Review by Lucille27 -- The Dark Web Murders by Brian O'Hare
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Lucille27
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Review by Lucille27 -- The Dark Web Murders by Brian O'Hare
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Dark Web Murders" by Brian O'Hare.]
The Dark Web Murders, by Brian O’ Hare, is a crime novel. We follow a murderer who is so confident in himself that he writes about his crimes on the internet. However, he does not do this for everyone; he writes about them on the Dark Web. The style of these blog entries is very peculiar. He is trying to explain and justify concepts, such as Justice, Vengeance, Hate, and Satisfaction with the execution of his crimes and his blog entries. He is meticulous and exalts himself and his intellect. This combination will make Chief Inspector Jim Sheehan and his team have a troublesome time trying to figure out who is committing the crimes. The clock for them is ticking. Will they be able to find this cold killer or will he be so clever to escape them?
What I like about this book is the attention to detail. It looks like the author really put a lot of effort into making this book. He did his research in terms of law, forensic, and criminal procedures. This makes the book very realistic. At the same time, the book is part of a saga. This is the fourth book, but it can be read as a standalone. I really appreciate that, at the beginning of the story, there is a list of names and terms that might be useful for readers. This helps a lot to get immersed in this fictional world. Another fantastic characteristic I enjoyed from this book was the variety of narrative styles. The book uses different focalization techniques. It presents the blog entries and includes de trial transcripts. This makes the book very enjoyable to read and gives it a kaleidoscopic dimension. As a reader, I enjoyed this a lot. It was refreshing to see a crime novel experimenting with the form. Finally, I have to praise the excellent form in which the author writes dialogues. They seemed very realistic. Sometimes, it is very hard to capture the essence of dialogues without making them sound fake, yet this book excels in the depiction of dialogues. They feel fluid and very realistic, even the stuttering and pauses.
What I dislike about this book is only a minor detail: the depiction of homosexuality and mental disorders. I think this is a very personal point of view. The book presents a depiction of how, several times, homosexuality and mental disorders can be linked with evil and wickedness. However, I think he states in the book that this is not always true. I liked this, yet I think he could develop more into this argument. Representations matter, and we should contribute to making others understand these people better. As I mentioned, I considered this a minor issue and more a reflection that the book put in my head. Thus, overall, I would not even consider it something wrong.
The edition of the book was very professional. I only found one minor format mistake that is subjective; thus, it should be uncounted. I think this book does not go against anyone’s personal or religious beliefs. Because of the nature of the book (crime and violence), it contains some vulgarity, profane language, and curses scattered around. It mentions some sexual and violent acts because they are part of the crimes; however, there is nothing explicit in the book. They are mostly listed as part of legal and medical procedures and registers. Hence, I would consider it appropriate for more mature audiences.
I would rate this book 4 out of 4 stars because I enjoyed the book, and it surprised me for good. I enjoyed that the book followed the structures of crime stories, yet it has its own twists and particularities. I could not put the book down, so it was definitely a page turner. I really enjoyed the style and found it interesting. It made me want to read more about this group of detectives. I would recommend this book to enthusiatic readers of crime stories. This is also very good for those who enjoy detective novels and similar genres. Most important, it is a very refreshing novel, so you cannot miss it if you love any of these genres.
******
The Dark Web Murders
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The Dark Web Murders, by Brian O’ Hare, is a crime novel. We follow a murderer who is so confident in himself that he writes about his crimes on the internet. However, he does not do this for everyone; he writes about them on the Dark Web. The style of these blog entries is very peculiar. He is trying to explain and justify concepts, such as Justice, Vengeance, Hate, and Satisfaction with the execution of his crimes and his blog entries. He is meticulous and exalts himself and his intellect. This combination will make Chief Inspector Jim Sheehan and his team have a troublesome time trying to figure out who is committing the crimes. The clock for them is ticking. Will they be able to find this cold killer or will he be so clever to escape them?
What I like about this book is the attention to detail. It looks like the author really put a lot of effort into making this book. He did his research in terms of law, forensic, and criminal procedures. This makes the book very realistic. At the same time, the book is part of a saga. This is the fourth book, but it can be read as a standalone. I really appreciate that, at the beginning of the story, there is a list of names and terms that might be useful for readers. This helps a lot to get immersed in this fictional world. Another fantastic characteristic I enjoyed from this book was the variety of narrative styles. The book uses different focalization techniques. It presents the blog entries and includes de trial transcripts. This makes the book very enjoyable to read and gives it a kaleidoscopic dimension. As a reader, I enjoyed this a lot. It was refreshing to see a crime novel experimenting with the form. Finally, I have to praise the excellent form in which the author writes dialogues. They seemed very realistic. Sometimes, it is very hard to capture the essence of dialogues without making them sound fake, yet this book excels in the depiction of dialogues. They feel fluid and very realistic, even the stuttering and pauses.
What I dislike about this book is only a minor detail: the depiction of homosexuality and mental disorders. I think this is a very personal point of view. The book presents a depiction of how, several times, homosexuality and mental disorders can be linked with evil and wickedness. However, I think he states in the book that this is not always true. I liked this, yet I think he could develop more into this argument. Representations matter, and we should contribute to making others understand these people better. As I mentioned, I considered this a minor issue and more a reflection that the book put in my head. Thus, overall, I would not even consider it something wrong.
The edition of the book was very professional. I only found one minor format mistake that is subjective; thus, it should be uncounted. I think this book does not go against anyone’s personal or religious beliefs. Because of the nature of the book (crime and violence), it contains some vulgarity, profane language, and curses scattered around. It mentions some sexual and violent acts because they are part of the crimes; however, there is nothing explicit in the book. They are mostly listed as part of legal and medical procedures and registers. Hence, I would consider it appropriate for more mature audiences.
I would rate this book 4 out of 4 stars because I enjoyed the book, and it surprised me for good. I enjoyed that the book followed the structures of crime stories, yet it has its own twists and particularities. I could not put the book down, so it was definitely a page turner. I really enjoyed the style and found it interesting. It made me want to read more about this group of detectives. I would recommend this book to enthusiatic readers of crime stories. This is also very good for those who enjoy detective novels and similar genres. Most important, it is a very refreshing novel, so you cannot miss it if you love any of these genres.
******
The Dark Web Murders
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Zonas de quema by Jorge P. Newbery
