Maria Hummel (1)

Self indulgent.

That's really the best way I can describe this book. The writing is good, and the idea behind the story is intriguing, but it meanders, slows, goes around in circles, and then meanders again, and it's at least 50 pages too long (even though it only comes in at a whopping 277 pages at full length as it is).

I was hoping for a much bigger revelation at the end. At one point I was holding my breath, certain there would be a pay-off for the time I'd invested in the story. Some monumental discovery. A conspiracy involving a number of people. A betrayal or major shock or something... but none of it came to pass. The reveal, when it happened, was weak and seemed to hit the main character out of nowhere. And once she came up with a solid suspect, the story unfolded like a paint-by-numbers work, leading to the inevitable conclusion with the requisite confrontation scene and bloodshed.

I enjoyed the writing, and I was happy enough to flip the pages and see how the story would unfold, I was just very disappointed that the story was... well, that the story was THE story. No surprises, no twists, no intriguing revelations.

The best part, by far, is the author's exploration of a world that views female murder victims as a spectacle; just another salacious bit of entertainment to sell magazines and newspapers and get people to tune in to the evening news. I appreciated taking a deeper look at how we all (myself included) absorb these types of stories, and how women are portrayed in the media overall. But I still wanted more from a mystery novel.… (mehr)