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A review by marvsbooks
The Snowstorm by Triona Walsh, Triona Walsh
3.0
Unfortunately, this wasn’t my favorite read. Apologies for the name misspellings that are sure to exist here; I listened to an advance audio copy and am trying to figure out how on earth to spell any of these names. I’m torn between 2 and 3 stars, but leaning toward 3 because Cara really proves herself in the end.
The premise and setting sounded excellent. I’m a total sucker for a closed-island, snowstorm, friend-dies mystery. Especially in winter. Except from the beginning, it all went wrong for me.
Cara wasn’t particularly good at her job as a Garda. She made all kinds of assumptions from the start, even as she told Patrick she never made assumptions. It was also infuriating from the beginning that she never learned Irish, despite it being the local language. How can someone police well if they can’t speak with the locals? Throughout, nobody on the island seemed to have any respect for her. I get that islands can be closed-feeling to outsiders, but 10 years seems a bit long to be disrespectful to someone.
The other characters were just generally (and then quite specifically) unlikeable. There wasn’t background on any of them that made me feel invested in their stories, and they were all bickering and asshole-ish to everyone, including others in their group of friends. At the bitter end, you kind of find out why—but I have a hard time believing they all would have gone on with their reunion weekend as planned if they showed up IRL and three of them were being total snarkwads to each other. Circa takes offense to everything, Frodia belittles every woman in the book every time they speak, and Seamus seems to think everything is grand and he’s hot $hit because he’s been away in Hollywood. No way.
My other issue was the massive set of inconsistencies throughout the story. There’s a giant snowstorm, and power is out for the whole island…but the characters go tramping all around the island to use the WiFi, or investigate, or make phone calls, or go with Cara as she handles official business. On foot. After we learn the snow is so deep cars are buried. Sure, Jan. Also, the final action scene (no spoilers, sorry this is vague) where Frodia and Seamus handle some things? I know this is fiction. But hundreds of people showing up? Okkkkkk. I don’t think even island boat captains are crazy enough to go out in that storm.
This is one of those books that I think would be an amazing movie, but just didn’t work as written for me. I’m sure many others will love it!
The premise and setting sounded excellent. I’m a total sucker for a closed-island, snowstorm, friend-dies mystery. Especially in winter. Except from the beginning, it all went wrong for me.
Cara wasn’t particularly good at her job as a Garda. She made all kinds of assumptions from the start, even as she told Patrick she never made assumptions. It was also infuriating from the beginning that she never learned Irish, despite it being the local language. How can someone police well if they can’t speak with the locals? Throughout, nobody on the island seemed to have any respect for her. I get that islands can be closed-feeling to outsiders, but 10 years seems a bit long to be disrespectful to someone.
The other characters were just generally (and then quite specifically) unlikeable. There wasn’t background on any of them that made me feel invested in their stories, and they were all bickering and asshole-ish to everyone, including others in their group of friends. At the bitter end, you kind of find out why—but I have a hard time believing they all would have gone on with their reunion weekend as planned if they showed up IRL and three of them were being total snarkwads to each other. Circa takes offense to everything, Frodia belittles every woman in the book every time they speak, and Seamus seems to think everything is grand and he’s hot $hit because he’s been away in Hollywood. No way.
My other issue was the massive set of inconsistencies throughout the story. There’s a giant snowstorm, and power is out for the whole island…but the characters go tramping all around the island to use the WiFi, or investigate, or make phone calls, or go with Cara as she handles official business. On foot. After we learn the snow is so deep cars are buried. Sure, Jan. Also, the final action scene (no spoilers, sorry this is vague) where Frodia and Seamus handle some things? I know this is fiction. But hundreds of people showing up? Okkkkkk. I don’t think even island boat captains are crazy enough to go out in that storm.
This is one of those books that I think would be an amazing movie, but just didn’t work as written for me. I’m sure many others will love it!