I was so underwhelmed by this book that I can't be bothered to muster up a review.

3.5 stars. I liked it, but didn't love it. The characters and the setting were rich in details and the plot had a lot of twists and turns. So why didn't I love it? It got bogged down with a lot of dialogue between characters that detracted from the flow of the book. I also didn't like switching between 2 characters. Overall, not a bad book for the first in a series, but could use some editing.

I read this book years ago. I took the book out of the library and I still have it. Why? My dog ate the cover off of it. Miss you, Oreo :)

Really good read. I've tried a few other Scandinavian mysteries and this is the first that kept my interest. The plot was not intricate but unwound slowly throughout the book. (One of my pet peeves is when the sleuth suddenly has an epiphany and solves the mystery in on paragraph. I liked that this was solved in little pieces though the book.) The location was vivid (at least for me, having lived in Norway) and added a lot of dimension to the story. The characters were realistic and interesting. Overall a great read, very hard to put down once I got into it. I'd love to read more, but I'm not sure my Norwegian is good enough to read a novel. Would be worth it to give it a shot, though.

Spoiler

This occurred to me the other night while trying to fall asleep: is it me or was the whole Hanne Richter left half finished? I realize it wasn't a big part of the plot, but it bothers me that it was just left behind. I hate dropped threads.

Short review: Very good start to a series, a fun read with a great plot. Skillfully written, engaging and thoroughly enjoyable. I definitely recommend giving this book a read.

Long review: This book was so good, I'm motivated to go all out and type up a long review. There will be a quiz later, so pay attention. So, anyone who has lived in the south knows you can't rush a good ol' boy telling a great story. You just have to sit back, sip your sweet tea and enjoy the tale, even if you have somewhere else you have to be. That's what this book was like. It's not a slow read, it's an unhurried read. Again, if you've lived in the southern US, you'd know the difference. (I'm a Yankee but I lived in the south for a few years. Good ol'boy stories are always worth the time.)

The author avoided so many of the potholes that make me throw down a book in disgust. (Figuratively, of course. I have a Kindle I love too much to hurl at anything). The characters are quirky and well rounded. I loved Lindsey's eating habits, the "poor excuse for an adult" cereal eating and nacho cheese loving food habits (which I share. Not ashamed.) and her cringeworthy dates. Best of all, none of the characters were the over the top annoying type that's so favored in a lot of cozy mysteries (which turns me off). The setting is beautiful, anyone who's been through North Carolina will enjoy the location porn. There's a hint of romance, which added both humor and some romantical tension and, thankfully NO LOVE TRIANGLE. The primary and secondary mysteries roll languidly though the book, leading you around the twisty mountain roads until you you get to the top and look around. The conclusion was very satisfying, left me wanting to read more without ending with a cliffhanger (I hate that. A good book will draw you in to come back for more without emotionally blackmailing you into getting the next book. This is a good book. If I want emotional blackmail, I'll watch a Sarah McLaughlin ASPCA ad.)

Remember that quiz I promised? It's an essay question: Which date was a bigger disaster? Read the book and decide for yourself.

Kjempegodt!

Just...ok. Interesting stories, but became long winded and tired by the end. Could've done with more of the early stories. Overall, not a bad read but not the hair-raiser I was hoping for.

Not bad for the first in a series, the characters were likeable and the plot was interesting. The only criticism I have is that I didn't connect with the story that much; there wasn't enough there to involve me in the story. But I will read the next book in the series to see if the writing progresses.

More like 2.5 stars. Not bad, but moved too slow and the plot wasn't enough to fuel the story and and the characters were nothing more than faintly interesting filler. I liked Hamish MacBeth though, he's an interesting enough character that the story wasn't a complete wash.

Great story, very well paced. The characters were a bit flat, I found I didn't connect with them all that much.

Spoiler

I thought the whole Duckworth/Kent angle was utterly ridiculous and unnecessary. It didn't add suspense for me, just annoyance. Ditto Nigel's reasons for leaving the college. WTF was so sordid about that?

Overall. an enjoyable start to a new and intereting series.