Reading this over-hyped 500+ page book was like being trapped in a lengthy game of Cluedo where everyone gets drugged and beaten up.
I’d been looking forward to this winner of the Costa First Novel Award and many reviewers’ top book of 2018. However, I found it disappointing and an effort to finish. The concept itself is interesting. A country house murder mystery where the same day is replayed over and over, with our protagonist inhabiting the bodies of different characters in order to solve a murder. Only then will he be freed. I liked how the author explored what it’s like to see the world from other people’s perspectives and also the beginning of the story was intriguing. Unfortunately I had some issues with the book.
The author’s writing style was my main problem. Over-descriptive. Clichés all over the place. Repetition. Clunky sentences. Characters were always hissing, growling or narrowing their eyes. It made me hiss, growl and narrow my eyes in frustration.
For such a drama-filled story the pace seemed to be slow. And how convenient that most of the info-dumping takes place when the protagonist just happens to be a policeman with the authority and the right kind of brain to work everything out. I didn’t care about any of the characters either. There were so many of them, two-dimensional and dull.
No doubt the plot is clever but if I gave ratings this would be a two-star review.
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