Scan barcode
lizabettie96's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
krissybarton's review against another edition
4.0
Imogen Robertson is not a new author for me. I have read and thoroughly enjoyed her Crowther and Westerman series. That series is historical mystery/thriller, so that is what I expected with The Paris Winter. I was not disappointed.
The Paris Winter is a stand-alone novel, the story of young Maud Heighton. Miss Heighton is an English art student living in Paris in 1909. The story follows her developing friendship with another student, Tanya Koltsova, and model Yvette. Through the assistance of her friends, Maud begins working as a companion to a young Frenchwoman, Sylvie Morel. Slowly, Maud is lured into the sordid underbelly of Paris, becoming a victim of violence and deceit.
The characterization in this novel is superb. Maud is a sympathetic and naive character and through the first half of the novel, she is the focus of the narrative. Mid-novel, the perspective shifts slightly, and the reader is given more insight into the lives of the other characters -- Tanya, Yvette, and the Morels. As the young women work to solve the mystery surrounding what happened to Maud and why, an intricate web of lies and violence is revealed.
The plot lines are interesting and beautifully interconnected throughout the novel. The story reaches its climax during the massive flooding in Paris in January 1910, and as the water rises, so does the intensity.
This novel is artfully written and I heartily recommend it to all who enjoy historical fiction.
The Paris Winter is a stand-alone novel, the story of young Maud Heighton. Miss Heighton is an English art student living in Paris in 1909. The story follows her developing friendship with another student, Tanya Koltsova, and model Yvette. Through the assistance of her friends, Maud begins working as a companion to a young Frenchwoman, Sylvie Morel. Slowly, Maud is lured into the sordid underbelly of Paris, becoming a victim of violence and deceit.
The characterization in this novel is superb. Maud is a sympathetic and naive character and through the first half of the novel, she is the focus of the narrative. Mid-novel, the perspective shifts slightly, and the reader is given more insight into the lives of the other characters -- Tanya, Yvette, and the Morels. As the young women work to solve the mystery surrounding what happened to Maud and why, an intricate web of lies and violence is revealed.
The plot lines are interesting and beautifully interconnected throughout the novel. The story reaches its climax during the massive flooding in Paris in January 1910, and as the water rises, so does the intensity.
This novel is artfully written and I heartily recommend it to all who enjoy historical fiction.
helenhg's review against another edition
4.0
Really good story with historical fiction. Listened to the audio which was pretty good except the narrator kept swallowing loudly which bothered me.
julieclair's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
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? No
4.25
professional_grandma's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
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? No
4.5
I had no clue what I was getting myself into when I started this book. Although you don’t necessarily love the main character, you do get to see her change according to the circumstances she is forced into, which was expressed brilliantly by the author. I did become highly invested in the lives of the cast of characters and what would happen to them. Overall, it was a great book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicide, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Drug use
todayitsthis's review against another edition
3.0
Not a brilliantly written novel in any respect, but it was a fun read that was easy to get through.
anwoodward's review
4.0
What a challenge for the genre board, to pidgeon this book into a single thing. Elements of mystery, suspense, gothic. Fans of Westerman/Crowther (which should by rights be everyone) will find this a different story altogether, written with the same brisk, vibrant fluency but very different. Great read, a little slow-paced but the sense of urgency doesn't come from the timeline but from the events themselves. Such a fan of Imogen Robertson.
unabridgedchick's review
4.0
Wonderfully fun. Loved so very much this portrait of female friendship, unencumbered by love triangles and other kinds of competitiveness. Robertson's evocation of art and Paris were wonderful; if I had this in print, I'd no doubt have been underlining away like crazy. My only miff is the very rapid POV shifts in the second part of the novel -- some within the same paragraph -- but otherwise, this historical thriller had me enthralled. Loved the real life drama of the flood of 1910 as backdrop to this novel.
Also, THE best HEA ever ever ever. EVER.
The narrator eventually grew on me -- I loved her vocalization of Tanya (or Tania?) and Countess de Civray -- and I didn't hate being read to as much as I anticipated. I've got an ambitious knitting project ahead of me (need to finish thrummed mittens before the winter!) so I might just try another audiobook soon...
Real review to come.
Also, THE best HEA ever ever ever. EVER.
The narrator eventually grew on me -- I loved her vocalization of Tanya (or Tania?) and Countess de Civray -- and I didn't hate being read to as much as I anticipated. I've got an ambitious knitting project ahead of me (need to finish thrummed mittens before the winter!) so I might just try another audiobook soon...
Real review to come.