I think novels should be for books, and long form journalism with this mountain of exposition before the point should die. It just feels like this author couldnt make a living writing novels and burdens us in an online newspaper instead.
It did get me interested enough to ask chatgpt what Crundwell did. Rita Crundwell, for an article that also couldnt get to the point about her first name due to some other ritualistic journalism idea that merely frustrates