I had the opportunity to read this novella through an online source this week and I have to say, unfortunately, I was not completely enthralled by it. The story is about Detective Jane Perry who is investigating the murder of an elderly woman. The ten chapters follow Perry as she questions one person after another to try to get to the truth behind the murder and the motivation for it.
I found the narrative to be rather "talky" in that most of text was taken up with dialogue. I get that it is an investigation story and that is how they are conducted, but I was hoping for a bit more action and excitement. I didn't feel any tension. I didn't feel that the protagonist was in any danger. It simply read like the screen-play for an hour TV drama.
The other issue I had is that I didn't get a major feel for the characters. A key for me, when reading anything, is being able to get into the background and thought process of the characters. For me, they felt a bit stiff.
I think if the author had perhaps used another twenty pages or so to flesh things out a bit more that it might have been a better read. Also, starting out the preface or first chapter with a bit more excitement would really hook the reader better and make them want to read more.
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