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Persephone
A young lieutenant has been fighting her whole life to leave behind her up bringing, but with a murderer on the loose she ends up knee deep again. Will anything change this time?
Unknown Binding
First published October 15, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 10, 2022
Thank you so much to the author for sending me an ARC in an exchange for an honest review!
ngl it took me forever to finish the book because whenever I pick it up and I start reading it something happens in my life and it distracts me but yayy I finally finished it!
It’s such a great book! I’m a sucker for crime books and I enjoyed it! I loved the characters I think they were well written. I enjoyed the dialogues between the characters. Some made me laugh so hard. AND THE END! The end was pretty shocking.
I can’t wait to see what else Bethany has in store for us!
ngl it took me forever to finish the book because whenever I pick it up and I start reading it something happens in my life and it distracts me but yayy I finally finished it!
It’s such a great book! I’m a sucker for crime books and I enjoyed it! I loved the characters I think they were well written. I enjoyed the dialogues between the characters. Some made me laugh so hard. AND THE END! The end was pretty shocking.
I can’t wait to see what else Bethany has in store for us!
October 25, 2021
A story with such delicate architecture you fear it will fall to pieces if one brick is mislaid. Persephone will have you aching to know the one behind these gruesome murders, and how they connect so intrinsically to Bree.
Warning: This review contains spoilers.
Persephone – the Greek goddess that earned her name through wrath and destruction. Nothing could be more juxtaposing to Bree Wildes, the young lieutenant working on a series of gruesome murders that involve her in a way she would have never expected. Pomegranate seeds.
When I got my hands on this book, I was excited to see how the Greek gods would be used in a way that was not a retelling. I would never have thought that mafia nicknames would be such an effective use of these Greek characters. Given the code name Persephone after her mafia boss mother Demeter (Lindsay Wildes), Bree Wildes 23finds herself in the hands of Hades – Ellis Serban, leader of the Infernals. With her late father’s signature on a ledger stating that Bree and Ellis would be married in his passing, Bree has no choice but to keep this certain enemy closer than any of her friends.
As a reader of the ARC, I was privy to many spelling mistakes and small grammatical errors that could often make my reading complicated and confusing, but I was still able to thoroughly enjoy the work, nonetheless.
As someone who is an avid reader of thriller, crime, and watcher of anything true crime, I knew this book would be right up my alley. The only tick that I had was that Mike’s role in forensics was unspecified and unlikely – it is not often that a first on scene or crime scene analyst is also the forensic pathologist. Obviously, not all readers would know this, so it’s only something that bothered me a little as I watched him work through day and night (probably getting underpaid for it, too, poor guy).
The perspective used throughout the book was perfect in developing suspense and intrigue. Third person allowed author Bethany Barr to show us who the real killer was, and reveal that these killings were only motivated by blackmail from another character that Bethany was able to keep hidden from us even in third person. Having every angle of the story is a very unique perspective for crime and one that I have probably only seen used once, and Bethany was able to still keep her true antagonist hidden while exposing the real killer.
The real killer was one I should have anticipated but most definitely did not expect – Bree’s own mother. While ‘Demeter’s’ internal motivation had me intrigued to the life she had lived before Bree, I found myself disappointed by how Lindsay herself expressed this motivation. ‘I was bored’ is a lacklustre expression that has been overused in many antagonist stories for the sake of ‘making them seem so evil no one could like them’. Her motivation, really, was expressed in her fight with Bree, where she tries to prove that they are one and the same. This motivation is much more powerful than the expressed motivation, and I would have preferred for this to be delved into more. Also, I would have loved to see her process of choosing a victim. However, I do understand that real human motivation is not always straightforward – sometimes actions can’t be explained so simply – so Lindsay’s desire for drama does account for her wicked personality. I also found that the true nature of her father’s death – a murder – seemed to be glossed over quite a bit, though Bree’s relationship with her father made her the person she was.
I found that the slow-burning romance between Bree and Ellis was so much better than most straight couple enemies-to-lovers books that often involve insane toxicity that is not acceptable in real life. It’s obvious that Ellis is starting to care for Bree much more than he anticipated, and the affection is mutual. For the first book in this series, we followed them until they proposed to go on their first date together. Filled with respected boundaries and soft glances, their budding romance made my true romantic heart flutter.
Overall, I would have to give this a 3.5 out of 5 – it is a fantastic first novel for Bethany and it proves that while she has a way to go, her writing will only improve. I’m excited for the next novel, and will definitely be following this series.
