3.5 stars

I'm not sure why people seem to like this one more than the first. I felt the crime/mystery plot here was weaker, but more classic, than the first book but surprisingly a lot more death. It is very reminiscent of Agatha Christie which is probably why I was a little bored by it. Though I guessed the main perpetrator immediately, I will give credit that I couldn't figure out who would die next and who else was involved in that way.
Additionally, Hazard and Somerset seem to be regressing a bit, especially in their communication. Ashe continues to write the slowest of slow burns which is definitely waning the interest in the story a bit. Also, they keep contradicting their own thoughts. For example, we get one chapter from Somers POV and the next chapter, during Hazard's POV, Somers does something that's completely out of left field from what he was just thinking a few pages back. It's the second book and I'm not sure Ashe has really decided who he wants these characters to be or where they're going in their relationship(s). Hazard being a completely frustrating meathead is weird for an 'out' character but maybe that's why I find him interesting enough to keep reading.

Despite all these issues, my attention was thoroughly captured and I didn't want to stop reading and immediately started on the 3rd book as soon as I was done with this, so that has to count for something.