Genre: Mystery
The Analysis*:
*If you’re religiously sensitive don’t read it.
So I purchased this book awhile ago and can’t immediately remember what it was that attracted me to it. But it was a mystery/suspense that incorporates religion, specifically the Israeli Jewish faith. So I was certainly intrigued. Hill of Secrets by Michal Hartstein, lets book review it.
Heres the Blurb:
On a blooming May morning, the five bodies of a religious family are found in their apartment in the quiet suburb of Samuel’s Hill (Giv’at Shmuel).
Detective Hadas Levinger, the renegade atheist daughter of a religious family, is put in charge of the police investigation. Slowly and skillfully she peels away the shell protecting this unique community, and reveals hard and painful secrets.
Can she survive them?
[/one_half]I realize that I’m sometimes unreasonably hard on book covers. But this was yet another one that didn’t sell me. Proving yet again that a good blurb does matter. Also that everyone including myself needs to update there covers periodically. Read the blurb in italics above. Comment below what you think?
Chapter 1 started off awkwardly for me, and I can’t put my finger on just what it was. But once they get to the murder the story does really take off from there.
Some of the chapters seem like huge info dumps, which I appreciated because I was being exposed to a different culture. Yet, the author (perhaps reader) in me couldn’t help but ask whats this got to do with anything. And I still thought it was a little much overall once the book was finished. Now the characters. The main character (and narrator) seems to be very surface level deep, despite the interesting peeks into her past and culture. I felt like I still didn’t know her.
It didn’t help that I couldn’t relate. She was such a contrary individual who believed in nothing and wanted nothing. Its okay if you don’t need religion, marriage, or family, but what are you filling your life with instead or are you just merely existing. She showed no passion about anything. Travel, self discovery, music. Not even her career. All of which was delivered (at least in my head) in this monotone.
After peeks into her personal life, I found myself wondering when they were going to get back to the murder. At one point, I found it hard to believe that a woman with an Israeli background, would use the word, whipped, an urban colloquialism used in reference to relationships. One of those odd standout moments. The narrator also confused me once again because she didn’t believe in the confines of her religion, but believed in the military*.
Like girl ever heard the saying, don’t trust the government. Its a thing. But even if you are doing it for a religious/legal reason. Why are you a cop? Of course the author doesn’t touch on why she has this affinity for nothing else, but law enforcement and civic duty. As if she doesn’t need a reason, it just is. Maybe. But I still feel like I’m missing something. Shouldn’t there be some rote answer like some general that had a profound impact on her in boot-camp or the death of a friend on the front lines. She spouts on and on about how she hates everything else. But no speech on her main love and passion her career.
Theirs a surprise ending. Like goodie who doesn’t love those. But instead of feeling like it was a surprise. I kind of felt like, blah about it. Spoiler Alert Ahead: The interview with the pedophile was well written and revealing, and I did feel something when I read that. Like this man is sick and there probably all like this. Its kinda sad too.
I do feel like if you want to get a peek into another culture and universe that it might be worth reading for the details alone. But don’t expect much on the story front. Story drags because of those same details.
Story At A Glance:
Overall Story: It was unique and I felt like I was plunged into an unknown culture that I normally wouldn’t see. The plot itself was a stand out, because you typically wouldn’t expect that kind of crime in there culture period. The price of admission was almost worth this fact. If it wasn’t missing so many other things. Spoiler Alert Ahead: The fact that we knew who the killer was the whole time and this case ended up being about what brought about the murder was also intriguing. Completely different from what I normally expect with the Mystery/Suspense genre.
Pacing: There are moments when the story just drags. Its extremely boring. You’re hearing the main character say for the hundredth time that she doesn’t want kids and your eye just rolls. She’s thinking about it 24/7 and talks about it with pretty much everyone at one point or another. Even interviews for the murders end up being a discussion about kids. The most interesting parts are the murder and the investigations. But there’s not enough set up for the surprise ending.
Characterization: I couldn’t connect with her at all. She doesn’t want kids, but she has so many opinions on the how, what and why others should raise theirs. As if the fact that she doesn’t have any at all makes her some sort of pseudo expert on the art of parenting. What was driving her besides the fact that she was assigned to the case? Why did she want to be a cop? She told her mother that she wasn’t career driven. Her mother should have retorted that your not driven to do anything.
World/Building Setting: As mentioned above, it was the best thing going for the book.
Language: Overall it was easy to read with no major grammar issues that might normally trip a reader up. The narrator’s voice which was that of the main character was consistent throughout. If a bit dull. The character herself could be very robotic.
Feeling: Not much on the story front. But reading the author’s note after, made me wish I could rank this book higher, that’s for sure. Spoiler Alert Ahead: Author admits that writing this book helped her get out of her depression. That she struggled with fertility and miscarriages. Which might explain the characters near obsession with not having kids.
Recommendation: No, not recommending this. However, if someone were to tell me that they wanted to read about another culture, or were growing weary of all characters being blond with blue eyes. Then this book would be on my lips. But not necessarily for the story. For you it may come down to what matters more. If you love world building, go for it. If you like story and plot as good as world building then don’t.
I’m just interested to hear if anyone else read it and what they thought about it?
The Ratings:
My Thumbs Up For:
- World Building
My Thumbs Down For:
- Obsessing over marriage and kids (which in fairness may just be a product of the culture)
- The mystery seemed like a sub plot to the world building
THE TRS BOOKS SYSTEM:
Book Cover Appeal:
Story & Narration:
Romance:
*Sex Scenes:
NOT APPLICABLE
OVERALL READING EXPERIENCE:
Hill of Secrets gets three strawberries from me. It ranks at 4 on Amazon. But I’m convinced that its based solely off the world building which is exceptional.
Book Info:
Pages: 287
Publisher: Michal Hartstein
Available: On Amazon
* I did some digging to find out that all Israeli men and women are required to do two years in the military after graduation.
