Review by Ashleycombe -- The 11.05 Murders by Brian O'Hare

Ashleycombe · Post by **Ashleycombe** » 22 Jun 2018, 20:38

[Following is a volunteer review of "The 11.05 Murders" by Brian O'Hare.]

3 out of 4 stars

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The 11:05 Murders, written by Brian O'Hare, was an overall good book for adults. A few strong curse words and lewd scenes would be inappropriate for a younger age group.

The beginning started out strong with its descriptive plot and setting. The character development was descriptive, as well. However, it felt as if each character fit a similar mold. For example, they all fit the stereotype of what society would find "attractive": blonde, tall, thin/muscular, etc. There weren't a lot of "realistic" body types, and when there were, it referred to someone who was found below average. There were many different characters, which was both positive and negative. I liked having a wide variety, but it was also at times difficult to keep track of all of them. Many also had similar names, which made things confusing.

I liked the way how the author described the setting for his book. I was able to visualize the different time of day, what the streets, buildings, and houses must have looked like, etc. There were one or two times where the author added historical facts about the setting. However, one of those times was written at a point that distracted from the intensity of the climax.

The writing style invited me to keep reading, and there were good subplots that kept my interest. Because it was written in third person, it provided multiple insights from more than just one prospective. However, I was sometimes confused about who the main protagonist was because there seemed to be many. Also, at times I felt that as the mystery of the story unfolded, it tended to be repetitive.

As well as having many protagonists, there were also a handful of suspects/antagonists for the intention of mystery/suspense. Although obviously intended, I felt as though there were plot holes where things didn't feel complete. There were story lines that were dropped and questions that were left unanswered. For example, I would think to myself, "Whatever happened to so-in-so?" I also felt that the climax was good and provided suspense, but it was predictable.

As far as editing, it felt as if it may or may not have been done professionally. I only noticed one or two grammatical errors, but the sentences and paragraphs ran long. What could have been simplified was unnecessarily long-winded.

Overall, I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. I believe that many will enjoy this book. It started out strong, but there were a few plot holes, and I felt that it was predictable.

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The 11.05 Murders
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Manang Muyang · Post by **Manang Muyang** » 23 Jun 2018, 17:52

The crime-thriller fanatic that I am, I found this book an exciting read. In fact, I bought the next book in the series, "The Coven Murders." Nonetheless, I do appreciate your comments and personal misgivings.

I hope to read more from you, Ashleycombe! I also wish to exchange posts with you in the forums.