Helpful Score: 1
What a strange bunch of characters but Marwood definitely does a great job developing their personalities and quirks! Everyone in this story has their issues, some worse than others. I really liked the way the plot(s) unfolded and Marwood made it easy to follow. I have to say that I haven't read a mystery on this order in a long time - if ever. Initially, I had my misgivings but as the story progressed, I found myself totally immersed in what was going on and the ending was satisfactory!
Helpful Score: 1
How do you rate a book that made you sick but kept reading it anyway?
I really hated this book! Obviously I am at odds with everyone else, but I had nightmares about this story. However, it kept me reading to the end even though I wanted to put it down.
It centers around six unusual, down on their luck tenants of a dilapidated apartment, plus a sloppy, obese, disgusting landlord who puts cameras in the two bathrooms so he could have his jollys!
One of the tenants is a murderer; a sick, depraved, psycho whose acts made me nauseous, and want to throw up! I literally had to skip some pages when descriptions of what he did with the corpses of women he killed because the visuals were too much for me.
I was so glad to see the ending was satisfactory.
I really hated this book! Obviously I am at odds with everyone else, but I had nightmares about this story. However, it kept me reading to the end even though I wanted to put it down.
It centers around six unusual, down on their luck tenants of a dilapidated apartment, plus a sloppy, obese, disgusting landlord who puts cameras in the two bathrooms so he could have his jollys!
One of the tenants is a murderer; a sick, depraved, psycho whose acts made me nauseous, and want to throw up! I literally had to skip some pages when descriptions of what he did with the corpses of women he killed because the visuals were too much for me.
I was so glad to see the ending was satisfactory.
Helpful Score: 1
**Thank you Netgalley and Penguin for providing this in exchange for an honest review**
This was excellent!
Collette has an easy job. Sure, deep down she knows she is paid with dirty money, but its a lot of money. One night she sees something she shouldn't have and has to go on the run. After a few years of constantly moving around, she eventually makes it to 23 Beulah Grove. At first, she thinks this is the perfect place to stay for awhile. Due to a family issue, she must stay put for awhile. She needed somewhere to stay where people wouldn't be too curious about her. Somewhere the neighbors wouldn't ask too many questions. One walk through the building tells her 23 Beulah Grove is that kind of place. The only reason the other tenants would live in a slum-hole like it would be because they also were hiding from someone or something.
I loved, loved, loved this book. The characters and surroundings were well developed. While Collette is technically the main character, there was no secondary character feel to the others. This story was equal parts character and story driven and told from alternating POVs. When you were with one of the "secondary", you felt like they were the one that the book was actually about. The only reason for 4 stars instead of 5 was a short romance that took place. I can take or leave a romance story line. The aren't usually a selling point for me, but its very rare that they ding my opinion in a story. This one, unfortunately, did cause a ding. It came across forced and really had no impact on the overall story. It felt like an after thought that was thrown in because...well, why the hell not. This will definitely be a reread for me and I look forward to reading Marwood's The Wicked Girls
This was excellent!
Collette has an easy job. Sure, deep down she knows she is paid with dirty money, but its a lot of money. One night she sees something she shouldn't have and has to go on the run. After a few years of constantly moving around, she eventually makes it to 23 Beulah Grove. At first, she thinks this is the perfect place to stay for awhile. Due to a family issue, she must stay put for awhile. She needed somewhere to stay where people wouldn't be too curious about her. Somewhere the neighbors wouldn't ask too many questions. One walk through the building tells her 23 Beulah Grove is that kind of place. The only reason the other tenants would live in a slum-hole like it would be because they also were hiding from someone or something.
I loved, loved, loved this book. The characters and surroundings were well developed. While Collette is technically the main character, there was no secondary character feel to the others. This story was equal parts character and story driven and told from alternating POVs. When you were with one of the "secondary", you felt like they were the one that the book was actually about. The only reason for 4 stars instead of 5 was a short romance that took place. I can take or leave a romance story line. The aren't usually a selling point for me, but its very rare that they ding my opinion in a story. This one, unfortunately, did cause a ding. It came across forced and really had no impact on the overall story. It felt like an after thought that was thrown in because...well, why the hell not. This will definitely be a reread for me and I look forward to reading Marwood's The Wicked Girls
23 Beulah Grove has many tenants who each have a secret. There are six tenements, everyone shares bathrooms, and each resident is diverse. The landlord is an absolute creep, preying on the younger female tenants.
We learn that one of them kills females and creates "dolls" out of them. We are not made privy to who that particular tenant is and it is fun to find that out. The author really keeps you guessing, as it really could be any one of the characters in the book.
We learn that one of them kills females and creates "dolls" out of them. We are not made privy to who that particular tenant is and it is fun to find that out. The author really keeps you guessing, as it really could be any one of the characters in the book.
I liked this book a lot. It had all the suspense and gore needed to fuel my dark side. It' well written and has plenty of surprises. It had the added fun of being an authentic English book, meaning written in, about England with all the English slang. At first I looked some of the words up, but after reading several pages, it was easy to figure out what the word referred to. So the book was like a mini trip to England, in modern Jack the Ripper days.
