Not What I Was Expecting...Just Rich People Doing What Rich People Do.
When I read the first excerpt, I got a Southern Gothic vibe; a sort of murder mystery with a splash of the fantastical or paranormal. There were mentions of ghosts and other mysterious characters, references of a lost Kingdom that the archaeologist had found, and some shadowy presence that was pulling strings in the background. However, this book is firmly grounded in reality. In fact, without getting into spoilers regarding the Big Reveal (tm) at the end, it may be a little too grounded in reality.
First, the good: This book reads like a good Premium Cable TV show a la True Detective. It is a slow burn, with flashbacks, dream sequences, and other great narrative options that slowly reveals more information about the characters, the history of Savannah, and the plot. If you like shows like that, then this book will be right up your alley. Two of the main characters are very well written, and come from different walks of life, despite being relatives. Sometimes you know more than the characters and it gives you that "No, don't go in there!" vibe multiple times throughout the novel. The juxtaposition between the Old Money in Savannah Society and the homeless population made for a great framing of the story, and the characters that pass between those worlds lead to interesting conversations and relationship dynamics.
Beyond the disappointing grounding in realism, some characters were quite flat or not given much room to shine, such as the first POV character, Stony. Naturally, too much exposition from Stony would have ruined the Big Reveal, but it I would have liked some more exploration of her character in the middle sections of the novel. The same with Galatis. He definitely has more backstory, and I wish we would have learned more about how he ticks. The booked teased a lot about the absent older brother, but he only makes a couple appearances and doesn't have any effect on the plot besides what happened years in the past. The narrative seemed to insinuate he would play a part in the plot, but that never materialized.
The part that I am most conflicted about is the ending. Again, I won't get into spoilers, but the unmasking of the shadowy entity pulling the strings and the subsequent resolution were very mundane. No catharsis, no justice, just rich people doing what rich people do. And, that's great; it illustrates how the Haves move in the world and only the Have Nots pay the consequences. But after a slew of murders, kidnappings, and assorted crimes, you hope for some form of cathartic resolution. Rather, you get one main character trapped in the life they despise, another self-banished from their family, and the third has a "happy" ending, where they are now the token figurehead for the cabal that killed her friend and held her captive for months.
As such, I'm giving this a 3 star review. It may be a great read for the Slow Burn Murder Mystery Crew or those who love books about crime in Southern Society (e.g. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil).
First, the good: This book reads like a good Premium Cable TV show a la True Detective. It is a slow burn, with flashbacks, dream sequences, and other great narrative options that slowly reveals more information about the characters, the history of Savannah, and the plot. If you like shows like that, then this book will be right up your alley. Two of the main characters are very well written, and come from different walks of life, despite being relatives. Sometimes you know more than the characters and it gives you that "No, don't go in there!" vibe multiple times throughout the novel. The juxtaposition between the Old Money in Savannah Society and the homeless population made for a great framing of the story, and the characters that pass between those worlds lead to interesting conversations and relationship dynamics.
Beyond the disappointing grounding in realism, some characters were quite flat or not given much room to shine, such as the first POV character, Stony. Naturally, too much exposition from Stony would have ruined the Big Reveal, but it I would have liked some more exploration of her character in the middle sections of the novel. The same with Galatis. He definitely has more backstory, and I wish we would have learned more about how he ticks. The booked teased a lot about the absent older brother, but he only makes a couple appearances and doesn't have any effect on the plot besides what happened years in the past. The narrative seemed to insinuate he would play a part in the plot, but that never materialized.
The part that I am most conflicted about is the ending. Again, I won't get into spoilers, but the unmasking of the shadowy entity pulling the strings and the subsequent resolution were very mundane. No catharsis, no justice, just rich people doing what rich people do. And, that's great; it illustrates how the Haves move in the world and only the Have Nots pay the consequences. But after a slew of murders, kidnappings, and assorted crimes, you hope for some form of cathartic resolution. Rather, you get one main character trapped in the life they despise, another self-banished from their family, and the third has a "happy" ending, where they are now the token figurehead for the cabal that killed her friend and held her captive for months.
As such, I'm giving this a 3 star review. It may be a great read for the Slow Burn Murder Mystery Crew or those who love books about crime in Southern Society (e.g. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil).