Let me start by saying, I had wished that I had read the author’s notes before beginning this rather quirky read. I feel as if I would have better understood its contents and would have enjoyed better. Her life certainly had many parallels to Niamh’s, and I possibly could have appreciated it more if I have been aware of their similarities.
Some of the plot and the characters were, to this reader, unbelievable and often bordered on just plain ridiculous. This is my first book by this author, I liked the concept of reality versus fiction, however, I did find it to be a bit slow in its pacing. The imaginary friend aspect of the book made it hard for me to connect and I ended the book never having felt an emotional connection to any of its characters.
This book was not one I would put on the list for my book club to read and discuss. It was too far fetched. I finished it because i wanted to be part of the discussion. Not my favorite.
I thought the idea of a character coming to life interesting, but the book was harder to read than I expected. It was kind of slow in parts. Plus the not sure there was a murder for most of the book just made it less suspenseful for me.
I agree with Michele_P. I couldn’t help but compare this book to Horowitz and found the fictional character in this book very disappointing. Too often, the dialogue seemed forcibly “cute,” and annoying rather than humorous.
I loved it. It was a fun and interesting read for me. I thought it was a different storyline that after her mother’s death, the character came to Niamh. I don’t think I ever read a story like that. And the cat ,too. I loved it.
I am so glad I had the opportunity to read all of the previous comments before I wrote my two cents down because the group helped me better understand my reactions to this novel. Many of you mentioned you would not recommend this novel to your Book Club and I will not either. I would like to share some of the comments I absolutely know would come from my Book Club (a small group of close friends who have met for 30 years). 1: I didn’t like the Leah character, what was she really? 2: It was so confusing to figure out who was speaking. 3: The whole plot was confusing. 4: I never felt attached or empathetic towards any of the characters. 4: We never got to understand her mother. 5: It did not seem well edited. 6: How was this a real mystery? 7: Etc, Etc. Full disclosure, I am a true Mystery fangirl, all kinds of mysteries. This one should have been edited for length, unnecessary details, sharper development of characters and a rushed ending. I have to admit I sped through the last 50 pages to see how she wrapped it all up. Lots of interesting concepts that did not all fit together.
This was one of the more challenging reads I have read in some time. It also took me weeks to finish this one, which is very unusual for me. The plot was a bit hard to follow, particularly in the beginning. I found myself going back pages to reread passages in order to confirm information. I do like this author very much, and I was surprised that this book was such a challenge for me. I could relate to the grief aspect and what was really going on in Niamh’s mind. That name, though, irritated me - “Niamh” - I wanted to pronounce it in my head, but could never really come up with a consistent pronunciation. Regardless, it was a good read, and I am glad that I finished it even if it was a struggle in the beginning.
Like many others who reviewed the book, I had a hard time liking this book. I wish Niamh’s mother had been more fully explored; and I never could figure out what Leah’s true purpose was, other than to provide snarky comments that became quickly tiresome. The slang was very annoying and there was a lot of it. If I have to pause my reading to look up the meaning of a slang term, the book loses some of its continuity. The neighbors didn’t seem to have much relevance other than to serve as convenient suspects. All in all, not my cup of tea and I only finished it out of obligation.
This was a different type of mystery from what I usually read and enjoy - this one had fantasy elements in it, plus a whole back story about losing a family member and dealing with the grief. I got a little frustrated with Niamh at times, as she seemed so hard on herself, so lost, jealous of a fictional character, and just generally unmoored in her life. Reading the author’s endnote helped me to understand that grief was a big part of her life at the time she wrote this, and that she was probably trying to work through loss of a loved one (in this case, her husband) herself. Niamh seemed to gain confidence and strength as the story moved on, and i enjoyed the interaction between her and Leah. I liked the idea of a fictional character visiting the real world and trying to solve a case. I also enjoyed the dialogue between the two, which added humor to the story.
I enjoyed the book and the story kept me interested, and was frequently amusing. I would have liked Niamh to be a bit less insecure, & while I liked the idea of the fictional detective I’m not sure Leah added that much to the story.