Hello everyone! Welcome to the Book Nook. Today we are going to be doing a review on A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins. This is the third book I have read by Hawkins followed by Girl on the Train (review here) and Into the Water (review here). This is also one of the books I picked up at my local used book store. The cover was really pretty and the price was right so I went ahead and bought. Before we get started, I encourage you all to comment down below and tell me your thoughts. Also, make sure you are following the Book Nook on WordPress, Instagram and YouTube; that way you don’t miss any of my reviews in the future. So, without further ado, lets get into it.
A young man by the name of Daniel Sutherland has been found murdered on his London houseboat. As a result, questions arise about the three women who knew him. Laura is the one night stand, Carla is his posh aunt and Miriam is his nosy next door neighbor. As the police investigate Daniel’s murder, secrets come forth surrounding these three women. Could of them be the killer?
I really don’t have much to say about this book. The pacing was great and the background surrounding the three women was compelling. However, I wished we got more out of the murder investigation. The book starts off with Daniel’s death and that’s pretty much the only time the book ever talks about the incident. The rest of the book follows Laura, Carla and Miriam and their lives and what lead them to where they are now. Again, their individual stories were interesting but the only reason we know about them is because of Daniel’s demise; that’s the whole point. With that being said, I wished we got more of Daniel’s death and not only the causes that led to his death.
I believe Laura had the most tragic backstory of them all. She was severely injured as a kid leaving her with mental issues and an impulsive behavior. To make matters worse, her parents don’t really support her so she essentially has no family. I did like her relationship with Irene, though.
In conclusion, I did like the book. The pacing was strong and pretty easy to get through. I mostly wanted more investigating and less background of the three main characters. But their backgrounds were still interesting to read about.
Overall, I give it a 3.5/5.
Until next time!
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