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jlturner13's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
steph01924's review against another edition
4.0
A well-crafted Gothic mystery with likeable characters, a decent pacing, and clear writing. I would definitely recommend if you're on the hunt for a historical mystery with a bit of spookiness and a satisfying conclusion.
amybraunauthor's review against another edition
4.0
A fun mystery with a few spooks and some great twists, A DREADFUL SPLENDOUR is just the thing a reader can enjoy over a weekend. It’s well written, evenly paced, and more reliant on charm and investigation than actual scare.
The story follows an orphaned young woman named Genevieve who makes her living as a spiritualist—and thief. To get out of her most recent arrest, she is offered a deal to hold a fake seance to find the truth about a young bride’s death, only to wonder if she really has encountered a supernatural situation.
Genevieve is a good character, looking out for herself and remaining charming. She can be a little selfish, yet I still empathized with her tragic backstory and understood her true motivations. There were a host of side characters who were are suspects, though the actual murderer was a surprise to me.
Most of the book is slow, focused on the investigation of the estate’s occupants, particularly the aloof Mr. Pemberton, but I did truly enjoy the big twist at the end. The book had some spooky moments, though not as many as I expected.
It’s fairly well written, though there were sections where the secrets seemed to have odd reasons and there were some leaps in logic that I couldn’t quite grasp. Still, it’s a fun, cozy novel that can be enjoyed over a weekend.
The story follows an orphaned young woman named Genevieve who makes her living as a spiritualist—and thief. To get out of her most recent arrest, she is offered a deal to hold a fake seance to find the truth about a young bride’s death, only to wonder if she really has encountered a supernatural situation.
Genevieve is a good character, looking out for herself and remaining charming. She can be a little selfish, yet I still empathized with her tragic backstory and understood her true motivations. There were a host of side characters who were are suspects, though the actual murderer was a surprise to me.
Most of the book is slow, focused on the investigation of the estate’s occupants, particularly the aloof Mr. Pemberton, but I did truly enjoy the big twist at the end. The book had some spooky moments, though not as many as I expected.
It’s fairly well written, though there were sections where the secrets seemed to have odd reasons and there were some leaps in logic that I couldn’t quite grasp. Still, it’s a fun, cozy novel that can be enjoyed over a weekend.
islareadsbooks's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
heyitskxtie's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
surelyyoujess's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
shauna_grenead's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
ewaire's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
alexandra_medley1995's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0