Disappointed, but there were some good aspects

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When will I learn that just because something is compared to Knives Out, it doesn’t mean it will BE Knives Out?

I mean, of course it won’t be the same thing. But I wanted more of the fast paced, exhilarating vibes that I adored in Knives Out and I didn’t find that here.

I was really intrigued by the premise of the book, as well as my initial perspective on the pages I was able to read through BookishFirst. Unfortunately, I found myself struggling to get through my physical copy due to pacing. I was grateful to pick up where I’d left of with an audio copy and that went a lot better for me.

So, yes, that’s my first complaint. The pacing. I knew it was a standard mystery, not an edge of your seat thriller, but I still expected it to be a bit more exciting.

Still, the author offers some profound tidbits throughout the narrative, which I really enjoyed.

Are there some Knives Out vibes? Absolutely. You have a murder that isn’t immediately confirmed as a murder and a bunch of shady characters all in one house. They’re rich, somewhat unlikeable (although character development allows for some nuance), and almost all of them have motives. Rosen puts his own unique spin on the trope but making this a house where gay people can be themselves in 1952. It’s enticing enough, for sure, but not wholly compelling.

The unfortunate thing is that I don’t think you need to be a detective to know where to point your finger. The murderer was rather obvious, just as the little twist at the end was. That certainly doesn’t make for a worthless story but since I wasn’t terribly excited by the book at any point, it does make a statement about my enjoyment of the tale.

This was the second time I’d been duped by the Knives Out claim, although this was actually more enjoyable for me than the other book with that comparison. That’s a positive! I’ll probably give Rosen’s YA books a shot at some point since I did enjoy his writing style.

I am immensely grateful to Forge Books, BookishFirst, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for my review copies. All opinions are my own.