Příjemné zpestření prázdninového dopoledne. Knihu jsem si poslechla v audio verzi na webu Českého rozhlasu. Vyprávění se chvílemi stáčí od detektiva dPříjemné zpestření prázdninového dopoledne. Knihu jsem si poslechla v audio verzi na webu Českého rozhlasu. Vyprávění se chvílemi stáčí od detektiva do vzpomínek jiných postav, což při poslechu nebylo vždy úplně jasné, a tak jsem se místy ztrácela. Jinak byla audio verze v pohodě.
Příběh byl zajímavý, postavy mi přišly uvěřitelné, líbilo se mi, že tam každý hrál nějakou roli. Konec byl sice maličko dramatičtější, než bylo potřeba, ale aspoň se příliš nevlekl.
Co se detektivní zápletky týče, ta je nám spíš předložena, než že bychom ji měli nějak vypátrat a zamyslet se sami. Dále moc neoceňuji, že si 33letý detektiv něco začne s vysokoškolačkou, kterou potká během vyšetřování, a ačkoliv ví, že se to není správné, klidně v tom pokračuje....more
I flew through this so fast. It's not a long story but packs quite a punch. I really liked the structure - each chapter told by a different character I flew through this so fast. It's not a long story but packs quite a punch. I really liked the structure - each chapter told by a different character in a different month. Each character was developed well, despite us spending only a chapter with them. I also enjoyed the writing, I'm normally not much of a fan of this kind of really descriptive stuff but here it helped to set a beautiful atmosphere....more
Bullet points review: * Main character was truly something * Extremely easy to read (one afternoon in fact) * Descriptions of the wildfire Solid 3 stars
Bullet points review: * Main character was truly something * Extremely easy to read (one afternoon in fact) * Descriptions of the wildfire were brutal and chilling (pun not intended) * Can't say I was surprised by the reveals but I enjoyed the ride nonetheless * All in all, a fun summer read...more
Finished this ages ago but I was holding out the review for some reason. I accidentally overhyped this in my head so even though I can still give it cFinished this ages ago but I was holding out the review for some reason. I accidentally overhyped this in my head so even though I can still give it credit for being a solid locked room mystery, personally I didn't really enjoy it....more
I picked this up in a resort on a vacation and it entertained me enough but I don't think I would have read the book otherwise. I enjoyed the atmospheI picked this up in a resort on a vacation and it entertained me enough but I don't think I would have read the book otherwise. I enjoyed the atmosphere of an island hotel in the middle of a storm and that was pretty much it....more
This was really fun. I predicted a couple of things but got more things wrong. Not happy with the twist in the middle but the identity of the killer wThis was really fun. I predicted a couple of things but got more things wrong. Not happy with the twist in the middle but the identity of the killer was quite satisfying to me. The finale got wrapped up a little too quickly and too smoothly but, again... I had so much fun reading this and for that I'm happy to give this book 4 stars....more
1.5 rounded up cause I liked the mystery, well, I liked the key realization that led to solving it.
But the politics are just really rough in this one,1.5 rounded up cause I liked the mystery, well, I liked the key realization that led to solving it.
But the politics are just really rough in this one, and it was published in the sixties, which isn't really that long ago... So much hate for people with mental illness, sometimes I felt physically sick....more
Trigger warning: depiction of self harm; revenge porn
I gotta admit I was surprised by how neatly all the pieces clicked together. Although this was suTrigger warning: depiction of self harm; revenge porn
I gotta admit I was surprised by how neatly all the pieces clicked together. Although this was super slow, I didn't particularly mind and thought of it as more of a contemporary personal drama with some mystery elements thrown into it. I liked it more than The Hunting Party by the same author - these two are pretty similar but I found this one to be better executed with more interesting and more relatable characters and more exciting setting.
The title and blurb are very misleading though - I would expect something completely different from a book called The Guest List with highlighted points such as the bridesmaid ruining her dress on purpose ( (view spoiler)[ which btw doesn't even really happen? At least Jules' reaction to the situation isn't really about the dress atm (hide spoiler)]). I thought this was gonna be more gossipy, but it turned out to be quite deep with some heavy topics being handled.
