A quick read for sure, very to the point.But still enough back story, explanation & motivation to be cohesive. 

 The world was neat, the magic system was great… but I wasn’t feeling the chemistry between the MCs. & it would have been craftier storytelling to conceal Otto’s motivations for longer.

I didn’t end up loving the final installment, all the enemies & resolutions seemed rushed -some of them are so against characters prior behavior…while the beginning dragged. And honestly Sal did Carrie so dirty. I was fine with Sal not being a Strong Female Character (tm) but she became so unlikable. 

While ultimately I liked book 1 & Van’s POV better, this case creeped me out so bad! I also enjoy how the author combines urban legends &supernatural elements with regular old horrible human behavior. The blood witch &religious element of Alku had my blood running cold. 

I’ll be excited to see where the series goes.

Van’s backstory & personality were far more fleshed out than Harry’s & I was waiting for a darker secret from him

I ended up loving this, immediately purchased the next book in the series. the dialogue is very cartoonishly stilted initially, but it grows on you. But the case they were solving was compelling, &I wanted to know more about Agent Reed’s past, the secrets she is keeping from her partner… &what he may be keeping from her. 

This is my 2nd Darcy Coates, both have been quick & creepy reads, but I still don’t know if her writing is for me. It’s kind of Simone St James meets Goosebumps. 

 

The creepiness was here, but with no clear theme or lesson learned I ultimately think it fell flat. 

…not as strong as the first book IMO, but it’s tough being book 2 in a trilogy. There was more action, but some seemed random, as did the “science” which grew more far fetched. 

We are set up plot-wise for an interesting finale.

I was expecting a basic police procedural, but this was really character driven & so twisty! 

A celebrity responsible for building a luxury vacation commune on the English side of the lake, exploiting & disrupting the local economy of the Welsh community on the other side… & generally terrible person… turns up dead after a New Years Eve party.