I really wanted to like this book. Historical fiction set in WWII, LGBT representation, a mystery binding it all together - it sounds perfect.

Unfortunately, the execution was more than a bit off. The pacing was incredibly slow; nothing really happened for 3/4 of the story. I found myself putting the book down out of boredom a few times because of it.

The villain was positively cartoonish, while the two narrators lacked any sort of character or depth. As you can imagine, this made it near impossible to care about their fates.

I’m struggling to point out any gems in the story. The cover is gorgeous and Healey’s knowledge of taxidermy is impressive? That’s all I’ve got.