This book begins with heartbreaking tragedy, then smooths the sharp edges into a gentle story that lulls you very quietly into a sense of complacency, right before ripping the world apart once more. The reader experiences what at first appears to be the complete story — two equal halves in alternating chapters — but understands later that parts are missing, deliberately omitted and carefully concealed. This unknowing gives the story its edge, it’s elusive feel, and kept me reading even though at times I wanted to scream at some of the characters. (Not just one, either. But mostly because I liked them, and I was trying to keep them from screwing up, so there’s that.)

It’s hard for me to give a sense of this book in a short space, but I don’t want to talk about it, I want you to go ahead and read it yourself. I am pretty sure Mackintosh left no genre unturned here, there’s a little something for everyone — fierce drama, crime fiction, light comedy and romance, thriller, and a beautiful setting with a sense of timelessness and history. The year is just beginning, start it off with a jolt.



For Goodreads:

Why I picked it – The description and setting sounded appealing
Reminded me of… So cliché, but it’s like a gentle Gone Girl. Can that be a thing?
For my full review – click here

Twist upon twist. I had to go back and reread parts to see if I was tricked or just not paying attention. I think the author played fair. Good read, very engaging. Hard to put down. Good characters that you want to get to know. I found the ending to be a bit melodramatic though.

I really wanted to like this book but unfortunately this book was a DNF twice. Back when I requested the arc and now when I tried again to read it. I went through a reading slump that lasted for three months so I stopped giving feedback because I realized most ARCs were DNFs and it was me and not the books.

Now that I’m reading again I have to say that unfortunately it’s impossible for me to get through this book. I had very high expectations for this book that’s why I made I the first ARC to try again now that I’m able to read.

It is well written but it moved so slow, so painfully slow I gave up. It way too over -descriptive. I’m a very visual person and I love well described settings but there has to be a purpose to. There is no need to narrate every step the character is taking, the color of the mug where he is drinking from or the type of coffee unless that advance the plot in any way or develop the character. It also felt to me lik the thousands of other crime stories dine before. The same detective struggling with the same family issues. Also a little unrealistic. Then it seems the hit and run event that triggers the story is too glorified. Too many pages spent in events that contribute too little to the story, like many of the dialogues between the two detectives. The hit and run of a five years old It is a tragic sad event but not enough to be in the news nonstop.