Reviews tagging 'Torture'

The Mermaids Singing by Val McDermid

11 reviews

unripebanana's review

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia, Murder, Homophobia, Torture, Police brutality, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death

simply_fran's review

challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

My main issue is just that it wasn't for me but also it hasn't some topics that haven't aged well

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Sexual violence, Murder, Violence, and Rape

Moderate: Homophobia, Transphobia, Suicide, and Body shaming

sleepdepr1vat1on's review

dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexual violence, Stalking, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Homophobia, Misogyny, and Transphobia

poisonouspixie22's review

dark tense fast-paced

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture and Death

mikeprosser's review

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture

Moderate: Homophobia and Transphobia

junkits's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Torture, and Violence

alicesteacup's review

dark medium-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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Torture

claireteaches's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Homophobia and Transphobia

via_'s review

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Death, Hate crime, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Murder, Sexual violence, Stalking, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Child abuse

emilistevenson's review

challenging dark tense fast-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Hoo boy, okay, let's get it out of the way. Concerning a trans character, there is some major Values Dissonance (https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ValuesDissonance) between the audience reading this in 1995 and the audience reading this almost 26 years later. This gets pretty uncomfortable, so please support some of the trans writers - Juno Dawson and Juliet Jacques - McDermid has recently championed.

Anyway, other than that it's a pretty dark, pretty good, serial killer mystery with medieval torture instruments and a sub plot about erectile dysfunction.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Torture, Suicide, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Gore, Death, Body horror, Blood, Animal cruelty, and Animal death

Moderate: Vomit, Transphobia, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Police brutality, and Homophobia

Minor: Alcoholism