My first by Bolton, and if she continues to provide page-turners like this, not my last. And I'm pretty hard to please. Beyond the standard of the writing, a deal-breaker for me can be when I know "whodunit" by page 2 (unless the book has other, very substantial charms), and/or if the protagonist is too stupid for words. (As in, "No one knows I'm in the murderer's house. What's that sound in the attic?)
Here, I felt that the mystery was clever and well-developed, and kept me guessing until the very end. (And there was one "reveal" that blind-sided me -- I like that!) And the 1st person point of view character, Tora, seems very human: plucky and frightened by turns, making a few risky decisions, but only when she really seems to have no other choice. Her personality, and her reaction to the mystery she inadvertently uncovers, is what keeps those pages turning.
The setting, the islands of Shetland at the northernmost point of Scotland and the British Isles, is interesting, provides great background atmosphere, and rings true.
One "trigger warning:" I would approach this book with caution if you happen to be pregnant. Or ever have been pregnant, or if you know someone who's pregnant. Or if your Mom was ever pregnant. No spoilers, of course, but from a very early point, the reader knows that the all is not right for expecting moms on the islands of Shetland!
Here, I felt that the mystery was clever and well-developed, and kept me guessing until the very end. (And there was one "reveal" that blind-sided me -- I like that!) And the 1st person point of view character, Tora, seems very human: plucky and frightened by turns, making a few risky decisions, but only when she really seems to have no other choice. Her personality, and her reaction to the mystery she inadvertently uncovers, is what keeps those pages turning.
The setting, the islands of Shetland at the northernmost point of Scotland and the British Isles, is interesting, provides great background atmosphere, and rings true.
One "trigger warning:" I would approach this book with caution if you happen to be pregnant. Or ever have been pregnant, or if you know someone who's pregnant. Or if your Mom was ever pregnant. No spoilers, of course, but from a very early point, the reader knows that the all is not right for expecting moms on the islands of Shetland!
