it took me freaking 17 days to finish reading this book. that's gotta be one of the longest times I've spent actively reading something without any intention of dropping it.

Criminal Past was just so intense! it made me super anxious, to the point of literally yelling and squirming and having to take deep breaths after any particularly tense scene. it's aaalmost too much for me, but everything's always so interesting, even if sometimes it feels unnecessarily tense. somer's charm and the lighter-hearted scenes every once in a while make everything feel worth it and stacks the stakes even higher. 

gregory ashe is a damn good author, even if this was also one of the worst-smelling books i've ever read??? the amount of times i was uncomfortable picturing so perfectly all the ways the city in summer and the bodily fluids stunk??? i could've done without that, but it does makes me feel even more immersed in the story. 

this was one of the most intense things i've ever read, since i rarely read intense things anyway, lol. good book, good stuff.