Scan barcode
A review by sergek94
A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
When a man in his early 20s is found murdered on a boat one morning, three women who've had different relationships with him are called to investigation in order to shed light on the crime. As we explore these women's perspectives, we delve into the victim's backstory, which has its fair share of troubled incidents interwoven in a complex web that might help us figure out who committed this murder and why.
I enjoyed getting into this story with its easy-flowing writing and very superb character work! I think the characters here were very well written, each with their own complex backstory and morally grey stance, which leaves room for them to commit heinous acts and have quite the repertoire of experiences to be able to somehow justify them. I was particularly attached to two characters and genuinely cared about them throughout the story, but I will refrain from mentioning them in this review because it might distort the reader's experience when it comes to trying to figure out who the murderer is!
I also really enjoy cosy town mysteries, where all the characters live in a small town and form part of a community, and this was done nicely here, and I really enjoyed the atmosphere.
One complaint I have is that I wish we spent more time in the victim's head, because he seemed like an elusive character throughout the book and I never really felt like I got to know him and his own personal motivations as much as I would have wanted to, since most of the book explores other people's experiences of him, and I wish we had his personal perspective as well.
Otherwise, this book was really decent and enjoyable, and the well-written and well-rounded characters make up for any elements I didn't particularly like in this story. It also tugs at the heart strings a couple of times, which is a very strong element here. I definitely recommend this for a cosy mystery read!
I enjoyed getting into this story with its easy-flowing writing and very superb character work! I think the characters here were very well written, each with their own complex backstory and morally grey stance, which leaves room for them to commit heinous acts and have quite the repertoire of experiences to be able to somehow justify them. I was particularly attached to two characters and genuinely cared about them throughout the story, but I will refrain from mentioning them in this review because it might distort the reader's experience when it comes to trying to figure out who the murderer is!
I also really enjoy cosy town mysteries, where all the characters live in a small town and form part of a community, and this was done nicely here, and I really enjoyed the atmosphere.
One complaint I have is that I wish we spent more time in the victim's head, because he seemed like an elusive character throughout the book and I never really felt like I got to know him and his own personal motivations as much as I would have wanted to, since most of the book explores other people's experiences of him, and I wish we had his personal perspective as well.
Otherwise, this book was really decent and enjoyable, and the well-written and well-rounded characters make up for any elements I didn't particularly like in this story. It also tugs at the heart strings a couple of times, which is a very strong element here. I definitely recommend this for a cosy mystery read!