Given that I love dark, gritty crime novels, I was surprised by how much I didn't love this book. Of course, reviews are always subjective, so I'll tell you what I didn't like and you can do with it what you will.

From page one, we're immediately dropped into a chaotic criminal world, with little explanation and virtually no character development. The story jumps around and characters spill onto the pages, while we're left to figure out who these people are and why we should care.

I found the cast of characters wholly unlikable. I have no problem liking a bad guy, or at least finding him/her interesting enough to spend time with, but, for that to happen, I have to be given some substance. I need a reason to keep reading. I couldn't find that reason. The lack of character development and their unlikable natures had me continually wondering why I was bothering.

Then we have the plot, which isn't particularly plausible. And it takes some time to figure out if there's even a point.

I kept putting the book down for long stretches. I read 100+ books a year, so when I opt to turn on the TV or play a game on my phone instead of picking up my book, I know there's a problem. At about the halfway point, I gave up the pretense. This story simply isn't for me. ( )