Review of All Body Bags and No Knickers

[Anu Anand]

[Following is a volunteer review of "All Body Bags and No Knickers" by Shawe Ruckus.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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"All Body Bags and No Knickers" by Shawe Ruckus is a captivating mystery thriller. The story begins with a prologue, where Jin-goon Kim, a Korean man, receives handwritten notes from his deceased sister, Jin-ae, urging him to find her killer. The narrative then shifts to London, where the main characters, Catherine and Chance Yang, reside. Catherine works as a part-time florist, and Chance is an Inner Mongolian-born Chinese M&A consultant. This recently married couple opted for China as their honeymoon destination. Additionally, they chose to visit Chance's cousin An and her family, who reside in Yantai. However, the story takes a dark turn when Jin-goon, staying in the opposite room of the honeymoon couple, is found dead near a seaside derelict. Alongside Jin-goon's body, two more bodies are discovered—a woman and her child. This sets off a chain of mysteries. As the story unfolds, we learn that the Korean girl from the prologue was actually An's friend, and flashbacks reveal more about their connection. What might have led to Jin-goon's death, and did he uncover his sister's killer? And what role does Chance play in all of this?

Personally, I felt the book had a slow start, with the plot taking its time to unfold and diving into unnecessary tangents that distracted from the main narrative. Characters like Felipe and Patsy seemed promising initially but were ultimately sidelined, leaving their presence feeling underdeveloped. Additionally, the story included flashbacks to reveal events from the past, but at times, it wasn't clear as there wasn't always a clear distinction between past and present events.

However, as the story progressed, the pace picked up, and the mystery and suspense intensified, making the last 100 pages particularly thrilling to read. The book is professionally edited. I only found a few formatting issues. The overall writing style was engaging, and I liked learning about Chinese culture, beliefs, and food in the book.

Overall, I rate "All Body Bags and No Knickers" a solid 4 out of 5 stars. I removed one star due to its initial lag and confusion regarding the flashback and present. Other than that, the book was really engaging. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a suspenseful thriller with a unique cultural backdrop.

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All Body Bags and No Knickers
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[Risper Ouma Anyango]

This at some point to me appears like a Asian TV drama series but am guessing it's not. I however enjoyed reading your review and I am sure I too will enjoy reading the book.

[Priya Murugesan]

I love reading mystery thrillers! Your review is interesting and gives a detailed review of the book. I am waiting to read this book.

[Seetha E]

Though it sounds like the book will require careful reading in the initial part, given your caution, the rest of it sounds very appealing. I'd like to dig into this one. Thank you for your interesting review.