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achoward's review against another edition
2.0
A Change of Circumstance reminds me of the repositioning sails cruise ships do, to move, free of passengers, to another location to begin ferrying people in a different area.
This is listed as a mystery, but it's more of a domestic slice of life book about Simon and his family, and Brookie and his family, and Cat and all the DCs, and poor Mr Lionel, and the Chinese herbalist, and the junkie found dead of an OD/contaminated batch of heroin and a couple of animals and Olivia and whether Simon is going to get with Rachel and ugh.
The crime is laid out, so there's no spoilers in place by saying if you've read Oliver Twist, you've read this story before, only better in that book, because this crime is an homage to that. There's even an Olivia to help get any non-literary heathens up to speed on where they could track down the OG version.
Seriously, though, I really didn't care about Simon at all. This is the first book in the series I've read,but if the writing is like this in all of them - sometimes ending a chapter very abruptly, almost as if there's something that's been left out, or hopping between two or three heads without any break to help us figure out whose head we're in now - I won't be going back to book one, as I do with many other series, and I definitely won't be picking up/requesting the next one. The latter I really, really do not like: head-hopping only works if it's done well. This was not. The story was fractured and quite unenjoyable for that reason alone. Put all the rest in between all the domestic stuff, and it's a sandwich not worth eating.
Two out of five stars.
Thanks to Abrams/Overlook Press and NetGalley for the reading copy.
This is listed as a mystery, but it's more of a domestic slice of life book about Simon and his family, and Brookie and his family, and Cat and all the DCs, and poor Mr Lionel, and the Chinese herbalist, and the junkie found dead of an OD/contaminated batch of heroin and a couple of animals and Olivia and whether Simon is going to get with Rachel and ugh.
The crime is laid out, so there's no spoilers in place by saying if you've read Oliver Twist, you've read this story before, only better in that book, because this crime is an homage to that. There's even an Olivia to help get any non-literary heathens up to speed on where they could track down the OG version.
Seriously, though, I really didn't care about Simon at all. This is the first book in the series I've read,but if the writing is like this in all of them - sometimes ending a chapter very abruptly, almost as if there's something that's been left out, or hopping between two or three heads without any break to help us figure out whose head we're in now - I won't be going back to book one, as I do with many other series, and I definitely won't be picking up/requesting the next one. The latter I really, really do not like: head-hopping only works if it's done well. This was not. The story was fractured and quite unenjoyable for that reason alone. Put all the rest in between all the domestic stuff, and it's a sandwich not worth eating.
Two out of five stars.
Thanks to Abrams/Overlook Press and NetGalley for the reading copy.
gill4169's review
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
lazygal's review against another edition
4.0
After a really dark episode a few books ago, Simon has changed and hasn't quite returned to form. There is a glimpse at the end that might be changing. Following the journey Cat and her family have taken has also been a series of ups and downs, and the whole Sam side-story brought back memories of being young and unsure about what I truly wanted to do.
Dealing with the issue of drugs in Greater Lafferton (ok, more of an entire country crisos being worked on by a major police task force), Simon finds himself sometimes going undercover, sometimes wondering if a recent death is connected. And then there are the children. It's all too real and "ripped from the headlines" feeling.
eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss.
Dealing with the issue of drugs in Greater Lafferton (ok, more of an entire country crisos being worked on by a major police task force), Simon finds himself sometimes going undercover, sometimes wondering if a recent death is connected. And then there are the children. It's all too real and "ripped from the headlines" feeling.
eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss.
annarella's review against another edition
4.0
I read the first book in this series and then the 11th but it's ok as I thoroughly enjoyed this one.
It's a mystery that features a family drama, drug problems and I was glad to read about Simon investigating.
Even if the plot drags a bit at times it kept me reading and I liked the solid mystery and the plot.
The characters are well developed and the author is a good storyteller.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
It's a mystery that features a family drama, drug problems and I was glad to read about Simon investigating.
Even if the plot drags a bit at times it kept me reading and I liked the solid mystery and the plot.
The characters are well developed and the author is a good storyteller.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
bgg616's review against another edition
3.0
This is Simon Serrailler continuing his pattern of being decisive on the job as a police inspector, and waffling about everything in his private life. This includes whether to stay living where he lives - he loves it - and what to do about a woman he cares about but he cannot make his true feelings known. At the center of the story is a criminal enterprise that is moving drugs into market towns and villages, and recruiting children and teens as unknowing runners. I don't enjoy storylines that revolve around gangsters, nor drugs, so this was a reach for me from the start.
It is slow moving . We see two young people get pulled into the ring. Children and teens are selected who are naive and isolated. There are some tragic results. A businessman is suspected of being involved, whether willingly or not, by the police. The limited police presence outside of cities means that the local cops are slow to realize what is happening.
This was a 3.5 read for me. The last part of the book was when things finally started to happen, but it took a long time to get there. As with all the books in this series, things aren't all neatly wrapped up in the end.
It is slow moving . We see two young people get pulled into the ring. Children and teens are selected who are naive and isolated. There are some tragic results. A businessman is suspected of being involved, whether willingly or not, by the police. The limited police presence outside of cities means that the local cops are slow to realize what is happening.
This was a 3.5 read for me. The last part of the book was when things finally started to happen, but it took a long time to get there. As with all the books in this series, things aren't all neatly wrapped up in the end.
flick_reads's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
myrthekorf's review against another edition
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
amyykennedy's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0