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katykelly's review against another edition
5.0
I was surprised by just how much I enjoyed this. The unravelling of several murder cases over several decades, followed by the rapid investigation and winding up of each in turn was expertly done. Cases were subtly connected, the reader has to make connections themselves - it's not all laid out openly.
Jackson Brodie, former military police and police inspector, is a private investigator who finds himself called on to solve several cases of murder and unexplained death. Some from decades past and others much more recent. His relationship with his daughter Marlee is carried on through his work, quite movingly as he sees parallels between her possible future and the victims he's investigating.
Each case has a full history, with mysterious circumstances that must be untangled. None are easy to guess but all explainable by the close of the book.
It's very entertaining, but also, at the end, you also realise how clever the telling has been. Jackson is a wonderful lead - strong and smart, very attractive as a character, with a past of his own that is also gradually revealed.
This was made into a (so far) two season BBC drama, and done very well, having also watched series one. Faithful to the structure and plot of the book.
I think I'm going to look for more in this series next year, which I don't do very often.
Crime/mystery writing at its literate best.
Jackson Brodie, former military police and police inspector, is a private investigator who finds himself called on to solve several cases of murder and unexplained death. Some from decades past and others much more recent. His relationship with his daughter Marlee is carried on through his work, quite movingly as he sees parallels between her possible future and the victims he's investigating.
Each case has a full history, with mysterious circumstances that must be untangled. None are easy to guess but all explainable by the close of the book.
It's very entertaining, but also, at the end, you also realise how clever the telling has been. Jackson is a wonderful lead - strong and smart, very attractive as a character, with a past of his own that is also gradually revealed.
This was made into a (so far) two season BBC drama, and done very well, having also watched series one. Faithful to the structure and plot of the book.
I think I'm going to look for more in this series next year, which I don't do very often.
Crime/mystery writing at its literate best.
duncanvb's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Not her best (some bad jokes, has sentences that aren't perfect) and the mysteries aren't all created equal, both in the unfolding and the creaky connections. Doesn't mean it isn't really good, though.
rayvn1004's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
katieinca's review against another edition
4.0
I might not have read this if I'd paid more attention to what it was about - among other things, parents losing children. (I bought it because it's set in Cambridge and well-reviewed, and I was headed there on vacation.) But I'm so glad I did. The mothers and fathers and sisters in this book are so ...human. Flawed, in very recognizable ways. I don't think a male author could have written them. The women for sure, but maybe not the men, either. It's full of mourning for women and girls who disappear, temporarily or forever, and the fact that we live in a world where that's somehow normal, but it doesn't give in to despair.
missjaward's review against another edition
reflective
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
2.0
jesslolsen's review against another edition
3.0
Pay attention or you will lose the story thread easily. It rambles on and then jumps around so if you like fast paced thrillers or mysteries, this one may not be for you.
I listened to the audio book version while traveling for work and if I hadn’t been able to listen to 6 hours in one day, I don’t think I would have stuck with it. I felt like this is one I couldn’t listen to in small bits and pieces, I needed the time to absorb the characters - because to me this book was more about the characters, and why they are who they are, than the actual ‘mysteries’.
There is not one entirely likable character in this story, and while that doesn’t necessarily ruin a story, it doesn’t make it hard to want to hear how things end for them.
I listened to the audio book version while traveling for work and if I hadn’t been able to listen to 6 hours in one day, I don’t think I would have stuck with it. I felt like this is one I couldn’t listen to in small bits and pieces, I needed the time to absorb the characters - because to me this book was more about the characters, and why they are who they are, than the actual ‘mysteries’.
There is not one entirely likable character in this story, and while that doesn’t necessarily ruin a story, it doesn’t make it hard to want to hear how things end for them.
jen_16's review against another edition
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
timna_wyckoff's review against another edition
4.0
This is an engaging mystery.....feels a bit like Tana French. I might grab the next one...
kbrown730's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5