Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for this free digital copy in exchange for an honest review. This book is out now!
Okay first: Carla Valentine is a GREAT name and she sounds like such a badass.
Second: This book was so interesting and entertaining. I have always been fascinated with how crimes are solved and particularly like stories of how crimes were solved pre-technology. I loved this one because not only does Valentine share her knowledge on forensics as it relates to solving crimes (especially murder), but she shares real world crime stories AND ties it all to Agatha Christie and her books! I mean…did she write this with me in mind? 😂
This book was well-organized and engaging. I didn’t have any moments where I felt bored. The only thing I have to complain about is that sometimes the connections to Christie felt like a bit of a stretch. For example, there were moments when the author made the connection to Christie by saying something like, “we can assume Christie probably saw reports of this etc etc.” Ultimately, this didn’t really affect my enjoyment of the book because 1) it is EXTREMELY clear Valentine did her research on Christie and I trust her assumptions and 2) there were many more clear connections to Christie that made up for any assumptions.
I highly recommend if you are interested in forensics, Agatha Christie, true crime, etc. I’m so glad I read this and I learned so much!
The Bookish Bird 