Warning: This review contains spoilers.
Persephone – the Greek goddess that earned her name through wrath and destruction. Nothing could be more juxtaposing to Bree Wildes, the young lieutenant working on a series of gruesome murders that involve her in a way she would have never expected. Pomegranate seeds.
When I got my hands on this book, I was excited to see how the Greek gods would be used in a way that was not a retelling. I would never have thought that mafia nicknames would be such an effective use of these Greek characters. Given the code name Persephone after her mafia boss mother Demeter (Lindsay Wildes), Bree Wildes 23finds herself in the hands of Hades – Ellis Serban, leader of the Infernals. With her late father’s signature on a ledger stating that Bree and Ellis would be married in his passing, Bree has no choice but to keep this certain enemy closer than any of her friends.
As a reader of the ARC, I was privy to many spelling mistakes and small grammatical errors that could often make my reading complicated and confusing, but I was still able to thoroughly enjoy the work, nonetheless.
As someone who is an avid reader of thriller, crime, and watcher of anything true crime, I knew this book would be right up my alley. The only tick that I had was that Mike’s role in forensics was unspecified and unlikely – it is not often that a first on scene or crime scene analyst is also the forensic pathologist. Obviously, not all readers would know this, so it’s only something that bothered me a little as I watched him work through day and night (probably getting underpaid for it, too, poor guy).
The perspective used throughout the book was perfect in developing suspense and intrigue. Third person allowed author Bethany Barr to show us who the real killer was, and reveal that these killings were only motivated by blackmail from another character that Bethany was able to keep hidden from us even in third person. Having every angle of the story is a very unique perspective for crime and one that I have probably only seen used once, and Bethany was able to still keep her true antagonist hidden while exposing the real killer.
The real killer was one I should have anticipated but most definitely did not expect – Bree’s own mother. While ‘Demeter’s’ internal motivation had me intrigued to the life she had lived before Bree, I found myself disappointed by how Lindsay herself expressed this motivation. ‘I was bored’ is a lacklustre expression that has been overused in many antagonist stories for the sake of ‘making them seem so evil no one could like them’. Her motivation, really, was expressed in her fight with Bree, where she tries to prove that they are one and the same. This motivation is much more powerful than the expressed motivation, and I would have preferred for this to be delved into more. Also, I would have loved to see her process of choosing a victim. However, I do understand that real human motivation is not always straightforward – sometimes actions can’t be explained so simply – so Lindsay’s desire for drama does account for her wicked personality. I also found that the true nature of her father’s death – a murder – seemed to be glossed over quite a bit, though Bree’s relationship with her father made her the person she was.
I found that the slow-burning romance between Bree and Ellis was so much better than most straight couple enemies-to-lovers books that often involve insane toxicity that is not acceptable in real life. It’s obvious that Ellis is starting to care for Bree much more than he anticipated, and the affection is mutual. For the first book in this series, we followed them until they proposed to go on their first date together. Filled with respected boundaries and soft glances, their budding romance made my true romantic heart flutter.
Overall, I would have to give this a 3.5 out of 5 – it is a fantastic first novel for Bethany and it proves that while she has a way to go, her writing will only improve. I’m excited for the next novel, and will definitely be following this series.
November 1, 2021
*While i received this ARC copy, this does not in any way influence my honest opinion/ review of this book. I’m also thankful that I was able to receive this ARC copy.
Before reading, “Persephone”, I was really intrigued with the idea of this story being surrounded by gangs, police officers, mobsters, essentially a crime centered story. Most Persephone and Hades retellings usually stick to the Greek mythology and have some kind of twist to it, but this book was unique in the sense that it was set in modern time, and it was more focused on the mystery the main character, Bree Wildes (a.k.a. Persephone) was trying to solve throughout the book.
The first page didn’t waste time giving us an inside look of what to expect, which was murders being committed, trying to connect the dots, and figure out the motive behind these murders. While reading, we knew something nefarious was going on behind the scenes, meanwhile Bree and the other detectives were trying to solve the crimes. While I initially found the crime aspect of the story intriguing, I found myself a little bit distracted trying to follow the train of thoughts in terms of what exactly was going in. I think partly because the story switched from different characters, it made me lose my train of thought. While it was interesting to see what the other characters (the detectives a.k.a. Bree’s friends) were up in their personal lives, etc. I felt like it wasn’t necessary, I felt like that time spent on the characters lives could have been spent on more Bree and the mysterious Ellis. I will say that I did like Leona, and I was really intrigued with her little Rendezvous with Julian (a.k.a. One of the suspects they question).
