I had written a longer review for this book but misclicked when wanting to save it. Again, a whole review lost. So a shorter version will have to suffice.

What drew me to this book in the first place was that it takes place in Hokitika, a former gold mining town on the remote west coast of New Zealand’s south island. When I was there in 2015, this town spoke to me with its much too large roads and many abandoned houses, testament to a town far beyond its prime.

As to the book itself, it’s an intricate mesh of characters, events and places. Looking back at it, I wonder how Catton was able to fill more than 800 pages with a mystery that she herself resolves in a brief chapter at the end. Repeatedly, I asked myself what use a verbose description of a character might have or what meaning a situation could have for the plot. None at all usually was the right answer.

Nonetheless, I liked the book as an entertaining passtime that spoke to me due to its location and the mystery kept me coming back with excitement.