Carol's Reviews > What the Fly Saw

I don’t usually read books that are futuristic (this was only by five years). What The Fly Saw by Frankie Y. Bailey is the first one that I have read that is set in an alternate world. I felt uncomfortable about the futuristic part. Oddly enough, it was not that I couldn’t imagine future inventions and I was able to figure out what the most prominent one would be like, the ORB. But the main character’s father used phrases that I think were out of date twenty years ago. Somehow it was jarring to me for her father to talk that way.

Basically, I just pretended that I was reading a regular detective mystery so that I could get past the futuristic and alternate word elements. I think this book would have a wider audience without them.

However, my main problem is the pacing of the story. The beginning was much too slow for my liking, I wanted to quit. I kept at and thankfully the pace picked up towards the last third of the book. I would enjoyed the book more if the author had picked up the pace in the beginning.

The detective, Hannah McCabe, her father and the other people that she worked with did not make me want to know more about them. I think that is disastrous when it comes to a mystery series. It encourages me to not read anymore.

On a positive note, I liked reading about the victim, his family and the murder suspects much more. I was sad when the 1st victim died. I thought he was a very intriguing character. I won’t say what it was here but I also thought that the second murder weapon was very trite. Also before the second murder weapon was disclosed, the pacing slumped again. That made me a bit angry. I had already guessed the murder weapon and was hoping that I was wrong and then the book slows down.

So in summary the only redeeming part of the book was the victim and the secondary characters.

When it comes to pacing, if you love Jane Austen novels then you should be fine but pacing that slow is poison to me. Personally, I don’t have the patience for slow paced books but if you do, you may want to read this book just for the interesting victim and side characters.

I received an Advance Copy of What the Fly Saw by Frankie Y. Bailey book in exchange for a fair review from the Partners in Crime but that in no way influenced my thoughts or feelings in my review.