The Pearl King

Crow Investigations, Book 4

By: Sarah Painter

Narrated by: Kate Rawson

Length: 8 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's Summary

Tradition. Loyalty. Respect. Murder. Normal Family stuff. Don't miss the exciting fourth instalment in the best-selling urban fantasy mystery series Crow Investigations.

Lydia is pulled into the Crow Family business by her shady uncle Charlie. He has decided that Lydia needs to learn the truth about her infamous Family and to step into her role within it - whether she likes it or not. 

After Lydia’s wrongful arrest, her relationship with DCI Fleet is decidedly rocky, but when a teenage girl goes missing from Highgate Woods, she must put aside her emotions and work the case. Lydia is increasingly alarmed by Charlie’s methods but is trapped by loyalty. Then a direct attack on the Crows raises the tension between the Families to boiling point, and the mysterious Pearl Family steps out of the shadows. Can Lydia restore balance to the magical Families of London without losing her soul?

©2020 Sarah Painter (P)2020 W F Howes

Enjoyable

4th in the series, in general a good listen. A small bug bear the continual use of her feeling sick it's really over used. Main growl from me THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A SINK IN A BATHROOM. Sorry about that, but there doesn't appear to be anyone who can write a book without this error, it's a Basin.

Unlikable and dull female lead

I really enjoyed reading the Night Raven but by the time I got to the Pearl King I had become fed up of Lydia Crow and her sanctimonious self saboteur attitude. She is happy to send Maria Silver to jail albeit deserved, but the minute she finds herself arrested or her life in danger it’s a different story, yet she happily serves up her Uncle. I found myself not really caring about Lydia and desperate to finish the book which was a shame. Some characters are really interesting Jason, Fleet, Maria Silver, Mr Smith, Paul Fix, but Lydia’s prattling on and stupidity just became too much for me. She is actually quite a dirty girl she seems to have an aversion to washing, tidying up, problems with alcohol and her battle with her conscious instead of being enduring was just annoying. I was actually quite pleased at the points where she got a beating which isn’t a good sign when she is the female lead, I’m returning the rest of the books and I’m not especially interested in purchasing the next book.

Addictive twaddle

Writing this review for myself really - I bought the first three books in a sale and read them quickly. They annoyed me, but I found I couldn't stop reading them. Like binging on unhealthy food. Awful, but you still finish the packet.

Bought this fourth book a few months later - as I found the voice of the narrator really stuck in my head. And I'd hoped I'd just read the first three books too close to each other.

They're traditionally published but read like they're self published - meaning the stories flow from book to book, but there's little actual resolution at the end of the book.

The characters are caricatures. The world is unbelievable (outside of the fantasy). The policeman is always including his lover on witness conversations and interrogations. She's always banging on about not being like any of the crow family and the same time as going on and on about what crow people do.

And my god she over uses CROW, crow, CROW, crow, feathers, fly away little bird, Crow, crow. it's unbearably bad style. Taking a stylistic point and beating it to death.

And yet still I read them. it's trash fiction and if all you want is a simple escape with some magic, there are better out there. This is an easy read, with bad writing and ticks that annoy.

Note to self: stop reading them now. don't buy the next book. it will annoy you as much as the others have. Avoid!

this series gets better and better

a female lead in a magical PI detective book? sign me up! I absolutely love it. deals with some interesting issues re crime and policing too

Not my favourite, but still very good

Although it wasn't my favourite story by Sarah Painter, it is still very well written, and I listened all the way through. I think it was just because it was a Mafia type story that put me off a bit, but there are a lot of people who would really enjoy it. Very well performed by Kate Rawson.

I still love these books

A few people are complaining in the reviews but I am still enjoying the series. I have put book 5 on my wish list anyway. I think the secret is to listen to other authors inbetween. You can have too much of a good thing! I recently over killed on James Herbert. wild horses couldn't drag me to read a third in the series. A lesson learned!

Awesome

Excellent series of books. The narrator is awesome and the books are so well written. Just thought I'd leave this review before I listen to the final book. It'll no doubt be as addictive as the others in the series

Another fab Crow Investigations installment

A fab author, a fab narrator. So glad there are more instrumentals to follow!

Love this

A great book with an intriguing winding plot . Best one yet from this series . Lydia start to understand her powers.

Excellent episode in the series

Excellent story well performed. This episode continues the urban fantasy series and not only solves some longstanding mysteries, but marks some substantial changes. Definitely worth reading the series from the first book, sequentially. If you have you won’t be disappointed.