A review by pokecol
Cross by Ken Bruen

challenging mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

I haven't read a single other mystery novel at this point, nor at all any of the Jack Taylor series. I simply happen to own Cross specifically. I dived in not knowing this was a series which seems to be quite a prevailing issue when it comes to reading, something I'm now acutely aware of.
That all being said, I like this book a lot. If I never found out about Jack Taylor being a series, I'm not sure I would have ever known, as Cross stands pretty well on its own.
I will say, if I were to be hyper-critical, that the mystery felt lacking, mostly because I was struggling to follow where or what the mystery specifically was, but the majority of the book is from the extremely jaded views of Jack Taylor which more than makes up the difference at nearly every point - it's truly excellent.
At this point in time I had not read many books and Cross was something I intentionally reserved a full afternoon to devour because it was just that engaging and I didn't feel a need to put it down.
Perhaps with more novels read under my belt I would have different things to say about the book overall but it mostly came down to being something I thoroughly enjoyed with lots of small scenes that I can very specifically remember.
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