Bogged down in the middle
586191
Very interesting beginning....just began to bog down in the middle. So far, I have not finished the book but probably will eventually.
3781942
This was a free for Kindle listing recently; the premise sounded very interesting to me, so I got it. At first, I was really drawn into the story and was enjoying it but around 50% into the book, it just got bogged down. I tried to make myself read all the way to the end, but just couldn't do it. Too many good books waiting to be read to spend any more time on this one.
3197868
The book started with a lot of potential but dragged in the middle. It seemed like there were a lot of things that were stretched out and over explained. Overall worth it since I got it free.
520827
I don't know if it was me who lost interest, or the author (or both), but by midway through it felt like the story had peaked - it was just a matter of tidying up loose ends, and I couldn't get motivated to wade through the rest. Author is very competent, but this felt a bit phoned-in.
3180766
Started out really good but I seemed to get bogged down two-thirds of the way through it (It may be just me). I plan to finish reading it and review previous chapters.
4556679
Gabriel Allon has had a good long run but is starting to wear thin for me. The first half of the book really dragged, in my opinion, but then it picked up. The elements that have always enriched these books for me - the interpersonal relationships, the existential angst, the tradecraft details and the cultural elements - were largely missing this time around.
2793388
While the beginning and end fly by, the middle wanes to a painfully slow pace. It's not a story that will stick with me, and I most likely won't read it again, but parts of it were enjoyable.
4571699
While his first two books were very good, I found this one a disappointment. It starts well, the ending is acceptable but there is an area in the middle that just draaaggs on.  It felt like the author was just trying to fill space.
1503796
story drags, felt like I was talking to someone who rambles
2628556
I got a little bogged down in this book. I read it right after reading "Epitaph" which was really good. I think the writing style got a little tedious after reading two books in a row about the same characters and about the same era.
4705824
The first novel in the series was mostly non-stop action after a brief warm-up. The second slowed things down considerably, now the third gets almost hopelessly bogged down in politics and lessons on military etiquette. It might have scored lower if not for the exciting final chapter. I will read the last one, but my hopes aren't high.
2022479
The story was really good but started to drag in the middle. The ending left a lot to be desired since it never provided a proper conclusion. We never found out what happened to Hutch and his henchmen, the buried water hole with the treasure and the ending with the crypt and the real "treasure" was disappointing.
728325
I love the premise, the start, and the detailed development of European police procedure. However, after a few chapters I bogged down in the pacing of this novel. It seemed to take Wallander forever even to get the case, and let alone solve it. I was caught by the detail of life so different from mine and yet frustrated by the pacing of the book and lack of focus. Occasional beautiful writing kept me going in spite of these mixed emotions.

I also found the writer indulged himself with "telling" rather than "showing" especially regarding Wallander's plodding and disorganized solving of the crime. His thoughts were baldly stated. Being a crime writer myself I kept saying aloud, "for God's sake, man" and "hurry it up" as Wallander's car broke down yet again and several pages were wasted in the barren and unpronounceable landscape of a Swedish winter.

That said, I finished it. And that's huge for me with my own writing and two jobs. I am left hoping Wallander gets his dog and absentee girlfriend, and a vacation. Oh and some PTSD counseling would be nice.
984999
As another reader said, this was a compelling story, but it just got so bogged down. Parts of it were fascinating, but at times it was necessary just to skip a lot. Really, how much can a person stand to read about a girl scaring mice out of spring mix so that it doesn't have to be triple washed?!
393873
The characters were good. The story was good. But, this book dragged on in the middle so much I almost quit reading it. Glad I didn't, however, as I said, the middle just seemed like repetition. Still would recommend it.
4022518
While I loved "Pillars..." I got bogged down about half way through this one. There were a few characters that I cared about, but not enough to find out what happened to them. And there were so many ancillary characters, that I became confused and had to go back and figure out who they were (not an easy thing on a Kindle).

So I put the book down in favor of a shorter Follett (Triple) and may go back to it when I have lots of uninterrupted time on the beach.
411111
The book started out with great promise, but became dragging in the middle. Alot of story, but no definite bedding. Became bored at the end.