Simon Beckett

I loved this book! I flew through it in just a few days, which is unusual for me right now since I'm so short on time. But I reached for it every time I had a spare moment, which says a lot.

I read the first book in the series eight years ago, and while I'm hazy on the plot details, I remember liking it quite a bit. I think this one's even better, though. The characters are well developed and believable, the dialogue spot on, and the plot perfectly paced. I enjoyed the element of forced confinement (even though it felt a touch contrived at times, it served the story beautifully).

I really enjoy forensic police procedurals and mysteries like CSI, Bones, etc. so this was right up my alley. What I really appreciated is that Beckett throws in just enough forensic information to make the details interesting but not bore the reader in the process.

I kept turning pages and guessing right up until the very end. The revelations in the final few chapters just kept on coming, and I was on the edge of my seat to see how the story would conclude. I'm very excited to continue with this series, and read other books by Simon Beckett.… (mais)

I really enjoyed this book. I don't often read books by British authors, and some of the vocabulary used threw me out of the story at first, but soon I found myself enjoying the small differences in the English language that kept popping up. I liked the main character quite a bit, and although the mystery was interesting enough, it was the forensic aspect that had me utterly fascinated. The book is quite descriptive when it comes to matters of decay and decomposition, so I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who doesn't have a strong stomach for that sort of thing. Personally, I love TV shows like CSI and Bones, and I often find myself completely engrossed in the scientific aspects of what happens after we die. Morbid, but there you have it. Beyond those compelling aspects, the book kept me guessing until the end. I thought the wrap-up was a bit too neat and tidy, but I didn't mind too much. I will be looking by more books by this author.… (mais)

I liked this first book of the series a lot. The characters are interesting, as was the story. There was a little bit of a supernatural element having to do with dreams, that I could do without, but it wasn't a major part of the story.

I had a feeling about the main villain, but rejected it, so I was surprised at how things turned out. There was another character that I thought might be the one, but unfortunately I was wrong - unfortunately because I wanted him to be the one.

The small town where the action took place was not a very pleasant town. It seemed to have all the negatives of small towns without the positives. This is ignoring the fact that several murders took place there over the years. But I believe it's not a permanent part of the series, as it seems he leaves at the end, and is no longer there in the next book, which I already started.

… (mais)

The story moves along at a fairly leisurely pace for most of the book, then suddenly starts taking off near the end like a rocket with action and surprises galore (not to mention gore). Some of the characters I liked didn't fare too well, but I'll get over it, I think.

Much like the first book in the series, it takes place in a small town that makes city living sound ideal. Lots of people either die, come close to dying, or come back to life when seemingly dead. It gets pretty weird towards the end, and ends with an unsatisfying cliffhanger. I think I'll need to read the next one right away to see if it resolves any of the issues.

David Thorpe narrated the audiobook, and in my opinion did an excellent job with the accents. He made it all sound more authentic, but was still easy to understand.
… (mais)