The Maid's Diary

I don't read mysteries very often, so maybe I'm easily impressed, but I really enjoyed this one.

I found this book very confusing, and only grew more so by the twist. It was hard to keep characters straight so it was hard for me to really enjoy it. 

All I can say is GOOD FOR HER

In modern mysteries, there seems to be a tendency to switch perspectives, to have two timelines and sometimes there are jumps in time. Now imagine an author who tries to be so modern that they make their book feature several a) timelines, sometimes colliding with each other, b) chapters from alternating points of view (some unexplained for a long time), c) jumps in time, d) features a non-linear narrative, and, what annoys me the most, e) an unreliable narrator.In the beginning, I was determined to immerse myself in all of it and thought about how fascinating it is that Loreth Anne White commands a broad spectrum of narrative styles. With more time spent “in” the novel, it became too much, though: The constant switching between both narrated time and perspectives became annoying. The jumps in time became increasingly confusing and don't get me started on the colliding timelines that occur near the end.There were also a lot of red herrings and wilful obfuscation by the narrator who we have good reason to suspect is actually reliable for most of the book - until the whole perspective shifts. Even those twists, though, weren't very well executed and, in many cases, not very surprising. I guessed the most important twist long before it occurred and, thus, read what happened with great detachment. The entire mystery is also very complicated and the lengths to which a certain character goes to achieve their goals is both implausible and highly unrealistic. It's a slightly more subtle and less violent revenge fantasy than a Charles Bronson film. It didn't help either that I didn't like any single character at all. I rooted for none, despised most and was able to tolerate three characters.Three stars out of five.Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam

My second read from Loreth Anne White did not disappoint! This was a group read I did with my friends and let me tell you ... was it a WILD ride.

The story is about a maid named Kit who ends up cleaning the home of someone from her past. Not long after, the cops are called to another house late at night because the elderly next door neighbor heard a scream. The detective comes up to a murder scene and begins chasing down answers as to who was at the house that night, who's body was thrown into the water, and who saw it happen.

There are twists and turns at every chapter, even up until the last page and I am here for it! Loreth is extremely detailed in her books so I was keeping notes along the way, trying to figure it out before the end. Once again, I couldn't do it. I highly recommend this thrilling read if you're looking for a book you just can't put down.

***Trigger warnings include: S/A