kuzumel reviewed on + 112 more book reviews
Hmmm... Like the last book, this was not written in the same style or rhythm as the earlier ones. Nora obviously provided the plot outline, but someone else filled in the words. I'm glad I read a library copy. This was not worth the hard cover price.
But setting that aside, the storyline lacked the usual suspense, as we meet the killer very early on and he is a fairly two-dimensional personality. We also spend many chapters with this guy and it was not a good trade of print ink. My main reaction is like watching the next victim heading down the stairs into the dark basement where our killer waits. Only the retired teacher got my full sympathy. Most got a sigh. And the idiot at the end was the eye-roll. Hmmm... Maybe Robb was experimenting with narrative and character types.
Up until now, we usually get at least one amusing Mavis, Summerset, Galahad, Nadine, or Down-n-Dirty moment. Instead, we get more bullpen interaction (running joke with sunshades) and a few Police Plaza developments, but not necessarily enough to compensate for the big group of missing support characters - outside of the cops in Eve's depasrtment. Even the visiting horde of Roarke's Irish relatives are a bit flat, despite some warm dialogue between Eve and Sinead and Sean. We do see many past characters, but only briefly at the end and not for long.
So it is 3 stars for the story line and -0.5 for the actual writing.
But setting that aside, the storyline lacked the usual suspense, as we meet the killer very early on and he is a fairly two-dimensional personality. We also spend many chapters with this guy and it was not a good trade of print ink. My main reaction is like watching the next victim heading down the stairs into the dark basement where our killer waits. Only the retired teacher got my full sympathy. Most got a sigh. And the idiot at the end was the eye-roll. Hmmm... Maybe Robb was experimenting with narrative and character types.
Up until now, we usually get at least one amusing Mavis, Summerset, Galahad, Nadine, or Down-n-Dirty moment. Instead, we get more bullpen interaction (running joke with sunshades) and a few Police Plaza developments, but not necessarily enough to compensate for the big group of missing support characters - outside of the cops in Eve's depasrtment. Even the visiting horde of Roarke's Irish relatives are a bit flat, despite some warm dialogue between Eve and Sinead and Sean. We do see many past characters, but only briefly at the end and not for long.
So it is 3 stars for the story line and -0.5 for the actual writing.
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