I felt like the way Ellis was introduced was definitely unexpected (*spoiler Ellis kidnapped Bree so he could meet with her) but was interesting. In the beginning, Ellis was a character I wanted to learn more about since the beginning of the book, we don’t get to see him as much (at least that’s what I felt). On the other hand, Bree’s backstory was definitely one that I didn’t see coming. I had an idea that Bree’s mom was going to be involved in some kind of mobster/gang life, but Bree’s dad being a cop was an interesting dynamic to highlight, especially considering Bree’s mom’s occupation.
There were some aspects of this book that I liked, but there were also some things I didn’t like. First, I understand this was an ARC copy, but the amount of incorrect grammar and spellings was a bit disappointing. Sure sometimes the grammatical errors might be few, but this was a lot and would have expected this ARC copy to have been edited a bit more. Secondly, I found that at times there was a lot happening that it seemed like a tangent. I personally would have preferred the story to have focused solely on Bree and Ellis alongside trying to solve the murders.
I felt like this book had more potential, and while it wasn’t my favorite book, I did like the crime aspect of the story. The ending of the book was left on a cliffhanger and left me wondering… what will happen next considering everything Bree went through? This book wasn’t my cup of tea, but maybe you’ll enjoy it if you want to read a different storyline of Hades and Persephone or a crime centered plot line.
Before reading, “Persephone”, I was really intrigued with the idea of this story being surrounded by gangs, police officers, mobsters, essentially a crime centered story. Most Persephone and Hades retellings usually stick to the Greek mythology and have some kind of twist to it, but this book was unique in the sense that it was set in modern time, and it was more focused on the mystery the main character, Bree Wildes (a.k.a. Persephone) was trying to solve throughout the book.
The first page didn’t waste time giving us an inside look of what to expect, which was murders being committed, trying to connect the dots, and figure out the motive behind these murders. While reading, we knew something nefarious was going on behind the scenes, meanwhile Bree and the other detectives were trying to solve the crimes. While I initially found the crime aspect of the story intriguing, I found myself a little bit distracted trying to follow the train of thoughts in terms of what exactly was going in. I think partly because the story switched from different characters, it made me lose my train of thought. While it was interesting to see what the other characters (the detectives a.k.a. Bree’s friends) were up in their personal lives, etc. I felt like it wasn’t necessary, I felt like that time spent on the characters lives could have been spent on more Bree and the mysterious Ellis. I will say that I did like Leona, and I was really intrigued with her little Rendezvous with Julian (a.k.a. One of the suspects they question).
I felt like the way Ellis was introduced was definitely unexpected (*spoiler Ellis kidnapped Bree so he could meet with her) but was interesting. In the beginning, Ellis was a character I wanted to learn more about since the beginning of the book, we don’t get to see him as much (at least that’s what I felt). On the other hand, Bree’s backstory was definitely one that I didn’t see coming. I had an idea that Bree’s mom was going to be involved in some kind of mobster/gang life, but Bree’s dad being a cop was an interesting dynamic to highlight, especially considering Bree’s mom’s occupation.
There were some aspects of this book that I liked, but there were also some things I didn’t like. First, I understand this was an ARC copy, but the amount of incorrect grammar and spellings was a bit disappointing. Sure sometimes the grammatical errors might be few, but this was a lot and would have expected this ARC copy to have been edited a bit more. Secondly, I found that at times there was a lot happening that it seemed like a tangent. I personally would have preferred the story to have focused solely on Bree and Ellis alongside trying to solve the murders.
I felt like this book had more potential, and while it wasn’t my favorite book, I did like the crime aspect of the story. The ending of the book was left on a cliffhanger and left me wondering… what will happen next considering everything Bree went through? This book wasn’t my cup of tea, but maybe you’ll enjoy it if you want to read a different storyline of Hades and Persephone or a crime centered plot line.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 27, 2021
I know 3/5 stars seems a bit low, but I’m an extremely harsh grader when it comes to crime/mystery novels, and I think Bethany has room to grow tremendously. I wouldn’t want to set this book as the standard for her work, because I already know she’ll go extremely far.
Overall, this was an incredible well-thought out book and I thoroughly enjoyed the relations between the characters and Greek Mythology. I could write an essay on this book determining the ideology between this book and real myths. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but let’s just say you’ll be pretty shocked at the end.
