The (relatively) new WordPress notification that lets you know how many days in a row you have been posting is both a blessing and a curse. In the worst case scenario, when tired and creatively empty, I let it go. But at other times, like today when I was just being lazy, it has spurred me into action to beat the clock! I hope the review does not sound rushed because this book crept up on me and the review should reflect that.
I was a little surprised that this was the third in a series. Since I have had it on my virtual shelf for quite a long time, I am unsure of how I missed such a point when I first requested it.
That said, the hints about the lead character’s doings were interesting and may even have tempted me into picking up the author’s other works if I got the chance. On their own, the past information did not play into the case here, and this can be read as a standalone (as I did).
It is a reasonably straightforward thriller that mirrors old country home mysteries. There is one death, and the chaos that follows in its wake exacerbated by bad weather, the lack of phone signals and the remote location, not to mention that the family that owns this resort where everything is happening is at the centre of all the hullabaloo.
I should step back and talk about the premise of the narrative. Natalie is the seasoned protagonist with (at least I think) two books featuring her solving murders taking some personal time off to repair a family relationship with a cousin she was once close to. The cousin works at an exclusive high-end place characterised by the previously mentioned lack of phone service and can be used to unplug and unwind. The latter is hard when Natalie’s arrival needs medical attention, and then things start to spiral, and it is hard to trust any of the characters. We hear a lot of voices in the narrative that adds to the ambience.
I was in the right mood when I started the story. It was simple and straightforward in its method to lead us astray. There were so many suspects thrown in our path that I was left with very little time to stumble upon the actual culprit(s) before Natalie did it herself. However, that was not the end of it, since the thriller aspect of everything comes into play with a few dangerous scenes, but a reasonably happy conclusion satisfied me and probably would any undemanding reader.
I would recommend this to another reader looking for a thriller/mystery placed in very oppressive surroundings.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.
Superfluous Reading 