Author: Ermisenda Alvarez
Genre: Mystery/Historical
Length: 258 Pages (Kindle)
Publication: August 2013
My Rating: 2/5 Stars
I received a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis
The Diamond Royale is a cruise ship bound for New York. When Helen Gardener is murdered aboard the ship and her murderer is unknown a search for the killer begins. The story follows seven different individuals as their lives are changed in various ways through the events of this cruise. Each of the seven must face their own demons and come to terms with who they truly are.
Review
This novel sounded really interesting. I really wanted to like it. I just couldn't. I didn't even end up finishing the entire novel. I just skimmed through the last half or so. What started as a promising story quickly went downhill for me.
I found the writing enjoyable and easy to follow, but the characters were what turned me away. I usually enjoy novels that are split between multiple perspectives, but I found this one hard to follow. It took me a long time to figure out who everyone was with the constant changing of perspective. And even when I knew who they characters were, I didn't like any of them.
I understood going into the novel that all of the characters were greatly flawed and I was fine with that. Flaws are what makes us human. Having flawed characters is what allows us to relate to them in the first place. I just found that none of these characters were relatable. I'm sure there are many people who enjoyed their story, but I didn't find myself drawn to any of them.
The mystery itself was interesting and something I think I would have enjoyed ordinarily. Again, it comes back to the characters. The murder mystery on a cruise ship in the 1950s was an interesting idea, I just couldn't connect with anyone involved. I found that the more I read, the less I liked the characters and the more I just didn't care about the mystery.
Overall I think the story had many interesting aspects and I'm sure many readers would enjoy the novel. It was well written. Not overly compelling, but easy to follow. The mystery was well played out and I found the conclusion satisfying based on what I read (I only skimmed the last half). I was never drawn to any of the characters and that is where my enjoyment fell short. I need to connect with at least one main character to enjoy a novel and this one just didn't have anyone I could connect with.
Happy Reading!
Courtney
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