Member Review
Review by
Adriana G, Reviewer
Anneke Van Helsing works with the police to solve murders by using the latest forensic and investigatory techniques. It's a passion that was born from seeing her father murdered and never being able to find the beautiful woman she saw standing over his corpse. When a trail of grizzly murders leaves victims all over Europe, Anneke puts together a team of detectives to catch the killer she's convinced is the same woman; a woman who sends her coy letters signed Diavola. But the closer she gets to catching this devil, the clearer it becomes that there's more to the story than anyone could have imagined.
I had to really think about how I felt about this book. On the one hand, its world is fascinating, and I loved some of the twists that White incorporates into classic stories and real-life facts. On the other, it sometimes veers a little too close to melodrama. Yes, let the characters feel their emotions, but don't let that overpower the fascinating case they're working on. The focus on those moments sometimes felt like a bump in the story instead of a way to enhance it. It does have a reason for being this way that gets explained towards the end of the book, but I did spend most of it thinking that way too much emphasis was being put on these extreme feelings.
Anneke is a fascinating character with a complex set of feelings towards her parents, which are a big part of how she makes decisions and faces things. The one aspect where she seems to leave reason behind and go on emotions is Diavola, but Diavola is so full of mysteries that it's easy to understand a desire to uncover all her secrets. And Anneke works hard for every piece of the complicated puzzles that are Diavola and her parents' pasts. It's a very complex web that shows White's impressive ability to keep track of every little thread she introduces into the plot and either closing the thread or showing that there was a reason it was mentioned.
It's a good book overall, but it just didn't hit the right mark with me.
Happy thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey|Inklore for the intriguing read!
I had to really think about how I felt about this book. On the one hand, its world is fascinating, and I loved some of the twists that White incorporates into classic stories and real-life facts. On the other, it sometimes veers a little too close to melodrama. Yes, let the characters feel their emotions, but don't let that overpower the fascinating case they're working on. The focus on those moments sometimes felt like a bump in the story instead of a way to enhance it. It does have a reason for being this way that gets explained towards the end of the book, but I did spend most of it thinking that way too much emphasis was being put on these extreme feelings.
Anneke is a fascinating character with a complex set of feelings towards her parents, which are a big part of how she makes decisions and faces things. The one aspect where she seems to leave reason behind and go on emotions is Diavola, but Diavola is so full of mysteries that it's easy to understand a desire to uncover all her secrets. And Anneke works hard for every piece of the complicated puzzles that are Diavola and her parents' pasts. It's a very complex web that shows White's impressive ability to keep track of every little thread she introduces into the plot and either closing the thread or showing that there was a reason it was mentioned.
It's a good book overall, but it just didn't hit the right mark with me.
Happy thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey|Inklore for the intriguing read!
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