Book “I have some questions for you” question (no spoilers)

[Anonymous]

It’s a DNF for me. Great Believers is one of my favorite books, so this was a disappointment for me. And The Borrower, oh my. That should have been a DNF. I’m done with her.

[Anonymous]

Huh. I just finished this book and loved it. Was one of my favorite mysteries.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Huh. I just finished this book and loved it. Was one of my favorite mysteries.

What part was the mystery exactly? Nothing was solved. It was just a story.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Huh. I just finished this book and loved it. Was one of my favorite mysteries.

What part was the mystery exactly? Nothing was solved. It was just a story.

I think it answered who killed the girl (albeit with some degree of uncertainty). But that’s because it’s based on a true crime podcast. I enjoyed that aspect—in real life, in many cases, you never really know for sure. Who’s guilty is simply who’s guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, according the jury. And here, the reader is basically the jury.

Granted, in most mysteries you are rewarded with a completely unrealistic scene where the criminal confesses to everything (just to show off), or the plucky one legged detective finds a mountain of body parts in the killer’s murder den. But this book is about putting together a ton of circumstantial evidence to surmise the most likely murderer.

Anyway, I read it in 2 days and was surprised to see all the hate on here. I enjoyed that I could participate in this made-up “true crime” without being some nutter on Reddit or getting yelled at online for not believing women (or whatever the case may be). It felt very of the moment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Me too. So disappointing after The Great Believers, too.

Agree with this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Me too. So disappointing after The Great Believers, too.

Agree with this.

I liked it a lot—but I read so many comments like this I sought out The Great Believers and read that to see what I was missing and you are right that it is way better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Huh. I just finished this book and loved it. Was one of my favorite mysteries.

What part was the mystery exactly? Nothing was solved. It was just a story.

I think it answered who killed the girl (albeit with some degree of uncertainty). But that’s because it’s based on a true crime podcast. I enjoyed that aspect—in real life, in many cases, you never really know for sure. Who’s guilty is simply who’s guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, according the jury. And here, the reader is basically the jury.

Granted, in most mysteries you are rewarded with a completely unrealistic scene where the criminal confesses to everything (just to show off), or the plucky one legged detective finds a mountain of body parts in the killer’s murder den. But this book is about putting together a ton of circumstantial evidence to surmise the most likely murderer.

Anyway, I read it in 2 days and was surprised to see all the hate on here. I enjoyed that I could participate in this made-up “true crime” without being some nutter on Reddit or getting yelled at online for not believing women (or whatever the case may be). It felt very of the moment.

One reason I like fiction is because at the end you get the answer. If I wanted uncertainty, I’d read true crime. The ambiguous ending is such a cop out. Authors need to do finish their stories!