End of Story

Way too all over the place. The concept normally would be a great pick for me but this was just too confusing, everyone read the same and it strangely switches character POVs. Would be much more enjoyable if there was a layout of who the characters were at the beginning. 

https://open.substack.com/pub/davidsines/p/end-of-storybook-review?r=1yhj5f&utm_medium=ios

Parts of this book were fantastic; parts were too long and muddled. POV was not always clear and at times, there were just too many characters to keep track of. That said, it also read nothing like (in either over-all style or voice) Finn's first book, almost as though it was written by someone else. I enjoyed the first half more than the second; perhaps it was just writer fatigue because I did think the last 100 pages were a slog to get through, while the first 100 kept me enthralled. It won't be for everyone, that's for sure, but I am glad I read it and there are passages that will stick with me. Plot-wise, it took me quite a while to catch the clues - I would have liked more of Sebastian, less of Madelaine but that's just me. If you enjoy intricate plots and spooky old mansions and a wide cast of possibly shady characters, this one should be on your list,

Honestly the mystery wrapped up really nicely with nothing coming out of thin air and yet I didn't figure basically any of it out. A very satisfying mystery with what I think is a well-handled “trans!” twist that doesn't belittle the character, reduce her to the twist, or treat her as abnormal. But I'm an outsider there as a cis dude so maybe I'm off base.

2,5

Tästä kirjasta jäi hieman sekavat ajatukset. Alku lähti hitaasti liikkeelle, ja minun oli vaikea välillä pysyä juonessa mukana. Hahmot eivät olleet tarpeeksi kiinnostavia, että olisin voinut tarttua heihin oikeastaan mitenkään. Puolen välin jälkeen alkoi tapahtumat rullata hieman uudella tavalla, mutta kiinnostukseni ei silti päässyt niihin mukaan. Lopun käänne kiinnosti, muttei juurikaan hetkauttanut.

Kirja oli kuitenkin kirjoitettu hyvin, se oli varmaan yksi iso syy, miksi jatkoin tarinan kuuntelua.

End of Story is a cleverly crafted, well written book, but fair warning, there are a lot of characters and it's plot is complicated.
The story is slow moving to start with, but once we get to the heart of it, it moves at a steady pace.
There are many twists and, a surprising revelation towards the end.
Despite the slow start I enjoyed this book immensely. It was obvious from the onset that all of the characters had something to hide, which added to the intrigue.
End of Story is reminiscent of those classic crime stories by authors such as Agatha Christie and Dorothy L Sayers, but set in the present day. There are many references to, and quotes from, the Sherlock Holmes series of books. Unsurprising, as one of the main characters has written a series of books about a detective in the London of the early 1900's.
Many thanks to HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction and Netgalley for the digital ARC.