I've said it before and I will say it again, I adore a mystery; and this one is a cracking one. The opening scene, set in a churchyard, is instantly gripping and really sets of the story from the outset. I must admit that this opening scene is a little confusing to begin with, however stick it out because all becomes clear in the end.Throughout the book there are sections depicting sections from books about taxidermy which are really interesting unique sections to add and increase the level of errieness that surrounds the story, in addition to adding more detail to description included in the main body of the story. It is clear to see the amount of work that went into the research for this book and it really pays off; the characters are incredibly believable.
As I've said before the story is a little confusing but I feel this is understandable due to the nature of mystery stories, however many of the characters are are little similar and quickly dissappear. That being said I find the characters full of depth, in particular Connie, as well as being likeable. My only real issue with the characterisation is that of Joseph who seems to swiftly swap in personality, however again this is me being pernickety. I would have been interested to read more about certain back stories of some characters, for example Davey, but with so many characters it is impossible to explain everybody fully and I like the added questions this lends to the story; even after it has finished.
This book was good, not incredible,but worth a read if you're interested in crime and mystery. On, interested is a little predictable, but the interesting setting of fish borne and the time it was set add more to a straight forward mystery story.There are a few little twists that are really great and elevate the book higher, however I would have liked to have seen a little more surprise and less coincidence. A few moments are a tad unrealistic and spoil an otherwise good read.
