by Benjamin Stevenson

A Mystery/Thriller, 2022 by Mariner, 371 Pages

What I Didn’t Like:

There are a lot of characters to keep track of in this one. The author does a decent job of reminding you who people are, but there are a few who will pop up later in the book and have you struggling to remember.
This is sort of a slow-burn mystery, which won’t appeal to everyone. If you like your mysteries fast, psychological, and dark … this isn’t that kind of story. Call that a content warning, if you like.
Speaking of content warnings: death, drug use, and suicide.

Hilarious. Between the asides, the digs at authors who follow certain patterns, the sarcasm, and the dry humor this one had me laughing entirely too often for a book about murders.
The small changes to the audiobook ensure that listeners get the same experience as readers. I was fortunate enough to have both and compare! Don’t worry, they’re minor things (like referencing yanking a headphone out instead of throwing the book).
The mystery plays out with lots of little details being important (no spoilers) in the method of Agatha Christie or other such authors. Multiple references are made to the golden age of murder and this does that justice.
The book definitely has read-this-one-again vibes. Of course, I’ve only read it once so I can’t be sure, but I’m betting you’d pick up things you missed the second time around.

Readers who like softer mysteries that are not full of psychological damage or dark twists.

Really the title and the opening made the vibe clear and the story keeps to that vibe.