The Binding Room by Nadine Matheson
Thank you to the publisher, Hanover Square Press, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of The Binding Room in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
The Gist
I made a big mistake. I read a sequel before reading the first part in a series. This is partly due because I didn’t do my research properly. And partly because I thought it wouldn’t be such a big deal if I skipped the first book.
How wrong I was.
It appears that I tend to get rather agitated and annoyed when something doesn’t make sense. Skipping an entire book that introduces characters would cause such a reaction.
So, I try to base this review partly on the impression I got based on the writing quality, plot etc. And I hope my clueless bias can keep quiet.
The Details
The beginning is incredibly strong and had me quite literally sitting on the edge of my seat.
For a murder mystery, this one seems a little bit more on the gory side. The descriptions of the torture and crime scene are very detailed and do not leave much to the imagination.
Reader, be warned. Those with a weak stomach, brace yourselves.
In general, I thought this story would be totally up my alley: we got a gruesome murder, London as the setting, it’s winter – perfect timing for an atmospheric mystery/thriller story – and a strong female lead.
Sadly, the setting and surrounding circumstances couldn’t make up for the incredible fast pace that put me off relatively early on in the story.
The jumps are quite brutal, combined with the fact that I knew nothing of the main characters made for an exhausting and frustrating read.
I wish I could say more about this story, but most of it slip through my grasp because I didn’t read the first book in this series.
The Verdict
Overall, I wish I had read The Jigsaw Man before The Binding Room to get a better idea of the characters and various small, but very important details.
About the Author
Nadine Matheson is a criminal defense attorney and winner of the City University Crime Writing competition. She lives in London, UK.
