lucypreston's reviews
299 reviews

The Fury by Alex Michaelides

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mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I thought this book had a lot of potential and I found Elliot's narration really engaging however I think this book spent so long trying to be different and shocking that some of the plot twists felt underdeveloped and weren't believable.
Murder in the Family by Cara Hunter

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mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I loved the unique style of this book and how quick and easy it was to read. There were reveals or cliffhangers on pretty much every page so it was difficult to put down!
The Examiner by Janice Hallett

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

4.0

I love Janice Hallett’s writing style and how quick it is to get through. Compared to the Appeal I liked that this one had a smaller group of characters which made it easy to remember who’s who. I did however find the ending disappointing.
The Christmas Appeal by Janice Hallett

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lighthearted mysterious 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? No

5.0

I enjoyed this book a lot more than I did the first one in the series. I’m really coming around to Hallett’s unique writing style and will definitely be reading more epistolary novels.
Elephants Can Remember by Agatha Christie

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mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

I enjoyed the premise of this book however I was able to guess the ending which I can never normally do with an Agatha Christie so it took a lot of the fun out of Poirot’s explanation at the end.
Third Girl by Agatha Christie

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mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

I can’t lie this book didn’t really hold my interest. I thought the plot twist at the end was fun but definitely one of the weaker Poirot’s I’ve read.
Remember, Remember by Elle Machray

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

3.0

I thought the premise of this book was really intriguing and I did enjoy the writing style. However I found Delphine as a protagonist really hard to connect to. The entire plot is fuelled by emotion so not being able to connect with the main character made this fall flat. Additionally the romance subplot didn’t work for me for the same reason.

This book also took me a while to get through and whilst I enjoyed it while I was reading I never felt compelled to pick it up.
Ushers: A Short Story by Joe Hill

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mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This was absolutely incredible! The plot was really interesting and I loved the sense of foreshadowing in the final chapter. The characters were all quick witted and sarcastic which made the dialogue very entertaining. 
Crime of Fashion by Emma Rosenblum

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tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.0

This book made 40 pages feel so long. There were too many characters who were introduced but had zero personality. Within the first page the author uses OCD to describe someone who likes things to be neat and orderly and continues to use it in this manner throughout which was infuriating.
A Classic Case by Alicia Thompson

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funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This was definitely on the cozier end of the mystery spectrum however I enjoyed it. I liked that Alicia Thompson kept it very simple for a short story and everything wrapped up really nicely.