Perhaps because some of the subject matter and locations were completely foreign to me, I could not connect with this book at all. I never had any strong feelings about the characters or anything that was going on. The ending was somewhat bizarre and didn't seem connected to the majority of the book. I could have done some research on my own, I suppose, to appreciate and understand the culture of Sri Lanka, but it wouldn't have changed how I felt about the characters or the ending. ( )

The Mask Collectors is an elaborate novel that's kind of all over the place.

The story is highly plot-driven, but the plot goes in too many directions. Rather than feeling complex, it feels convoluted. Some of the storylines include secrets between a married couple, secrets between friends, the murders and the ongoing investigations, a major conspiracy within a pharmaceutical company, infertility, and Sri Lankan rituals. It's all too far-reaching and scattered.

The heart of the story, which revolves around the pharmaceutical company, stretched plausibility too far for many reasons. I can't explain why, because I don't want to give spoilers. To buy into it all, I first had to believe Duncan's role at the company was a necessary risk for them to take. I didn't buy into that, and it went downhill from there.

The characters aren't well developed. I felt they were stiff and stereotypical.

I never enjoy being the voice of doom here, but this story just didn't work for me.

*This was my Amazon First Reads choice for May.* ( )