Review of All Body Bags and No Knickers
Posted: 28 Aug 2024, 11:35
[Following is a volunteer review of "All Body Bags and No Knickers" by Shawe Ruckus.]
I’m not going to lie, when looking for a book to read this ones humorous title caught my attention and the synopsis held it. "All Body Bags and No Knickers," the third book in Shawe Ruckus’s *Mercenaries in Suits* series, tries to mix mystery with cultural exploration and a focus on characters, but it doesn’t quite hit the mark.
The story takes place in both London and China, following newlyweds Catherine Roxborough and Chance Yang on their honeymoon. Their trip soon turns into a journey filled with family secrets and a mysterious, unsolved murder. The book starts off strong with a mysterious note and a hint of dark secrets, but as the story goes on, it gets bogged down in too many cultural details and long conversations, which take away from the main mystery.
One of the best parts of the book is its detailed look at Chinese traditions, customs, and folklore. The author clearly put a lot of effort into making these aspects of the story feel authentic. However, this focus on cultural details often feels more like a travel guide than a mystery novel. The constant descriptions of food, places, and social interactions end up overshadowing the murder mystery, which doesn’t really pick up until later in the book.
The characters are diverse, but many of them don’t get the development they need. Several characters introduced early on seem to disappear without much impact on the story, leaving readers wondering why they were included. The main characters, Catherine and Chance, are likable, but their relationship often takes a back seat to the many other characters and the excessive dialogue.
The book’s pacing is uneven—slow in the beginning and then suddenly rushed towards the end. This makes the ending feel hurried and unclear, and the mystery that started off with promise ends up being underwhelming.
While *All Body Bags and No Knickers* does a great job of immersing readers in Chinese culture, it struggles to keep up the suspense and excitement of a good mystery. People who enjoy learning about different cultures and character-driven stories might find it interesting, but those looking for a thrilling mystery may be left wanting more.
In summary, the book is an interesting attempt to blend different genres, but it falls short in some areas. It earns three out of five stars for its strong cultural depiction and character interactions, but its pacing and plot execution could use some improvement. While well edited this book needs a pacing editor to bring it up to a four or five star read.
******
All Body Bags and No Knickers
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
I’m not going to lie, when looking for a book to read this ones humorous title caught my attention and the synopsis held it. "All Body Bags and No Knickers," the third book in Shawe Ruckus’s *Mercenaries in Suits* series, tries to mix mystery with cultural exploration and a focus on characters, but it doesn’t quite hit the mark.
The story takes place in both London and China, following newlyweds Catherine Roxborough and Chance Yang on their honeymoon. Their trip soon turns into a journey filled with family secrets and a mysterious, unsolved murder. The book starts off strong with a mysterious note and a hint of dark secrets, but as the story goes on, it gets bogged down in too many cultural details and long conversations, which take away from the main mystery.
One of the best parts of the book is its detailed look at Chinese traditions, customs, and folklore. The author clearly put a lot of effort into making these aspects of the story feel authentic. However, this focus on cultural details often feels more like a travel guide than a mystery novel. The constant descriptions of food, places, and social interactions end up overshadowing the murder mystery, which doesn’t really pick up until later in the book.
The characters are diverse, but many of them don’t get the development they need. Several characters introduced early on seem to disappear without much impact on the story, leaving readers wondering why they were included. The main characters, Catherine and Chance, are likable, but their relationship often takes a back seat to the many other characters and the excessive dialogue.
The book’s pacing is uneven—slow in the beginning and then suddenly rushed towards the end. This makes the ending feel hurried and unclear, and the mystery that started off with promise ends up being underwhelming.
While *All Body Bags and No Knickers* does a great job of immersing readers in Chinese culture, it struggles to keep up the suspense and excitement of a good mystery. People who enjoy learning about different cultures and character-driven stories might find it interesting, but those looking for a thrilling mystery may be left wanting more.
In summary, the book is an interesting attempt to blend different genres, but it falls short in some areas. It earns three out of five stars for its strong cultural depiction and character interactions, but its pacing and plot execution could use some improvement. While well edited this book needs a pacing editor to bring it up to a four or five star read.
******
All Body Bags and No Knickers
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon