The Helen Grace series is a favorite of mine. So, I was curious to see how this, a stand-alone thriller about a teenager claiming to have the ability to see into one's eyes and see how she or he would die, would turn out. In this book, we get to both follow the police during the serial killer investigations, as well as Adam Brandt, a forensic psychologist who is slowly getting more and more pulled into Kassie's world. Then, there is Kassie herself, the star of this book. She's a troubled youth who carries a terrible burden. Adam wants to help Kassie, but the more involved he gets into her life, the more problem arises for him and his wife who after several years are expecting their first child. Are Kassie's visions true? Or is she unbalanced?

I always enjoy reading books that are angling towards the paranormal. There is it or is it not something supernatural going on is such an interesting subject to read about. The "gift" of seeing how people will die, especially violently isn't something I would like to have. For Kassie has this been part of her whole life, she truly believes that she has this awful gift. However, all the people that she wars just end up being weirded out by her. Kassie herself comes from a broken home, with a mother who just wants her to behave and act normal.

As a thriller did I find the book to be interesting to read. Very different from the Helen Grace series and if I'm perfectly honest so did this book not rock my boat the same way that Arlidge's series about Helen Grace does. I found myself not as invested in the story as I hope to be and the pacing was a bit slow now and then. On the plus side, it sure gets hectic towards the end of the book. It's definitely a book worth reading and I found myself quite impressed with the books grim ending.

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review! ( )

M.J. Arlidge is one of my favorite authors. His D.I. Helen Grace series is phenomenally and consistently good. So when I saw that he had a stand-alone novel, I jumped at the chance to read it. Alas, "A Gift for Dying" did not live up to the standards I have for Mr. Arlidge, and here's why:

1) The book took forever to get going. There was so much backstory and setup. Too much. Although the book had Arlidge's trademark very short chapters, the short chapters didn't help move along the plot like they do in his D.I. Helen Grace series. Instead, I got frustrated that a 3-page chapter would be inserted to talk about a potential victim's mundane day. I realize that Arlidge wanted to give readers a chance to get to know the characters, but in this case it really wasn't necessary. Knowing the victims' daily routines and thoughts didn't have bearing on the plot or getting insight into the killer, so it was really unnecessary and served only to drag out the book, which was already 470 pages long.

2) This story should not have been set in Chicago. Or anywhere in the United States, for that matter. It should have been set in England because Arlidge's language is British English, with British vocabulary. Lots of British vocabulary. It was so jarring for the characters to be speaking British English when they're supposed to be American people based in Chicago. And not just the characters, but the descriptions and narrative portions were also steeped in British vocabulary. There was no need to base this book in Chicago. It could have been based anywhere and still worked. But if you're going to base it in the United States, you need to use American English. Otherwise, it simply doesn't fit.

3) I didn't connect with Dr. Adam Brandt, the main adult character. I didn't find his actions and decisions believable, and I simply never felt a connection with him and his wife Faith and their domestic trials, although I could tell that Arlidge was trying very hard to draw the reader in. I felt more of a connection with Kassie, the teenaged girl who is central to this novel. But even with Kassie, I didn't really care about her family life backstory, her mom, her childhood. I don't know why, but all of that just made me impatient to get on with the plot. I understand the need for character development, but for some reason it wasn't working for me in this book.

Having said all this, I still give the book 3 stars because Arlidge is a good writer. When the pace of the book finally started picking up, I was much more engrossed. Some of the violence is extremely graphic, but this was not a surprise to me, as I know how graphic his D.I. Helen Grace series can be. It's not gratuitous violence - it does fit, but it's definitely not for the squeamish.

Because I like Arlidge so much, I'll still give it a go with any future standalone novels, but in the meantime I eagerly await the next in his D.I. Helen Grace series. ( )

This was a dark read centering on a teen girl who can see the moment of ones death by looking in their eyes. While the story-line was intriguing and I wanted to know what happened, I felt the characters could have been fleshed out a little more. The plot was interesting albeit twisted (as one would expect) and the ending wasn’t quite what I had predicted. Overall a decent book - just missing the depth I was hoping for. ( )

This was a dark read centering on a teen girl who can see the moment of ones death by looking in their eyes. While the story-line was intriguing and I wanted to know what happened, I felt the characters could have been fleshed out a little more. The plot was interesting albeit twisted (as one would expect) and the ending wasn’t quite what I had predicted. Overall a decent book - just missing the depth I was hoping for. ( )

Een standalone van M.J. Arlidge. Zit goed in elkaar maar is wel een beetje duister. Kassie is een jong meisje met een bizar talent. Als zij mensen in de ogen kijkt ziet ze wanneer die dood gaan. En de manier waarop. Adam is een kinderpsycholoog die haar probeert te helpen, maar niet echt kan geloven wat Kassie hem probeert te vertellen. Als in Chicago een aantal gruwelijk verminkte lichamen worden gevonden, lijkt het alsof Kassie daar bij betrokken is. En dat is ze natuurlijk ook, maar niet op de manier waarop de politie denkt. Het boek leest supersnel door de korte hoofdstukken. ( )