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Title: Really, really bad
Review: This is my first time dipping into Barnes's Carlotta Carlyle series, and I can't say I was in any way impressed. This novel is both underwritten and clumsy, full of cliches, poorly drawn characters, false tension, silly narrative developments, and ultimately a revelation that makes absolutely no sense. I don't believe in putting spoilers in these reviews, so I won't describe the utterly absurd revelations that come at the end of this novel, but suffice to say that to call it half-baked would be to insult all the half-baked books out there. I am glad Barnes's many fans find enjoyment in her works, and I hope they can continue to do so, but for a reader who is looking for something other than a lifeless installment in a feisty female detective series, do yourself a favor and look elsewhere.
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