A Slow Fire Burning: A Novel
With the same propulsion that captivated millions of readers worldwide in The Girl on the Train and Into the Water, Paula Hawkins unfurls a gripping, twisting story of deceit, murder, and revenge. When a young man is found gruesomely murdered in a London houseboat, it triggers questions about three women who knew him. Laura is the troubled one-night-stand last seen in the victim’s home. Carla is his grief-stricken aunt, already mourning the recent death of yet another family member. And Miriam is the nosy neighbor clearly keeping secrets from the police. Three women with separate connections to the victim. Three women who are – for different reasons – simmering with resentment. Who are, whether they know it or not, burning to right the wrongs done to them. When it comes to revenge, even good people might be capable of terrible deeds. How far might any one of them go to find peace? How long can secrets smolder before they explode into flame?
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Readers say *A Slow Fire Burning* offers a compelling exploration of complex, flawed characters, with a focus on family drama more than a traditional ...
Wow, this really is a slow fire burning. There are twists and turns in this murder mystery. Although the writing is very good, the pacing is slow, the list of characters is large; the characters all have anger issues, jealousy, deceit and hatred. The story starts with the murder of a young man on his English houseboat. We follow the back stories of the characters switching back and forth between timelines. This was sometimes hard to follow.
I am not going to recap each character (because you might feel differently), but I will say that I felt sorry for Laura. She had a miserable childhood and was the last person to see Daniel alive. Did she have reason to murder him? I loved Irene, the older neighbor. Even though Miriam has a tragic backstory also, she was definitely the bitter, nosy neighbor. The Myerson family, Daniel, his mom Angela, Carla (Angela's sister) and Theo (Carla's ex-husband) have so many secrets. Their relationships are unhealthy and full of hate and revenge.
Twisty story, unreliable characters, quick read, good story.
I am not going to recap each character (because you might feel differently), but I will say that I felt sorry for Laura. She had a miserable childhood and was the last person to see Daniel alive. Did she have reason to murder him? I loved Irene, the older neighbor. Even though Miriam has a tragic backstory also, she was definitely the bitter, nosy neighbor. The Myerson family, Daniel, his mom Angela, Carla (Angela's sister) and Theo (Carla's ex-husband) have so many secrets. Their relationships are unhealthy and full of hate and revenge.
Twisty story, unreliable characters, quick read, good story.
Just like the title suggests, this was a slow fire burning. Unfortunately, it was a bit anticlimactic in the end. Rosamund Pike however was a brilliant narrator (free audio copy received from Libro.fm).
A pleasant surprise for me. A blind pick
The book starts with a murder, but it's not really a murder mystery, it's really more of a family drama. It is a slow book, as the title suggests, but as you starting learning about the characters, see how they interact with eachother and learn their history it paints a clear picture of broken people and how they live their lives after tragedy that reshapes them.
A good drama book with a decent mystery makes it an easy recommend
2.5 stars. There were a few promising storylines in the beginning, but the last part of the book felt rushed and confusing. Largely disappointing.
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