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staticdisplay's review
2.0
if this were the first book I read from the series, I would never have read any of the rest of the series. I am not sure what we're supposed to think about Tom as readers - are we rooting for him and Emma? is he supposed to be a romantic figure in some way, who's thrilling to read about? as a character I find him dull, and he tends to bring out the things I least appreciate in Emma (spineless, whiny, immature) - which happens as usual in this book. it's just not fun to read, and I'm not sure what it's meant to accomplish (in terms of plot, meaning to the reader, etc). the killer was predictable, but the end of the book is such Big Drama that I'd typically have a more favorable review, but Tom was actually overshadowed by some absolutely heinous comments made by Emma about abortion. she indicates that anyone who gets an abortion has been somehow fooled by the Supreme Court. I'm not even sure what the argument is there, that people would otherwise not have wanted (or needed) abortions if the Supreme Court hadn't told them it was legal? stupid and offensive. I was already having a problem with the whole Tom-Sandra thing there, because Tom asserts that he thought Sandra would somehow become not mentally ill when she became pregnant, and despite reflecting on how much of a failure that was, he also asserts that his daughter can channel her need to care for others as a result of her traumatic childhood caring for her mother, into caring for her baby instead of getting the abortion she wanted. that is so toxic and gross. Emma's religion and her brother the priest have always been a part of the series, but not like this. I'm just upset because I have generally liked the characters in this and enjoyed reading the series. I will consider reading the next book, but if I feel the same way about it, I am done, and maybe after I process this more, I won't even bother. so many cozies don't appeal to me (writing, characters, etc), so it's a treat to find a series that is enjoyable to read... but that's not enough of a motivation to keep going, there are other series.
bobbikaye's review
4.0
Enjoyed the mystery part of the book but got a.little tired of Emma whining about her love life.
txreadereabbd's review
3.0
Did Ballantine Books lose all their editors and proofreaders? I don't know if the print version had as many errors as the digital version, but WOW. If they do still have editors and proofreaders, they shouldn't be working in the industry anymore. Aside from that, the story line was okay.
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