2.5 stars ( )

Do you like literary fiction mixed in with mystery? If so, this is a great book for you. Unfortunately, it is not my cup of tea -- I don't really enjoy the main characters, so it didn't work for me. I appreciate that it was well written, but nope. ( )

A special thank you to Edelweiss and HarperCollins for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The body of a young girl has washed up just outside Cambridge, England and we are introduced to the detective team of Chloe Frohmann and Morris Keene. The detectives each are battling their own issues while trying to solve the case before the press takes off with the story.

Told from five points of view in first person narrative, we hear from Chloe, Morris, Mathilde, Grace, and George. Where Winslow falls down is through the introduction of too many other characters that really muddy the waters; while I realize this might have been intentional because of the thriller/mystery genre, but there were a lot of unnecessary characters that disrupted any momentum she had with the plot.

This story had so much potential and could have really benefited from a substantive edit. The characters could've been developed more and the story line tightened up. There were times where I had no clue what was going on and I had to go back and try to figure out who was who and what was going on, again because there were simply too many characters that were not developed.

I was intrigued because it was marketed for fans of Kate Atkinson and Donna Tartt. I don't think anyone should have their work compared against Tartt, I feel that she is in a league all her own. That being said, I will definitely check out the other two books that feature Frohmann and Keene, I'm not ready to give up on them, I just think that Winslow hasn't hit her stride yet.
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THE START OF EVERYTHING begins when a decomposed body is found washed up in the fens. The detectives are searching for clues to find out who this woman is. It also appears the police are not the only ones looking for the girl.

The books' chapters are categorized by people in the book. Each character has their own chapter, but yet they all intertwine. The book is not difficult to follow, although there are many twists and turns. You think you know what is going on then, another twist and the ending will be a definite surprise. I don't want to spoil the book, so I will end the review by saying THE START OF EVERYTHING IS a truly great read!

Rating: 4

Heat Rating: mild/hot

Reviewed By:Rae

My Book Addiction And More ( )

The Start of Everything begins when the body of a teenage girl is found washed up in the fens. Told from multiple perspectives, the novel follows the two detectives, Chloe and her partner Morris, as they track down the identity of the girl and the person who killed her. Interwoven are stories and flashbacks from people who become involved in the murder, or who were involved in the murder when it took place.

My favorite thing about this book is that it's a smart, complicated mystery that makes you think and takes time to sift through. All too often, mysteries are dumbed down or only about the romance or the drama while the mystery takes place on the side. In The Start of Everything, we get interesting, complex characters and the mystery really takes center-stage. I'm a fan of stories that take the time to show multiple viewpoints within multiple timelines, so for me, this was perfect; however, I can see people getting confused as they adjust to this sort of storytelling.

With all these different viewpoints, Emily Winslow covers a lot of big topics and does it well -- this is a book that makes you think, and I love that. Whether it be the difficulties of living with autism, what it's like to be a woman in a job dominated by men, what it's like to come back after injury in a high-risk job, sibling rivalry, family dynamics, etc. I came into this book thinking it'd be a fun mystery, but I loved how Winslow surprised me by delving into really serious, deep issues. Kudos to her.

The characters are all fantastic. I have to say, Mathilde is my favorite and I'm sad I didn't get to see more from her perspective, but I think Winslow did an excellent job in showing how she experiences the world differently from most people.

However, the ending just didn't really cut it for me. While the mystery gets solved, I still didn't get a good feeling of resolution. Some people like that, but there were a couple of loose ends I was hoping to see a conclusion for. Also, the book is separated into parts and the way the story moves through these parts is a bit jarring. I didn't mind the multiple perspectives, but the timeline was a bit strange to follow and took some getting used to. Again, this isn't a terrible thing, but it did take me out of the story a little bit.

Despite that, there is so much to love about The Start of Everything. The writing is beautiful, funny, and smart, and the mystery itself is just fantastic.

*Thank you to The Book Depository for providing me with a free copy in exchange for my honest review.* ( )