November DNFs
WRECK THE HALLS by Sarah Graves
Where did I stop reading? 17.5% in
Why? The storytelling was all over the place. It was a struggle to keep my attention for the 50ish pages I did read, let alone trying to get through the rest of the book. There’s a lot of exposition for the fifth book in the series. As a reader who’s jumping into it at this point I don’t mind some to set the stage, but these were just constant wandering tangents to the point where I kept losing the plot. The opening was strong, but it just got watered down with all of this superfluous detail that really dissolved any tension or suspense the story could have had.
MURDER MOST FESTIVE by Ada Moncrieff
Where did I stop reading? 19% in
Why? I wasn’t really digging the voice. It’s a throwback to the golden era (age?) of mystery, like Agatha Christie, and it hit a little too on the nose for me. The characters were a little too over the top, the fourth wall breaks were a little too insistent, and I just wasn’t liking the execution of it all. It was very aware of the kind of book it was and it wanted you to make sure it knew that.
REST YE MURDERED GENTLEMEN by Vicki Delany
Where did I stop reading? 28% in
Why? I was honestly surprised by how negative and catty this book was. Merry is an incredibly unlikable character who has a snide opinion about everyone, focuses way too much on looks, and is a bit too obsessed with making the most money as humanly possible out of Christmas. There’s a weird catty high school rival that just gives townie vibes for both Merry and the “antagonist” that I found off-putting. Then there’s the mild neglect and disinterest in her own dog. Merry’s head is a rough place to be and I didn’t want to be in it anymore.
MURDER UNDER THE CHRISTMAS TREE, edited by Cecily Gayford
Where did I stop reading? 31% in
Why? I’ve now learned that this more “classic” mystery voice is just not something I can take in doses larger than maybe one book a year. I get why people like it, but it’s just not for me. I’m also not a fan of the storytelling style where two people sit around and recount a story instead of the story actively happening. I’ve also learned that Sherlock Holmes is less of a highly intelligent man and more of someone who has the ego to speak confidently about anything, and people will believe him and not question him. Kind of takes the wind out of the sails on a Holmes story when you realize that.
