Welcome to May, everyone! Time truly flies, and at least for us, the weather is not what we were quite expecting yet. That is no problem though, because we have our usual series of anticipated reads to share for this upcoming month! I have attached the goodreads links for your convenience as per usual. Looks like there are certainly some interesting ones coming up this month—without further ado, let’s get to the line-up!
A juicy mystery of jealousy, love, and betrayal set on a Semester at Sea-inspired cruise ship, with a diverse cast of delightfully suspicious characters who’ll leave you guessing with every jaw-dropping twist.
After being jilted by her ex-boyfriend and best friend, Jade couldn’t be more ready to embark on the adventure of a lifetime—11 countries in 4 months, all from the luxurious Campus on Board ship—and to wedge an entire globe between her and the people who broke her heart.
But when Jade discovers the backstabbing couple are also setting sail, her obsession with them grows and festers, leading to a shocking murder. And as their friends begin to drop like flies, Jade and her new crush must race to clear her name and find the killer they’re trapped at sea with….before anyone else winds up in body bags.
Perfect for readers of Natalie D. Richards, E. Lockhart, and Karen McManus!
Overall Recommendation:
Lying in the Deep mostly delivers on what it promises: a tense mystery stuck on a ship with a killer. However, how it reaches the ending was not as unpredictable or compelling as I had hoped, especially with a protagonist I wasn’t sure I liked half the time. Perhaps I read too many mysteries or I’m starting to guess the out of the box scenarios far too often, but there was just something missing here that prevented me from loving it.
**Lying in the Deep comes out May 2, 2023**
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this copy in exchange for an honest review
I’m starting to believe that I read far too many mysteries to be surprised by “twist” endings. Or perhaps I just think along the same lines as Diana Urban after reading all of her thrillers published so far.
Lying in the Deep advertises itself as a fast-paced, harrowing search for a killer onboard as time runs out before possibly more bodies drop. Everyone is a suspect, perhaps even the protagonist herself. I mean, unreliable narrators are a thing these days, right?
On paper, this book has everything going for it that would lead to a deep seated love for it. Travel? Check. Dead body mystery? Check. Some romance that may or may not be relevant but is still fun to have in a story? Check. Those are all great things that I enjoy. But execution connecting these elements are just as important.
The synopsis and prologue tells you quite early on what the mystery is and who is the one found dead. Unfortunately, it’s not until almost 50% of the way into the book that we get to this point of finding a dead body. For literally the first half of the book, we are getting the opportunity to “get to know all of the suspects onboard”. I understand the importance of setting the scene with a handful of newcomers who all may have a (hidden) motive against the person who ends up dying. But 50% of the book just seems largely too long for that.
It’s also not helpful that I found our protagonist, Jade, not super likable. While I empathize with her situation against her ex best friend and ex-boyfriend, this girl fantasizes far too much about killing them. When her new crush, Felix, comments about her propensity to wake up and choose violence, it’s not entirely untrue. She gives me “unreliable protagonist” vibes. I wondered half the time if the information we are getting about the situation that led to her breakup with the two closest people in her life was missing important details.
Once the mystery does get underway, it felt rushed. Unlike others who have read this book early, I couldn’t get into the tense atmosphere so easily. Yes, there were plenty of suspects onboard but I never felt Jade was in true danger as she ran headlong into solving the mystery herself. Any tense feelings came from the countdown to solve the mystery before the boat made port and all the evidence would be handed over to the local authorities.
For the romance, I understand the chemistry between Jade and Felix but it’s kind of hard to root for a couple when he is also technically a suspect. I also felt the feelings they developed for one another was rather fast. The situations between them were not many prior to the events leading to the murder, plus Jade was mostly preoccupied with her ex whom she still harbored complicated feelings for. I didn’t dislike their romance, but I wouldn’t say I shipped it (ha ha).
The main thing that makes this mystery stand out from others in its genre is the Campus on Board setting. I really did enjoy this. A little bit of travel descriptions were even included for London and Lisbon which makes me crave travelling all the more. I didn’t expect such detailed touristy scenes set in these cities – I thought everything was mostly focused on their time on the boat – so I thoroughly enjoyed seeing these European locales through their eyes. It makes me wish I could’ve done schooling in such a way. You’re never too old to continue learning.
As with all mysteries, I don’t want to say too much about the ending, but I will say that it wasn’t as unpredictable (to me at least) as it seemed. I think I guessed the twist all along but was hoping to be proved wrong. It will shock some people, but I unfortunately was unable to enjoy it in such a manner. If you don’t manage to guess how it all ends, I think it makes the mediocre journey to the ending worthwhile nonetheless. I will always applaud Diana Urban’s out of left field endings, though I have come to expect them. Whether the journey to the end is important to you, or the ending and its twists trump all, Lying in the Deep does offer something unique to readers, even if it isn’t the mystery.
Aria @ Book Nook Bits is the new host for Let’s Talk Bookish! If you aren’t following her yet, good check out her blog and give her a follow!
April 21: Buying More Books than You Can Read (Laura @ Life Love Read)
Prompts: Do you buy a lot of books? Do you read all of the books you buy right away? Or do you buy more books than you can read? How do you choose which books you buy?
Welcome to another week of LTB here at DTRH, everyone! The weather has been a rollercoaster recently but I think spring is coming…kind of. Today’s topic is, I’m sure, quite the relatable one, but I think I know what most people are going to say already—that our bookshelves are all overflowing and that we are mostly moving to non-traditional media like e-books and audiobooks. Let’s see if I’m right!
I don’t generally buy a lot of books. But that is not for want of trying. If I had the funds and the space, I think I would always go to bookstore and buy books. I’ve recently really enjoyed going to old/used bookstores and looking for little treasures there too. It is honestly so hard to resist, but I think I already have way too many books, so I definitely have to remember to pace myself, which I do!
I do usually read books that I buy right away, because I bought them for that very purpose. However, books I receive as gifts might take some time to get to. Or if I buy (gasp) multiple books at once, that can take me some time. But if I end up buying the occasional book, it’s usually to satisfy a curiosity right away, which usually means instant reading session.
I usually limit myself to one book that I really want at a time. But if there’s a good sale, like those $5-$6 books…it’s just so hard to resist sometimes. There are a few classics out there I haven’t read yet, and those are usually the opportunities for me to pick it up and get to it.
I usually choose books that look good on a shelf even after I’ve read them to buy. After all, it’s unlikely that I read the average book more than once. So it better serve at least some aesthetic value in my home! Or at least, sentimental value or meaningful in some way. In general though I’ve been trying to limit my book buying for only my very favourites—that helps to slow the purge of books I have to do every so often!
How about you all? Book-buying crazes or nah? I feel like most of us have been a lot more conservative with how much we buy and tend to stick to digital versions for the sake of space and perhaps paper/tree conversation. But let me know in the comments below what you do!
Down the Rabbit Hole 