I Started Early Took My Dog

[BelligerentGhoul]

Started this last night and tbh am finding it crap. Should I continue?

I get SO annoyed when editors let through clunky writing, such as sentences that aren't actually sentences at all.

It seems really meandering and patchy.

Is the next line of the book "from behind"?

It would be more interesting if it was, perhaps.

I enjoyed her earlier ones, but couldn't get to grips with 'When Will There Be Good News?'.

Disappointing to hear 'I Started Early..' is not great, - it doesn't seem to get very enthusiatic reviews on Amazon either.

Have you abandoned GWTW BG?

how far have you got?

what sentences?

I haven't given up on GWTW yet but thought I'd try this one in the meantime, as it was on a Rapid Read thing at the library.

Can't be bothered to go upstairs to fetch it but may copy a couple of non-sentences down later for your perusal!

Haven't read much yet - to the bit about Brodie going to the farm he stayed at as a child.

I loved KA's early books - Behind the Scenes at the Museum etc - but I think that the Jackson Brodie ones are poorly written and badly edited. I gave up halfway through WWTBGN, and I won't be reading this one either if it's part of the same series.

Such a shame that they're so different to her early books.

I liked Behind The Scenes but absolutely hated Human Croquet. Can't remember which others I've read.

I've loved all KA's books so far (with the exception of 'Emotionally Weird' which was her weakest) but I struggled with Started Early too. Can't put my finger on it, it just didn't gel the way her novels normally do and I found some of the characters cliched. Her 'batty old lady' characters are getting a bit repetitive. I do like the Jackson Brodie character though. And this latest novel is set in Leeds where I live so it was fun reading about places I know IRL. I read it all but it's one I won't rush to re-read which is a shame because I'd been so excited when I heard she had a new novel out....

only like behind the scenes
other one I read of hers was shitola

Finished it last night.
I was really enjoying it up to the last 50 pages. I find her writing lively and clever.
The ending was a bit flat but I find that quite often in crime novels when you find out 'the truth' and you don't actually care by the time you get there IYSWIM

I will probably finish it tonight. I am still not at all impressed by it though.

She is an untidy writer, I think. In trying to be clever, with her slightly stream of conciousness rambling and over-loaded references to culture/events etc, she just lets it all get in the way of story, character and style.

I enjoyed but was irritated by the bits that were left "unsolved" adn have no idea what she was talking about when Jackson at the end was reminded of a distinguishing mark - I guess he was remembering something he had seen on Courtney but it was very unclear

Courtney had a birthmark, I think.

I finished it a few days ago and unfortunately thought it was useless. I assume there will be more - but I won't be bothering, however pretty the cover is! :)