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whatcaroread's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.0
cutenanya's review against another edition
1.0
Story: 1 / 5
Characters: 1 / 5
World-building: 3 / 5
Romance: 1 / 5
Overall: 1 /5
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As a book about managing a private island and a clamming business, I guess this book is alright, but as a mystery, this book is HORRIBLE, for the following reasons:
1) The ending: One vital aspect of a mystery is a LOGICAL ending, one in which an experienced or /and an intelligent reader can deduce from the facts in the plot. UNFORTUNATELY, this book uses one of those cheap formulas cozy mystery authors tend to use these days, a.k.a.
A plain (but intelligent) woman between 25 and 50 + an interesting occupation where she has to make plenty of career choices + encounters one or more gorgeous men in a short time span + a mystery with a convenient ending = cozy mystery
The ending here is completely UNINTERESTING because MAJOR SPOILER. When you have built up so much suspense, why kill the book with such a crappy ending?
2) The romance: I care little about romance as long as it's not one of those boring love triangles, but the romance in this book is more amazing than that, the romance POPS OUT OF NOWHERE! Well, it's hard to explain without spoiling the story so go ahead if you have already read the book.
3) The heroine: Sorry, but this heroine is so cold-blooded I have a hard time finishing the book! She doesn't care for her family, is whining all the time about how she gives up her successful life in Manhattan to come home to SAVE her family business, acts like she is the one making sacrifices when it's her sister and her husband who has been there all the time. Never even bothers to say hi to her childhood friend, but suddenly treats him as a "friend" when she needs information from him. YIKES.
Overall, I really regretted reading this book and I hope mystery writers will stop using such stupid formulas when they are writing mysteries. Agatha Christie is the QUEEN OF MYSTERY because she observes people and use her detectives little grey cells to solve problems, not through whining, kisses, and convenient endings.
Characters: 1 / 5
World-building: 3 / 5
Romance: 1 / 5
Overall: 1 /5
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As a book about managing a private island and a clamming business, I guess this book is alright, but as a mystery, this book is HORRIBLE, for the following reasons:
1) The ending: One vital aspect of a mystery is a LOGICAL ending, one in which an experienced or /and an intelligent reader can deduce from the facts in the plot. UNFORTUNATELY, this book uses one of those cheap formulas cozy mystery authors tend to use these days, a.k.a.
A plain (but intelligent) woman between 25 and 50 + an interesting occupation where she has to make plenty of career choices + encounters one or more gorgeous men in a short time span + a mystery with a convenient ending = cozy mystery
The ending here is completely UNINTERESTING because MAJOR SPOILER
Spoiler
the murderer is a mad woman who simply throws a guy (weakened by the drugs in his system) and breaks his neck2) The romance: I care little about romance as long as it's not one of those boring love triangles, but the romance in this book is more amazing than that, the romance POPS OUT OF NOWHERE! Well, it's hard to explain without spoiling the story so go ahead if you have already read the book.
Spoiler
The romance stems from a heroine who has been working for over 10 years and yet acting like a middle school girl with a major crush and the guy seems uninterested in her all the way until the final pages of the book!)3) The heroine: Sorry, but this heroine is so cold-blooded I have a hard time finishing the book! She doesn't care for her family, is whining all the time about how she gives up her successful life in Manhattan to come home to SAVE her family business, acts like she is the one making sacrifices when it's her sister and her husband who has been there all the time. Never even bothers to say hi to her childhood friend, but suddenly treats him as a "friend" when she needs information from him. YIKES.
Overall, I really regretted reading this book and I hope mystery writers will stop using such stupid formulas when they are writing mysteries. Agatha Christie is the QUEEN OF MYSTERY because she observes people and use her detectives little grey cells to solve problems, not through whining, kisses, and convenient endings.
brendalovesbooks's review against another edition
3.0
This was cute, but there was really nothing special about it. I would consider reading more by this author, though.
aspygirlsmom_1995's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jmacaroni's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
abbyxbrandt's review against another edition
3.0
I was looking for a cozy-ish mystery set in Maine and this delivered. The ending is cringey but thankfully we've come a long way in the last ten years. Will read other books in the series here and there when I'm in the mood for a light, low-stakes story.
chazbot72's review
This book just didn't work for me. There was a murder right away, but nearly halfway through and there was still no mystery. Julia, the main character, was just doing things, trying to save her business, getting gooey over a handsome man, eating, just loving being from Maine, blah, blah, blah.
None of the characters did it for me either. Just flat and featureless.
Now I understand how I was able to get some of these books for free, and others for just 99 cents from Amazon. Definitely will not be moving forward with this series.
None of the characters did it for me either. Just flat and featureless.
Now I understand how I was able to get some of these books for free, and others for just 99 cents from Amazon. Definitely will not be moving forward with this series.
mwalkerelders's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
a_ab's review against another edition
2.0
Technically I only read 50% of this book, but even that felt like way too much.
The book is too long and too contrived with a completely over-the-top ridiculous mystery setup. I got bored to tears by 33%, skipped forward to 83%, realized that I didn't miss much based on the ending, and gave up on this series altogether.
The book is too long and too contrived with a completely over-the-top ridiculous mystery setup. I got bored to tears by 33%, skipped forward to 83%, realized that I didn't miss much based on the ending, and gave up on this series altogether.