Two things I hate in a novel: Plots that turn on highly intelligent perceptive women doing obviously dangerous and/or stupid things. The other is a Deus ex Machina ending. And I hate them even more when they show up in a mystery. And I hate them MUCH, MUCH MORE when it’s a really well-written mystery. And this just happened to me.* And I was so excited about figuring it out. Then about 25 pages before the end, the antagonist went into a two-page monologue filling in most of the blanks and the MC went back into the house with him even though she knew he was going to try to kill her. End of rant.

*I won’t mention the author’s name but it rhymes with Flanya Mensch.