I REALLY enjoyed this! Although I am going to give some 'even better if' opinions here, I genuinely did enjoy it... It was a slow, and detailed read with careful plotting obviously carried out by Hunter. I can only imagine the planning than went into it...
I did have a few issues with my Kindle Paperwhite (as other readers have mentioned too) but it was fine on the Kindle app – so that's a tip for anyone wanting to read it digitally.
The use of a ‘script’ for the TV show format of the book, I think is effective. Perhaps I am biased having used a script for a murder mystery event in between the main prose for my dissertation of my MA with the OU.
Sometimes when I am deep into the action of a book, I find the descriptions of a mountain/the sea etc a distraction and I end up skimming through to get to the juicy parts - this happened in particular with the climax of Lucy Clarke's One Of The Girls. Whereas, that doesn't happen here as all that is included is needed and this, for me, was a strength. Any description or things the reader needs to know either comes up within the speech or as italics (as sort of stage direction) in between the speech in an omniscient style.
I also really like the inclusion of newspaper cuttings and text messages. I wasn’t so keen on the TV review page that was before each new chapter as I felt it summarised what I had read then made predictions of what might come next. This could be useful for readers who find it difficult to retain all the information (there is lots) but I am not sure about the exposition uses.
I DID, however, struggle to remember everything and flicked forward and back (I actually wish I had read it as a paperback) and sometimes struggled to recall which of the specialists was what/who. Although, for some reason, I remembered Laila – maybe as she is the only female on the specialist team.
The interactions between them work well, and the way that the story/what happens unfolds is also effective once you have remembered who, what, why, when and where. I suppose I can see WHY the TV recaps were included as so much happens…and is it too much? Possibly, yes.
I totally forgot some of the family links and 'who was who' the more other people get involved (you will see what I mean on reading, I’m sure) and the inclusion of a page of family trees/links/bios would have been useful.
Just as you think you are onto something (along with the detectives) then something changes the course and the story takes a different direction – this is more effective nearer the end than the red herrings in the middle that started to frustrate me.
It was also interesting to know that there was likely to be an imposter within the team – from the hints given and this made it more important to know who was who in my opinion.
But, did I still love it overall? Yes. Did I guess who was guilty? Yes – but only right at the very end point! So, not really… It was very well hidden and a great twist.
For previous book reviews (as I then put these onto Amazon) I have given all my other post books five stars. This one will be a four for the flaws that I have mentioned. It’s still GREAT though and VERY worth a read.
I want to say that even though I know the outcome of the book, I am pleased that it’s being made into a TV show, although the unique aspect and presentation of the book will then be lost, potentially.
I enjoyed its originality of concept, and hopefully one of many that will pop up like this (my own work included). But, I think I am looking forward to the TV show more than I have with other adaptations as I think it will SHOW characters and this should mean it's easier to follow. Sometimes I avoid books as a TV show (T.M. Logan’s The Holiday on C5 I didn’t watch as I knew and loved the book) but this one, is something I am really looking forward to!
Available at: Murder in the Family: The #7 Sunday Times... by Hunter, Cara (amazon.co.uk)
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