kalventure
Written on Jul 19, 2018
"Blackheath seems fertile ground for tragedy."Turton managed to create an amazing and contained environment for this story to take place, and his writing is vivid in its descriptions of Blackheath and the people inhabiting it that I feel like I could walk the grounds myself. The atmospheric writing gripped from the first lines to the very last and even managed to make me feel the emotions of the main character.
While this is certainly a mind trip and not a cozy mystery read, the writing is solid and the MC's voice at times has this sarcastic humor that I just couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"I hadn't previously made the connection between [redacted for spoilers], probably because it's easier to imagine him being delivered onto this earth by a biblical plague."The was definitely a 5-star plot for me, but in execution I have it at 4 stars. It took some time and patience to settle into the narrative style, and I think some people will struggle. Just keep in mind that this isn't a light, cozy mystery.
Blackheath is a place where everyone wears a mask and no one is who they seem. This book has the feelings of the movies Groundhog's Day and Memento mixed with an Agatha Christie novel. Paying close attention will pay dividends. While I guessed a couple of the reveals due to my pick-apart-everything nature, even I was thrown a couple of curveballs... and I love to be surprised, especially when it is done well.
I love how everything tied up nicely in the end (no loose ends that I noticed) and I think this is a book that would get better with re-reading. Turton managed an inventive, complex, and mesmerizing book for his debut and I look forward to reading his future publications. I highly recommend this book to fans of mysteries, but be prepared to be highly engaged in a web where answers come long before you think to ask the questions. I don't think this will be for everyone, but this is an absolute gem for the right people.
Many thanks to the publisher for providing me an electronic advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
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