Overall, I really enjoyed ny experience with this book and it will possibly stay with me longer than expected. Would recommend as kind of a heavier contemporary meeting mystery....more
Edit: I ended up skimming the book to the end so I'm marking it as read. I'm completely at a loss for words. What in the world was that. It really feeEdit: I ended up skimming the book to the end so I'm marking it as read. I'm completely at a loss for words. What in the world was that. It really feels like a fever dream the more you progress and when you think you get a bit of a solid footing in the last chapter BAM it laughs at you with the last sentence. What was this book trying to say? Who knows. Who cares.
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dnf @ 62%
Last year I got about halfway and then put it down with all the intention to power through eventually. But I picked it up now and I just can't stomach the Bunnies anymore. If I kept reading I would have found a way to personally strangle each and every character in this book so good job making me emotional I guess but I just wanna be done hhhhh...more
Fun little mystery, some things I did deduce, others not and it was a nice story to dive into overall. Since the crime happened 16 years ago and the oFun little mystery, some things I did deduce, others not and it was a nice story to dive into overall. Since the crime happened 16 years ago and the only information we have are witness testimonies, it's really only about psychology and catching people in a lie....more
jedna z těch knih, které sice dočtu do konce, protože mám chronickou potřebu vědět, jak to dopadne (no, tuhle jsem posledních ~100 stránek spíš tak jajedna z těch knih, které sice dočtu do konce, protože mám chronickou potřebu vědět, jak to dopadne (no, tuhle jsem posledních ~100 stránek spíš tak jako prolistovala), ale když se na ten konec dostanu, tak si uvědomím, že to vlastně nestálo za to. Ale jak už tu mnozí zmiňovali - autorčin styl je čtivý, skoro až kompulsivně, to jo, ale jde tím trochu sám proti sobě. To vysoké tempo se totiž dlouhodobě udržet nedá (skoro 400 stránek!)....more
This is going to sound so mean but I'm struggling to see the point of this book. I almost dnf'ed it multiple times but I kept going because I was stilThis is going to sound so mean but I'm struggling to see the point of this book. I almost dnf'ed it multiple times but I kept going because I was still vaguely interested in knowing the answers. And I'm sad to say that it wasn't worth it.
This book is weird. Which is why I was drawn to it but it ended up delivering a different kind of weird. If you read the synopsis you expect a story full of dark secrets and shocking reveals. What would drive a person to kill their entire family? And what would lead the sole survivor of such an act to immediately forgive them? (The book opens with Gwendolyn forgiving Estella.) I had really high expectations after this. I thought I was getting into a fucked up story with a heart of strong sisterhood bond. But... as I was slowly progressing through, the things that were happening, while fucked up for sure, didn't exactly seem like something worth killing more than THREE HUNDRED people for. Some of which were children. And some weren't even members of Estella's family. . . . Yeah. I was under the impression that 'entire family' means like parents and aunts and cousins which is obviously still A LOT but it would be like ten, maybe fifteen people at most. And everyone would presumably be an accomplice to the crimes. But freaking three hundred? Well, there better be a good reason for that. But I don't feel like there was. I already mentioned that the family secrets were pretty horrible (domestic abuse, corruption, murder...) and some genuinely surprised me but still, killing hundreds of people for it, many of whom just didn't have anything to do with it, was so extreme. I honestly can't wrap my head around this. As for the reason why Gwendolyn forgives Estella, it's a huge spoiler so proceed with caution. (view spoiler)[ It's because they are literally the same person. Gwendolyn is Estella's ?alter ego? that Estella created, a sister that isn't scared of their family and does whatever she wants. So it's actually Estella's body in the hospital with Estella the person being dead and Gwendolyn the alter ego trying to figure out what happened. The whole book is narrated by Gwendolyn without her ever realizing that she is just a part of her sister, only at the very end. It was so stupid. (hide spoiler)]
I was truly disappointed after finishing this book. The writing had this dreamy-like quality that I enjoyed at first but really got on my nerves as the story went on because it made all of the events feel so flat and detached. The characters were pretty unremarkable. Estella was defined just by her resentment of her family and her desire to redeem them and Gwendolyn didn't even have any personality at all. Their family was rich. Rich rich. Obscenely rich. And it showed. Gwendolyn was so obnoxious with descriptions of her opulence and the ease with which she accepted their wealth as a matter of fact. And the majesties. I liked them. I get the metaphore, I think, but it's just too little to save the book for me. When the final twist happened I was just so fed up and so done. Thinking about it maybe it's good that Estella murdered them all....more
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