As Good As Dead by Holly Jackson

Challenge #33 ~ “The next book in a series.”

★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆

My opinion in three sentences:

This was such a tale of two halves that it was truly heart-wrenching. I was so hooked on the first half (once it again got going) that I listened to the audiobook for five hours straight – as ever, living vivaciously on a Friday night! But then came The Twist, which not only derailed the greatness going on in this book, but undermined a lot of the good stuff from books one and two as well.

(Without spoiling anything) the best bit:

The small amount of this book that was concerned with the mystery (the second half of part one, to be specific) was absolutely stellar. Sure, seasoned readers will probably solve the killer’s identity early on, but even they’ll be in for a treat as Jackson nails the pacing, suspense and atmosphere – I was genuinely on the edge of my seat, heart-in-mouth, and unable to stop listening. And if it hadn’t then dived off on a tangent so unbelievable your wildest nightmare seems as tame as kittens, it would definitely have become a fast favourite and regular re-read!

A warning for the book:

I’ve alluded to The Twist and I won’t go spoiling it here, but it’s something many other reviewers mention too. No, my biggest warning for this book is that it is not like the other two in this series, and if you’re a die-hard fan of those, (for all I was captivated at one point) I probably wouldn’t recommend this one in favour of keeping those cherished memories. In book three, the mystery takes a back seat (we’re talking pretty much in the boot), there is no real unravelling of clues or podcasting some true crime story, and the characters you thought you knew get turned on their heads (and, for me, not in a convincing, mind-blowing yet plausible I-did-not-see-that-coming kind of way). Read at your own risk is probably the best way of putting it.