Not my thing. A fast read and it's suspenseful, but OTT. A contrived plot, little character development, no sense of place or local colour. A shock read with plenty of gore and horror. ( )

2.5*

Very similar to the first book in this series. Not a bad way to while away some summer hours but these are not really mysteries in my sense of the term. It isn't possible for the listener to figure out who the murderer is before the big reveal and the killer's motivation is never explained. ( )

I actually liked the characters from this second book in the series a little better. I still love that Giles is consistently involved in each story. I also liked the setting of the island in its off season because it gave a better sense of the characters being trapped and helped to heighten the tension of the storyline.

I love how the deaths are still just as complicated and unique but I felt the deaths in the book were more targeted to each victim than in the last book. As an avid CSI, Forensic Files, true-crime reader I love the reveals of how each murder is carried out and how the whole story wraps up in the end. My only problem with these stories is it very easy to determine who the killer is early on in the stories and how the killer seems almost too “all-knowing”. There is little or no explanation for how the killer is able to pull these deaths off without any witnesses especially on a small island.

Side Note: So apparently there was a reality television show based on the books that I didn’t even know about. I’m guessing that because it didn’t succeed we won’t get any more stories which is too bad because I really enjoy this little mystery series. ( )

Very similar to the first book in this series. Not a bad way to while away some summer hours but these are not really mysteries in my sense of the term. It isn't possible for the listener to figure out who the murderer is before the big reveal and the killer's motivation is never explained. ( )

Classic mystery setup (a la Agatha Christie's Ten Little Indians) but without the satisfaction of finding out the reason behind the killings. I listened to this in unabridged audio, read by Gildart Jackson, who did a great job distinguishing multiple voices of both genders without sounding silly. Even more implausible than the first in this series, as the incredibly-unfortunate butler is hired again to oversee carnage in a new location. I wouldn't like to see his resume. ( )