Nice character work and writing, with the bonus of female strength and kinship. Didn’t realize this was #2 in a series, works just fine as a standalonNice character work and writing, with the bonus of female strength and kinship. Didn’t realize this was #2 in a series, works just fine as a standalone, but I can now see the through line with the detective.
Also very much enjoyed (view spoiler)[the reverse engineering of the unreliable witness plot. In stories like this, as you question whether the witness is having mental health issues, the answer is usually yes. Seeing it pieced together to assemble a portrait of a woman—who is taken advantage of and horribly gaslit (yet handles herself from a position of strength) and was the only one right all along—is a revelatory experience. (hide spoiler)] I cheered as the detective quietly supports the person everyone else dismisses.
Definitely reading other books by this author....more
Hoped for a gothic mystery, got a Scooby Doo special. (Except that haunted house would’ve been a lot more atmospheric!) Pleasant enough at first, but Hoped for a gothic mystery, got a Scooby Doo special. (Except that haunted house would’ve been a lot more atmospheric!) Pleasant enough at first, but eventually revealed itself as being pretty surface, lacking in deep feeling and complexity, and very, very predictable, with writing and characters that aren’t compelling enough to make up for its shortcomings.
Also docking this an extra half star for the bizarre number of times the words “cupola” and “Occam’s razor” are referenced. Almost took away a whole star, may still adjust my rating depending on how long I feel cranky pants over the egregious repetition.
Eh. Just never got very invested in these characters and the twists felt underwhelming.
There was a lot of potential to explore Emma’s feelings as a cEh. Just never got very invested in these characters and the twists felt underwhelming.
There was a lot of potential to explore Emma’s feelings as a career woman embarking upon a romance with a younger man, choosing to trust against all logic, the emotional vulnerability of that stage in life and judgment by her peers, etc. But this was pretty surface stuff (the other characters even less developed), which surprised me since the author’s character work in Woman Last Seen and its companion was much more interesting. ...more
Not at all a fan of the audio production, and a quick glance at friend reviews doesn’t suggest it’s worth going out of the way for as a regular book. Not at all a fan of the audio production, and a quick glance at friend reviews doesn’t suggest it’s worth going out of the way for as a regular book.
I was sure this would end up on my 2025 favorites list and even added the author's two previous books to my TBR just a few chapters into it, because II was sure this would end up on my 2025 favorites list and even added the author's two previous books to my TBR just a few chapters into it, because I liked the writing and mood and audiobook performance so much. But about 60-75% in, it kind of lost me and it never really recovered.
I try really hard not to read from a perspective of Wendy-as-main-character, so I am always willing to be convinced that really terrible, illogical choices are the ones that feel right or inevitable for the protagonist in that moment. But this eventually became so hurtful to so.many.other.people--whilst leaving the protagonist relatively unscathed in comparison to the consequences others have to suffer for her actions--that I just couldn't buy into it any longer. It is one thing for parties to take equal/part responsibility for a situation, but when multiple people around you die, feel pain, and more, it is much harder to deny her lion's share of the accountability. If there weren't physical/circumstantial ramifications, I expect to at least feel her guilt and remorse and despair more than I did.
The last few sections also felt drawn out and less organized than the book's beginning. It's actually very well structured and almost propulsively readable until near the end, which is unusual for this type of story. (For once, the synopsis is pretty spot on.) It's not helped if you guess the various secrets that are unveiled before they happen, though more time spent on their aftermath would have mitigated some of that.
So...3.5 stars. I cried, unexpectedly, when a thing happened early in the book, and I was so engrossed by this, I finished the audiobook in less than 24 hours. So disappointing that the plot and character arcs didn't fulfill the promise offered by the premise, writing, and quietly compelling mood.
Audio Notes: Hattie Morahan's narration sets the mood beautifully. I need her to read more books to me....more
A handful of evocative moments/nice horror imagery, but ultimately disappointing (and with only half-hearted psychology efforts). I won't rem2.5 stars
A handful of evocative moments/nice horror imagery, but ultimately disappointing (and with only half-hearted psychology efforts). I won't remember this in a month.
Audio Notes: I think the narrator Ana Clements is wrong for the central character as well. Pleasant enough voice, but her delivery is soft and tremulous throughout pretty much the whole thing, regardless of what is happening. The secondary character voices didn't have much distinction/variation, either. ...more
Listened to almost 3 hours, but this just felt so meandering that my thoughts kept wandering off, too. Only one scene really interested me in all thatListened to almost 3 hours, but this just felt so meandering that my thoughts kept wandering off, too. Only one scene really interested me in all that time, but the momentum was quickly lost as the plot went off on a tangent once again. And now I can't even remember what scene it was that I liked!
DNF The narrative voice was fine and the story sounded so interesting. But this needs more structure, cohesion, and oomph. Leaving unrated because I didn't get to my 100 page mark for allowing myself to rate unfinished books.
Audio Notes: Narrator did a fine job, though....more
Liked the narrative voice, liked the setting (I love the Scottish isles), liked the set-up with the two police officers well enough (though it's fairlLiked the narrative voice, liked the setting (I love the Scottish isles), liked the set-up with the two police officers well enough (though it's fairly typical relationship dynamics/history), but it's far too easy to guess what's going on and there's not enough tension and drama. It tries, I guess, but the majority of the story is spent on useless/uninteresting interviews with residents who are grumpy over the cops being there, but not much/not enough comes of all this.
Needs a bit more Wicker Man hysteria, as well as a lot more reasons to care about the dead, the inhabitants of the island, and the officers themselves....more
What am I missing? I found this completely underwhelming, with plot, characters, historical content, survival elements, romance, and writing all unremWhat am I missing? I found this completely underwhelming, with plot, characters, historical content, survival elements, romance, and writing all unremarkable—and any themes accidental. That this is based on a true story makes this unemotional account even more of a missed opportunity.
Audio Notes: Fiona Hardingham’s narration is great, however, even though it’d be nice if she came up with more variation in her male voices. They all seem to have the same strident tone, suitable for an annoying relative, but less endearing for all the others. ...more
This author gets into her characters' heads so well. I liked Wrong Place, Wrong Time for this reason but wasn't as enamored of Just Another Missing PeThis author gets into her characters' heads so well. I liked Wrong Place, Wrong Time for this reason but wasn't as enamored of Just Another Missing Person, so it's nice to see her careful character work back on this one. I think this one is even more well-plotted than WPWT and while some parts of this twisty mystery are not hard to guess, the story still keeps you intrigued and sympathy for the characters keeps you engrossed.
Underneath the thriller and action aspects, there's also deep emotional truth at the heart of this story. How deeply can you know another human being? How true are your instincts? Those questions and answers resonate long after the the conflict is resolved.
Audio Notes: Emilia Fox's narration was just lovely....more
Wendy Darling
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