Review by AwkwardAvian -- The Dark Web Murders
-
AwkwardAvian
- Posts: 77
- Joined: 10 Dec 2020, 12:30
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 19
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-awkwardavian.html
- Latest Review: Vandella by M. Ch. Landa
Review by AwkwardAvian -- The Dark Web Murders
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Dark Web Murders" by Brian O'Hare.]
You can find a lot of disturbing things on the dark web. In Brian O’Hare’s The Dark Web Murders this includes a blog containing the philosophical reasonings of the serial killer behind a series of rather gruesome murders. It is up to Chief Inspector Sheehan and his team to put together the scant pieces of evidence and find out who the dark web killer is while the stakes just keep getting higher.
I will admit that crime novels usually aren’t my favourite. The title, however, intrigued me and I thought I would give it a try. The title made me a think of another novel I’d read a while back, but it ended up going a completely different (and in my opinion better) direction.
I very much appreciated the inclusion of a glossary as I am definitely not familiar with the majority of these abbreviations. The character list is also helpful. Maybe this is more of a personal preference, but it may be better to include this at the end rather than at the beginning (along with the acknowledgements) as not only is including too much information before the actual story a little off-putting, but the character list is also a form of spoiler, telling you who will be there before the story even begins. That being said, I also believe that there may be too many characters (the reason why the list is included in the first place). It makes it a little tricky to keep up with what was happening. Although I’m sure that many readers will appreciate the explanation of the dark web, I do feel that the author could differentiate between the deep web and the dark web (which is in actuality only a subset of the deep web) a little better.
The author clearly understands the world of police investigations well. I always appreciate a deep understanding on the part of the author as it helps make the story more real. I appreciate the level of mystery he built, and that he did not keep it for longer than necessary for the plot. He had a clear goal in mind and this shines through his writing, even with the large cast of characters. The urgency of the mission remains clear. Given the depth and effort that clearly went into this book, I feel that it deserves a rating of four out of four stars.
Although I believe all lovers of mystery would enjoy this book, I do feel like I need to warn any potential readers about the gore. The blogger takes great delight in describing how they killed their victims and an innocent dog. This mystery writer seems to greatly enjoy their violence and it comes across as more than a little disturbing (and the fact that they seem to have quite a substantial following feels just as bad, although far less disgusting). Although it is of course possible to skip over these parts I do not recommend this book to the squeamish!
******
The Dark Web Murders
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
You can find a lot of disturbing things on the dark web. In Brian O’Hare’s The Dark Web Murders this includes a blog containing the philosophical reasonings of the serial killer behind a series of rather gruesome murders. It is up to Chief Inspector Sheehan and his team to put together the scant pieces of evidence and find out who the dark web killer is while the stakes just keep getting higher.
I will admit that crime novels usually aren’t my favourite. The title, however, intrigued me and I thought I would give it a try. The title made me a think of another novel I’d read a while back, but it ended up going a completely different (and in my opinion better) direction.
I very much appreciated the inclusion of a glossary as I am definitely not familiar with the majority of these abbreviations. The character list is also helpful. Maybe this is more of a personal preference, but it may be better to include this at the end rather than at the beginning (along with the acknowledgements) as not only is including too much information before the actual story a little off-putting, but the character list is also a form of spoiler, telling you who will be there before the story even begins. That being said, I also believe that there may be too many characters (the reason why the list is included in the first place). It makes it a little tricky to keep up with what was happening. Although I’m sure that many readers will appreciate the explanation of the dark web, I do feel that the author could differentiate between the deep web and the dark web (which is in actuality only a subset of the deep web) a little better.
The author clearly understands the world of police investigations well. I always appreciate a deep understanding on the part of the author as it helps make the story more real. I appreciate the level of mystery he built, and that he did not keep it for longer than necessary for the plot. He had a clear goal in mind and this shines through his writing, even with the large cast of characters. The urgency of the mission remains clear. Given the depth and effort that clearly went into this book, I feel that it deserves a rating of four out of four stars.
Although I believe all lovers of mystery would enjoy this book, I do feel like I need to warn any potential readers about the gore. The blogger takes great delight in describing how they killed their victims and an innocent dog. This mystery writer seems to greatly enjoy their violence and it comes across as more than a little disturbing (and the fact that they seem to have quite a substantial following feels just as bad, although far less disgusting). Although it is of course possible to skip over these parts I do not recommend this book to the squeamish!
******
The Dark Web Murders
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Vandella by M. Ch. Landa
