Sign up
Search
Advanced search settings

Search only in certain items:

Search results
All (553)
Content
People
Apps
Books
Orbs
Movies
Music
Podcasts
Shows
Tabletop Games
Tech
TV
Video Games
YouTube Channels
Videos
40x40

Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Craftsman in Books

Mar 12, 2019  
The Craftsman
The Craftsman
Sharon Bolton | 2018 | Mystery
8
8.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Complex, compelling, and complicated tale
The year is 1999 and Assistant Commissioner Florence Lovelady returns to Lancashire for the funeral of Larry Glassbrook, a murderer she arrested 30 years ago. Larry killed three children, burying them alive in caskets he made himself. He also kidnapped and tortured Florence while she was investigating his case. Thirty years ago, Florence made a name for herself with the Glassbrook case, which changed her life forever. Clay effigies were found with each of the children's bodies, suggesting an element of witchcraft. Now, when Florence returns for the funeral, she finds a fourth: of herself. Does this means Florence is in danger? And what does the message Larry sent her from prison mean? Is there still a killer out there?

"I wonder what words his headstone might carry: Loving husband, devoted father, merciless killer."

I'm a huge Sharon Bolton fan, so I was excited to read this one. I hadn't really read the description in a while, so I didn't realize so much of the narrative took place in the late 1960s. I'm usually more of a modern fiction fan, but I found the 1960s portion--narrated by Florence--to be surprisingly engaging and enjoyable. It offered a really detailed look at how women were treated, especially on the police force, and was a true testament to Florence's strength. She was a fascinating, nuanced character who drew me in from the beginning. The book really revolves around her, but she makes it worth it.

The novel is certainly creepy--definitely a good spooky read for the month of October. It can be dark and gruesome. There's a witchcraft portion that sometimes seems a little unbelievable, but I thought it worked well within the confines of the story. There's even some funny moments--made even better by what a great heroine Florence is.

There's an excellent mystery here, which will keep you guessing from the start. The story skips between 1969 and 1999, and the two portions work together seamlessly. I found the tale to be complex, complicated, and just really compelling. There's something about this book that simply keeps you reading. Florence is an awesome character, the story is fascinating and different, and it's just a really enjoyable (if somewhat dark) read. Definitely recommend.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netalley in return for an unbiased review (thank you!).
  
40x40

Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated The Marsh King's Daughter in Books

Mar 15, 2018  
The Marsh King's Daughter
The Marsh King's Daughter
Karen Dionne | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry, Thriller
8
8.0 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Marsh King’s Daughter was huge before and around the time of its release. People were raving about the novel for a long time and they still are, so I was really excited to read it. While I did love it, I think all the hype made me expect something different to what I got, hence a 4 star rating, not a 5.

What I loved about this book was that it didn’t hold back on some more contraversial opinions and thoughts that came from Helena. For instance, that she still adored her father even after everything, and that she had trouble caring about her mother at times. I think it was nice Dionne didn’t write things that would please all readers. There were definitely some uncomfortable moments for me.

The writing in this book is stuff of dark fairytales. It’s so dark and disturbing but you can’t stop reading becasue the way in which it’s written is beautiful and flows perfectly. Dionne’s writing takes you away, whether it’s into the marsh or trekking through the forest, you are planted directly into the scene, you lose your real surroundings.

One thing that I found disappointing about this novel was that most of it is set in the past, not in the present. From the way the synopsis writes the story, I was expecting this to be a lot more about a life and death chase between daughter and father. And OK, while it is technically about a life and death chase, it’s far more about Helena’s life growing up in the marsh, all that she was taught and all that she learnt. While this is essential to the way the plot plays out, I think the book could have been marketed differently so I didn’t have such a clear idea on how I expected the story to go.

This novel is a gripping, sometimes shocking, sometimes emotional fast paced action thriller with a lot to offer any reader. If you’re not so much a thriller fan, this one could still be a terrifc read for you, as at times this novels feels more literary fiction than anything else.

Will I read Karen Dionne’s work again? Oh sure, most definitely. I just wish this book was the one I’d imagined in my head.