Reviews with content warning for Suicide - Blood Orange

~~2 Stars~~ 14th March 2022

This book just wasn't for me, the pacing was too slow and everything was just unlikeable.
To begin, I wouldn't have put this in the Thriller genre as it wasn't until around 250 pages where things got interesting -

When Matilda went "missing" and everything started to unspiral

. Even by that point we just went through the motions, maybe one or two things at the end were quite shocking but by this time we've had nearly 300 pages to get through, nothing was 'edge of your seat gripping' or had me excited to know the ending.
None of the characters were likable, I believe intentional, but it didn't make me want to read more I wasn't supporting anyone or wanting to see their ending. No lessons were learned for the characters and you couldn't really take anything from this book as a reader either.

Details
-Plot: slow-paced
-TW: Death, Murder, Blood, Rape, Sexual Assault, Alcoholism, Suicide
-Ending Happy/Sad/Unfinished:

Sad. Nothing really feels good about it

Content Warnings

elise_allberry's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

This book was an enjoyable and quick read, but I feel that the author tried to juggle too many elements in one book and the ending felt kind of rushed and random, even though it was a satisfying ending.

Content Warnings

annaf1tz's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

isgbv's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Content Warnings

kathryn_a's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Content Warnings

outsmartyourshelf's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Alison has a great career as a barrister & a lovely family of husband & young daughter, but she's also has a drinking problem & is having an affair with a colleague, Patrick. Her next case is a woman accused of murdering her husband, & Alison feels that there is more to the story than initially given. Then Alison starts receiving anonymous texts - someone knows about her affair & now everything is at risk.

At the beginning of the book, Alison really doesn't come across as a very sympathetic main character. As the plot unfolds however, the reader gradually comes to suspect that some of her issues are being manipulated behind the scenes. Without saying too much & giving away the plot, I was very suspicious of a particular character as they seemed almost 'incel-ish' from the way they acted & spoke at times & it turned out I was right to be suspicious. It's not an easy book to read, there's some sexual content that skates very near to sexual assault at times but this is due to particular plot point. Overall it was an intriguing debut novel that deals with difficult issues.

Content Warnings

sorcha's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Loveable characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

Content Warnings

clofle92's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Alison has it all. A doting husband, adorable daughter, and a career on the rise - she's just been given her first murder case to defend. But all is never as it seems...

Just one more night. Then I'll end it.

Alison drinks too much. She's neglecting her family. And she's having an affair with a colleague whose taste for pushing boundaries may be more than she can handle.

I did it. I killed him. I should be locked up.

Alison's client doesn't deny that she stabbed her husband - she wants to plead guilty. And yet something about her story is deeply amiss. Saving this woman may be the first step to Alison saving herself.

I'm watching you. I know what you're doing.

But someone knows Alison's secrets. Someone who wants to make her pay for what she's done, and who won't stop until she's lost everything....

Content Warnings

More...