today's society. But the book itself didn't live up to the blurb. I wasn't eagerly turning the pages and skimmed large chunks. Whoops. Murphy was particularly inept; regularly missing clues that were blatantly obvious. I also guessed part of the ending pretty early on, which ruined it quite a lot. Sighhhhh. Maybe my first Luca Veste book will be my last. Sorry.
alexinwonderland_books's review against another edition
2.0
I honestly dont have too much to say about this book. It was, well it was fine. A few interesting moments that peaked my interest but they were gone as quickly as they came.
The 2 main characters, the detectives in charge of the case, were utterly hopeless. If they'd followed basic protocol and actually listened to others advice without thinking they're better than everyone the book would be half as long.
It wasn't an overall bad book but it certainly isn't anything special. If basic run of the mill crime writing and lacklustre characters with little development is something you enjoy (no judgements here we all need a way to relax!) then this is a book you will enjoy.
The 2 main characters, the detectives in charge of the case, were utterly hopeless. If they'd followed basic protocol and actually listened to others advice without thinking they're better than everyone the book would be half as long.
It wasn't an overall bad book but it certainly isn't anything special. If basic run of the mill crime writing and lacklustre characters with little development is something you enjoy (no judgements here we all need a way to relax!) then this is a book you will enjoy.
raven88's review against another edition
5.0
I think it was Karin Slaughter who said that to really tap into the sociological fears and concerns of any community that the perfect conduit for this is crime fiction. In The Dying Place- the follow up to his debut novel Dead Gone- Veste proves the point admirably. Focusing on a band of older vigilantes, swiping errant youths off the streets of Liverpool, and incarcerating them to undergo a form of behavioural re-programming, Veste uses the plot to provide a thoughtful and balanced examination of how these youths, that are such a thorn in the side of their local community, should be dealt with, and if meeting violence with violence is really the right way to address the problem. Do these youths all really fit a template because of the way they dress? Are some conditioned to be ‘bad’ by the very unstable nature of their upbringings, and detrimental familial influences? As the vigilante’s leader becomes more unhinged, scarred by the actions of youths such as these in his personal life, Veste ramps up the tension and the police themselves come into the firing line too.
Cleverly, our empathy is roundly manipulated, as we see how the actions of this vigilante band spirals out of control, and the implications for not only their detainees, but also bringing into play their family backgrounds, and the effects of the investigation on the police protagonists- most notably DI David Murphy, and his feisty DS Scouse/Italian sidekick Laura Rossi. I was most impressed with this detective duo in the debut, Dead Gone, and love the balance between the stoical and world weary Murphy, set against the hot temper and really quite enjoyable colourful swearing of his police partner Rossi. What I also enjoy about Veste’s characterisation is the way that he roundly avoids the typical stereotypes of many crime fiction novels, giving a realistic feel to the personal lives of both, and how the very nature of their jobs, and this investigation in particular, impinge on their personal relationships- or lack of. They form a solid partnership that is providing a real backbone to the continuation of the series, and with the shocking denouement affecting Murphy on an incredibly personal level, I will be interested to see the repercussions of this in the next book. Within the framework of this crime novel, Veste balances perfectly the larger sociological issues, with a pacey plot, and a solid cast of characters that proves itself an eminently enjoyable read. More please…
Cleverly, our empathy is roundly manipulated, as we see how the actions of this vigilante band spirals out of control, and the implications for not only their detainees, but also bringing into play their family backgrounds, and the effects of the investigation on the police protagonists- most notably DI David Murphy, and his feisty DS Scouse/Italian sidekick Laura Rossi. I was most impressed with this detective duo in the debut, Dead Gone, and love the balance between the stoical and world weary Murphy, set against the hot temper and really quite enjoyable colourful swearing of his police partner Rossi. What I also enjoy about Veste’s characterisation is the way that he roundly avoids the typical stereotypes of many crime fiction novels, giving a realistic feel to the personal lives of both, and how the very nature of their jobs, and this investigation in particular, impinge on their personal relationships- or lack of. They form a solid partnership that is providing a real backbone to the continuation of the series, and with the shocking denouement affecting Murphy on an incredibly personal level, I will be interested to see the repercussions of this in the next book. Within the framework of this crime novel, Veste balances perfectly the larger sociological issues, with a pacey plot, and a solid cast of characters that proves itself an eminently enjoyable read. More please…
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