Undermined

1.5 Stars, Rounded Up

I liked the concept of this, but I didn't much care for the execution - which, I fear, is becoming something of a common thought for my reading experiences. This book in particular felt like watching a televised crime drama: interesting enough to half-pay attention, but mostly forgettable and full of obnoxious characters and tropes. And, yes, that does mean it includes the obligatory reference to rape (in the past, off-page, happening to an unnamed character as part of furthering a named character's plot); it just wouldn't be a crime drama experience without such a thing.

Speaking of that, by the way: this very much doesn't read like a mystery, despite being sold as one. Yes, there's an underlying need to discover who committed the crime, but there's no involvement of the reader's wits. There's no trail of clues to follow. Much like a televised crime drama, the culprit is more or less obvious from the beginning and the investigations are there to provide red herrings and/or entertain rather than to provide clues which might lead the reader to solving a mystery. And, of course, the final few minutes feature the actual perpetrator going guano in highly dramatic fashion. (I wouldn't say that's a terrible thing, necessarily. It's often entertaining on television and it gave me a good chuckle at just how absurd the situation was in writing, so I didn't hate it.)

Also on the list of things I didn't hate: the locations. Part of why I chose this book, aside from being a bit interested by the premise, was the setting. Wales is one of my bucket list destinations, mainly due to the gorgeous landscapes, so I was hoping to see lush descriptions of scenery and deeper exploration of locales. While I can't say I feel like I got enough of the former (or any of the latter), I will say that the couple of times the book describes scenery it does so in a way which paints beautiful mental imagery.

But that's kind of the best part, here. And a couple of moments spent describing beautiful scenery does not a good book make - unless, of course, you're writing a very short book on geography or travel.

This isn't one of those, obviously. No, it's a tale of murder investigation, family, troubled pasts, small town communities, infidelity, bigotry, religious zealotry, equal rights, impulse decisions, rushed relationships... I could go on, but I've already lost my train of thought. The point is that there's far too much packed into such a short page count, to the detriment of the story. Every time something starts to get interesting, the scene ends. Often, bits and pieces with potential are tossed to the wayside or only vaguely referenced. The supposed twin intuition between Daniel and Megan is set up as if it'll be something creepy and cool, but it barely has any functional relevance. There's absolutely no trajectory for the relationship: it just doesn't exist, then it does, then it doesn't, then it does again. The book just didn't provide enough space to properly handle everything the story needed and as such it didn't feel logical, sane, or complete.

Also, I hated Maldwyn Kent, the love interest who spent roughly half the book making me want to reach through the (digital) pages and slap him for being such a jerkwad. Y'know, when he wasn't busy being suddenly warm and friendly for random bursts in what felt like - but, luckily, wasn't - a horribly insensitive portrayal of “bipolar disorder” from every crappy made-for-TV movie ever. His personality reminded me a bit of Edward Cullen from Twilight, except he's a grown man in a position of power and I don't have teenage nostalgia wrapped around his existence to keep me from being disgusted by the way he behaved. Daniel had to walk on eggshells around Kent for fear that he'd be treated like trash during a sudden mood swing. Much of the glimpses into his thoughts while they were together involved worrying about making Kent standoffish again.

Protip: when someone's unnecessarily cruel with no apology, suddenly kind and even flirting out of the blue, then once again cruel the second you stop kissing their backside? Stay as far away as possible because they're not someone you should get attached to or allow into your life more than necessary (such as for work, in this case). Second Protip: if you feel required to call your love interest (with whom you do not have any kind of BDSM based dynamic) ‘sir' while in private because he's suddenly gone cold and grouchy on you again, you are in an extremely unhealthy situation from which you need to extract yourself immediately. And finally: maybe just don't hook up with the rude guy you're only acquainted with through your work as a police officer. I would like to present this pamphlet of tips for preservation of mental health and occupational security to Daniel Owen, Chief of Fools, posthaste.

Oh, and Kent's reason for treating Daniel like trash? Well, see, he thought maybe this guy he still ended up choosing to do the naughty horizontal tango with was just sent down to foil his investigation and discredit him... because he's gone and rocked the boat by insisting a bad cop in his precinct face punishment for their crimes. That alone is so cliche it hurts, but it gets worse. Said misbehaving policeman was caught on video raping a detained male prostitute, who ultimately ended up committing suicide. And, of course, everyone except Kent wants to let the sicko get away with it because blah, blah, loyalty, blah stress, blah. No. I just... no, for so many reasons. Perhaps this could have explained his initial coldness, but I don't believe Kent should be excused so easily for continuing to be the southward end of a donkey with diarrhoea after he'd slept with and forged a semi-romantic connection to this guy he was allegedly worried might have been sent to discredit his investigative work.

This and Daniel's ridiculous “he treats me like human garbage but wow he's so hot” mentality - lifted straight from every het romance heroine in the history of het romance - led to an incredibly unbelievable romance. Pair that with awkwardly selective self-loathing from Daniel, and a convoluted murder mystery, and it's a very mediocre story. Add the abundance of editing issues - many of which impede readability - and it's a subpar story full of wasted potential.

Now, the murder case did hold my interest, if only vaguely. And I did like some of the side characters quite a bit. I just... didn't really like the book overall. I don't think my brain meshes well with the writing style, and I definitely have no interest in seeing more of this couple with no chemistry. So I'm not going to continue the series.