I’m extremely excited to see what Bethany comes up with next, her imagination is limitless!
Overall, this was an incredible well-thought out book and I thoroughly enjoyed the relations between the characters and Greek Mythology. I could write an essay on this book determining the ideology between this book and real myths. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but let’s just say you’ll be pretty shocked at the end.
I’m extremely excited to see what Bethany comes up with next, her imagination is limitless!
October 18, 2021
I appreciate the author's ability to write a crime novel, and I am aware that I am notoriously harsh on breakout novels. I love Greek mythology and Crime novels with all my heart, but the way this book read, it felt like a fanfiction. I do appreciate a good fanfiction, but I didn't feel like the cheesiness of it all should have been as amped up as it was. At times, I did feel like some lines could have been quoted from Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly's relationship, but that is trendy right now and I can't necessarily take points off for that.
I feel like this has a target audience, probably someone a bit younger than my 21 years of age. In all, it's not a bad book, I just felt that I wasn't the target audience. I can't wait to see what Bethany Barr does in the future!
*I was given this book for free in exchange for my review. I received no financial compensation for my review, as I am an advanced reader. This is my completely honest review.*
I feel like this has a target audience, probably someone a bit younger than my 21 years of age. In all, it's not a bad book, I just felt that I wasn't the target audience. I can't wait to see what Bethany Barr does in the future!
*I was given this book for free in exchange for my review. I received no financial compensation for my review, as I am an advanced reader. This is my completely honest review.*
October 18, 2021
This story is beautifully woven and will keep you on the edge of your seat
November 27, 2021
I typically don’t DNF books but this one has so many grammar and formatting errors it just completely distracted from the story. I LOVE the concept and idea the author had though. Hopefully some editing gets done in the future and I can revisit.
November 7, 2021
a lieutenant, a series of murders, and a mob boss.
The story is absolutely compelling and I loved getting sucked into the world of NYPD Lieutenant Bree Wilder and her team as they try to solve a rather strange series of murders involving pomegranate seeds and a mob boss named Ellis Serban aka Hades.
Sadly my copy of the book was riddled with typos throughout the story, which sometimes disrupted the reading experience as I was continuously trying to correct the errors in the writing.
The dialogue between characters was great and had good flow, at times making it read more like a script than a novel.
Although what sometimes had me a bit confused, was that some characters were mentioned by name without much context and had their introduction/explanation of who they are and how they connect to the story in dialog between other characters.
Also, for most characters I felt their physical description and characteristics were only explained while they interacted with each other, which made getting to know them and building their character in my imagination difficult, even though by the end of the book you could tell that all the main characters were well thought out and hat their own unique backstory and history in this world.
I really liked the storyline and narrative of the book, however I think (especially the version i got) could use another round of editing. Than this could be the start of a great crime series with ties to Greek mythology and a cast of interesting and diverse characters.
The story is absolutely compelling and I loved getting sucked into the world of NYPD Lieutenant Bree Wilder and her team as they try to solve a rather strange series of murders involving pomegranate seeds and a mob boss named Ellis Serban aka Hades.
"I don't know whether it's stupidity or love." The woman commented, Nina narrowed her eyes at her not saying anything. The woman clapped her hands and she flinched. "I forgot, they come hand in hand." She said, laughing as she stood up and marched out the room, slamming the door and locking it.
Sadly my copy of the book was riddled with typos throughout the story, which sometimes disrupted the reading experience as I was continuously trying to correct the errors in the writing.
The dialogue between characters was great and had good flow, at times making it read more like a script than a novel.
Although what sometimes had me a bit confused, was that some characters were mentioned by name without much context and had their introduction/explanation of who they are and how they connect to the story in dialog between other characters.
Also, for most characters I felt their physical description and characteristics were only explained while they interacted with each other, which made getting to know them and building their character in my imagination difficult, even though by the end of the book you could tell that all the main characters were well thought out and hat their own unique backstory and history in this world.
I really liked the storyline and narrative of the book, however I think (especially the version i got) could use another round of editing. Than this could be the start of a great crime series with ties to Greek mythology and a cast of interesting and diverse characters.
December 28, 2023
I honestly enjoyed the story! I love anything related with Greek mythology and the fact that this was like a “spin off” made it much more interesting for me. Yes there were spelling errors, but I was intrigued and loved the plot so honestly I did not care about them. I’m excited to read book 2!!!!
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