Review of Shallow Death

[Sam Ibeh]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Shallow Death" by Valerie Gee.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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The crime and mystery genre is one of my favorite genres. When a book in that genre is done right, you are guaranteed not to drop it till you get to the end. Valerie Gee does a fantastic job in Shallow Death and ticks all my boxes of a good crime novel.

Set in modern-day Wales, Hettie Shaw was a private investigator still dealing with the loss of her family. When Sir Charles hired her to fix a blackmail problem, this led to a growing partnership. As the partnership blossomed, they were hired by Lord Ambrose to clear him of the supposed "suicide" of his twin sister, Lady Gwen. Their investigation caused a chain of reaction that dug up the grave of the past as they tried to unravel the sinister web surrounding their town. What did they find as they dug deeper? Had Hettie bitten off more than she could chew this time?

The plot was relatively straightforward. It stayed true to its locational settings regarding the manner of speech, description of areas, and general scenarios. The main spotlight was in suspense usage. It engaged from the beginning with no let-out. The first few pages set a quick tone of introducing our main characters and gave a general idea of their demeanor. It kept me glued to the end with its appropriate writing flow and exciting characters. I was impressed with the author going further to provide closure to this good novel. However, there might still be more adventures for Hettie Shaw, which the author could explore.

Hettie Shaw, the main protagonist, was a delight. She was adequately projected and didn't behave like someone her age. She was never afraid of sexually exploring in a bid to fill a void long opened. She also had this blatant honesty that came with living life to a certain point. She also made some unforeseen mistakes during her adventures, unlike her character. However, this made her character more human and relatable.

Amidst the realistic setting, a hint of mysticism played a role as a plot driver. This came from Hettie's late grandmother and druid ancestry. It was understandable and plausible in the realm of expected occurrence based on the book's geographical location.

An enjoyable aspect for me was the tidbit of historical knowledge that was a staple between Sir Charles and Hettie Shaw. I always looked forward to their next conversational interaction because there was always something new to learn. They made a fantastic pair. There was a healthy dose of profanity to enhance the mature feel of the book.

Shallow Death was Valerie Gee's first murder mystery novel, and the ending was cathartic and made me eager to read more of her subsequent works. I loved everything about the book. Unfortunately, I wouldn't say the same for the editing; the work would need another round of professional editing. Therefore, I’d rate it 3 out of 4 stars. I would recommend it to lovers of crime and mystery with a touch of mysticism.

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Shallow Death
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[Wren Michaels]

Thank you for your review

[Josephine Mercy]

Though crime book is usually not my favourite. But, this one seems very inviting.

[Amy Luman]

I really like crime/detective novels. I always think I’m smart enough to solve the crime before it’s revealed in the novel, but I usually miss something. I am also very happy when the author uses the setting correctly.

[Ruthwriter]

Crime books are not something I greatly enjoyed. however, the presentation here is attractive and compelling.maybe I could give a trial. thanks for your review

[R_becca]

One of my favorite genres is crime and detective fiction, which keeps me reading until the very end to find out what happens. The review is quite engaging.

[NetMassimo]

A suspictious death ruled as a suicide is just the start of a novel full of suspense with twists and revelations. I'm curious about what's behind all of that. Thank you for your great review!