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Sunday, July 7, 2019

Review: They All Fall Down by Rachel Howzell Hall

Author: Rachel Howzell Hall
Publisher: Forge
Date of publication: April 2019

It was supposed to be the trip of a lifetime.

Delighted by a surprise invitation, Miriam Macy sails off to a luxurious private island off the coast of Mexico, with six strangers—an ex-cop, a chef, a financial advisor, a nurse, a lawyer, a young widow.

Surrounded by miles of open water in the gloriously green Sea of Cortez, Miriam is shocked to discover that she and the rest of her companions have been brought to the remote island under false pretenses—and all seven strangers harbor a secret.

Danger lurks in the lush forest and in the halls and bedrooms of the lonely mansion. Sporadic cell-phone coverage and miles of ocean keeps the group trapped in paradise. And strange accidents keep them suspicious of each other, as one by one . . . 

They all fall down


If I ever did a "worst books of the year" post, this book would probably be at the top of my list this year.  They All Fall Down looked to be a different take on And Then There Were None.  However, the book was a huge mess instead.  The story is told through Miriam's point of view. The plot was predictable yet confusing at the same time. It was just too disjointed. It almost felt like an outline for a story that wasn't completely filled in at publication time.  I'm still not sure that I know he reason theses characters were invited to the island.  

Speaking of which, the characters were not remotely fleshed out.  I'm not sure I can even tell you anything about them.  They were forgettable and unlikable.  I had a hard time keeping them straight.  Even the main character was annoying.  The ending was ridiculous.  I am not a fan of an ending like this one especially when the story is told in first person.  

I can't recommend this one.  Go read the Agatha Christie version.  It's a much better book.


1 comment:

Ethan said...

Oompff, sorry this was such a mess. I recently read a real clunker myself. On to the next and hopefully better read.