Author: Ellie Marney
Genre: mystery
Similar books: Blink and Caution by Tim Wynne-Jones
The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin by Josh Berk
Rating:
 |
| Engrossing, a little dark |
Summary: When Rachel Watts moved to Melbourne and became friends with James Mycroft she never expected that the friendship would get her involved in a mystery. A late night visit to the Melbourne Zoo uncovers the body of Homeless Dave, an eccentric friend of Mycroft's who has been violently murdered. Mycroft's personal connection with the victim paired with his obsession with forensics draws them into the investigation. His extreme focus and lack of boundaries, paired with Rachel's willingness to follow him and the painful secrets they both bear, gets them into trouble.
My Opinion: The comparisons between this book and every other Sherlock Holmes story are going to be unavoidable - Marney named her characters Mycroft and Watts for a reason after all. Rather than try to subtly weave in all of the comparisons she just lays it all on the line, even having the characters point out their resemblance to the famed detective pair. By making the similarity obvious, Marney frees up her book to focus on more important things: the development of the plot and the characters. The pacing and atmosphere are excellent, giving the novel a dark and gritty feel. The characters are nicely developed. My main complaint is with the revelation of the killer. Because of the description of the plot provided, both on NetGalley and Amazon, I guessed at the killer's identity pretty early on. If you have not yet, do yourself a favor and DON'T read any plot descriptions. Simply immerse yourself in this story of two broken teens solving a murder.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
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