This was my first foray into to the written world of Jane Tennison. I loved the tv series starring Helen Mirren, so my hopes were high for this book. Unfortunately, it failed to deliver the engrossing mystery I was hoping for.
Although the writing style was pithy and unsentimental, I found the plot to be rather convoluted and hard to follow. The suspense of the murder mystery itself was often interrupted to focus on side plots and characters of little importance. Of the characters themselves, only Jane was memorable and interesting.
I also believe that the author made a few problematic choices. Certain characters, such as the fat sex worker and the Muslim family, were portrayed in an offensive and stereotypical manner. The ignorant time in which the story was set does not excuse the author from choosing to write such disrespectful representation of marginalized people.
Thank you BookishFirst and Bonnier Zaffre for the ARC of this book.
Although the writing style was pithy and unsentimental, I found the plot to be rather convoluted and hard to follow. The suspense of the murder mystery itself was often interrupted to focus on side plots and characters of little importance. Of the characters themselves, only Jane was memorable and interesting.
I also believe that the author made a few problematic choices. Certain characters, such as the fat sex worker and the Muslim family, were portrayed in an offensive and stereotypical manner. The ignorant time in which the story was set does not excuse the author from choosing to write such disrespectful representation of marginalized people.
Thank you BookishFirst and Bonnier Zaffre for the ARC of this book.