Wildcard ~ June
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
My opinion in three sentences:
The title certainly draws you in, and Stevenson didn’t really disappoint from this high starting point. I’d heard so much that I was almost expecting to be disappointed, but I found it fun, novel and unpredictable (even for those fairly familiar with both classic and new-age mystery novels). Sure, perhaps the uneven pacing is a little disorientating at times, and the overall book perhaps a touch too long (such that it becomes a little convoluted), but it was an overall strong read.
(Without spoiling anything) the best bit:
The premise of the book, and in particular its meta links to the mystery genre, is bold. Automatically, a large proportion of the target audience will be mystery novel fans and veterans, so to then engage, convince, and surprise the reader becomes infinitesimally more difficult. But in spite of throwing down such a gauntlet, Stevenson manages to deliver (and not just deliver, but deliver well). It only makes me more excited to see where Stevenson decides to take this series!
A warning for the book:
You can have too much of a good thing, and I believer that Stevenson dragged this one out a little too far. It wasn’t fatal for the book, but it did result in a slightly too convoluted resolution and some slow moments within the main body of the book. A shame, because just one step fewer and it would have been absolutely breath-taking.
Recommended for fans of:
- And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
- Death on the Pier by Jamie West
- Every Word by Ellie Marney
Dreaming With Your Eyes Wide Open 