The Ferryman

The Ferryman

2023 • 560 pages

Ratings94

Average rating4

15

Tough one, this. As always with Cronin, it's very readable, with fleshed out characters and an intrigue pulls you through the pages as if they were nothing. But the whole thing hinges on a revelation about three quarters of the way through....and that twist just didn't work for me. It's technically clever, and it illuminates some of the choices made around writing style earlier in the book and answers the niggles I had in those scenes, but emotionally and intellectually it just made me shrug. It would be the most heinous act of spoilerdom to say any more of course, but I was deflated and reminded of other books with similar premises afterwards. If it clicks for you then great, you're going to love this one, but it feels like a missed opportunity to me. A 2.5 I think, rounded up to 3 for the good times.

April 30, 2023