Review of All Body Bags and No Knickers

[Chris Alex Powell]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "All Body Bags and No Knickers" by Shawe Ruckus.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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Chance, a Chinese man, intends to marry Catherine, a British woman. The couple live in London, and while Chance is able to meet most of Catherine's family, save for her deceased parents, Catherine is only able to meet Chance's stepmom and his cousin, An. The couple decides to go to China for the summer as part of their honeymoon, and Catherine is excited.

At Catherine and Chance's wedding, An tells Catherine that Chance's birth mother will like to see him, but Chance wants nothing to do with her. Catherine asks her to leave it to her. There appear to be a lot of untold secrets and mysteries lying in China, and the trip to China holds more than a simple honeymoon for the couple. Follow Catherine and Chance as they learn more about themselves and solve buried mysteries.

All Body Bags and No Knickers by Shawe Ruckus is a thrilling read. The book captivates the reader right from the prologue, where an envelope containing a stack of slips is handed over to a man by a nurse. From there, we begin to wonder what the significance of the contents of the envelope is and who the man in question is. The book was laced with mystery, as several questions that readers begin to find answers to as they read are raised throughout the book. The author made use of flashbacks in the book. Initially, I thought two different stories were being told, but at the end, I loved how the author traced the connection between the past and the present. I loved how my suspicions were proved wrong at every turn; this displayed the author's skill.

I must, however, note an aspect of the book that I did not appreciate. When I selected the book, it was listed as a book comprising crime, thriller, mystery, and horror. As noted earlier, the book did contain mysteries. However, I felt that it could have been better executed. The book appeared to be more of an educational read, as it was filled with conversations from which people could learn a lot about different countries and languages, with Chinese and Korean being prominent. I was left confused initially as I did not understand the flashbacks, and I got a little frustrated as most of the actual thrill began almost halfway through the book. I found several parts of the book irrelevant; the book could have been well written without them.

All Body Bags and No Knickers receives a rating of four out of five stars from me. I deducted a star because of the negative aspect stated above. However, I did not deduct any other stars because the author's characterization was top-notch, the book was professionally edited, and I found traces of humour throughout the book. I recommend this book to readers who love mystery books.

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All Body Bags and No Knickers
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[Jennifer Coxon]

Great review. I appreciate you were willing to comment on the negative aspects in how it didn't add up to your expectations for the genre. I'm not sure if I would want to read the book based on the same expectations for the genre.

I have to admit, I expected a bit of a comedy element based on the title, but if there was, it wasn't funny enough for you to pick up in your review.

[Cara Wilding]

I was hoping we'd learn the significance of the No Knickers part of the title! Admittedly, that drew me in. I'm glad the characterizations were on point; I have yet to have much luck with that in similar international thriller genres. I also appreciate you sharing what didn't work for you in this book. It can help other potential readers make better decisions and save the author from some likely negative feedback! Thanks so much for your review!

[Chris Alex Powell]

Great review. I appreciate you were willing to comment on the negative aspects in how it didn't add up to your expectations for the genre. I'm not sure if I would want to read the book based on the same expectations for the genre.

I have to admit, I expected a bit of a comedy element based on the title, but if there was, it wasn't funny enough for you to pick up in your review.

Thank you, Jennifer. The book does pick up at some point and it gets exciting. As I noted in the later part of the review, there were traces of humor throughout the book.

[Shubhammiddya]

Excited to meet her husband's family on their honeymoon, Catherine crosses paths with new acquaintances, young and old, as they journey from London to northern coastal China. This part was amazing

[NetMassimo]

Flashbacks can be confusing, especially at the beginning of a novel, when they're not clearly identifiable as such. Otherwise, this seems like an interesting story with mysteries to be explored. Thank you for your great review!

[Okewunmi Pelumi]

Your review is unique. I love it. Good job.

[RutvikPatel]

"All Body Bags and No Knickers" by Shawe Ruckus is a thrilling read filled with mystery and well-crafted flashbacks that connect the past and present. Some parts felt educational, but the book's strong characterization and humor make it worth a read for mystery enthusiasts.

[Jeff Kanda]

The characterization of this book seems to be on point. I believe it will be an intersting read for me. Thanks for the detailed review!

[Upphilan Paul]

I really enjoyed this novel, it was a compelling and interesting read for me.

[Sameeha Ismail]

Reviews do the important job of connecting the right readers with the books they will enjoy. The title of the book had me intrigued. But from reading your review, I realize that it is not my cup of tea. Thank you for your honest review.