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balletbookworm's review
3.0
I thought this quite entertaining until about three chapters from the end when the story jumped ahead approximately 40 years to detail the history of a main character then back to finish the falling action of the story. Completely unnecessary and poorly edited because the action at the end of the that chapter did not mesh well with the opening of the next.
Dropped it a full star.
Dropped it a full star.
cozydormouse's review
3.0
I suppose that "classic Victorian mystery" can mean "give me lots of exposition instead of dialogue and interaction." This was a good book, but not quite up to the standards of those books it seeks to emulate; Sayers is the most immediate comparison. For example: in Sayers's books, we learn about the Bunter/Wimsey history and relationship through their interactions in many, many books, and I feel like we never get the entire story there. In this book, the Graham/Lenox relationship is practically dumped in our laps through a lot of tedious explanation and awkwardly inserted backstory.
I actually did like the book, and I'll likely read the rest of the series. It's not a "to buy" series for me, nor even a "request immediately from the library" priority. I'll read them as I happen upon them.
I actually did like the book, and I'll likely read the rest of the series. It's not a "to buy" series for me, nor even a "request immediately from the library" priority. I'll read them as I happen upon them.
mjwerts's review
4.0
This was a charming mystery. The killer and motive were not readily transparent, but yet made clear sense when revealed. Amateur detective Charles Lenox, with his dignified morality, is a delightful protagonist. From Lenox's longtime friend Lady Jane to his butler Graham and brother Edmund, Charles Finch has crafted an engaging collection of individuals. Combine this with the top-notch murder case, and the reader encounters a cozy delight.
pattydsf's review
3.0
This book's arrival in my reading pile was total serendipity. I don't usually read mysteries; I listen to them so I don't cheat and read the last page first. However, I was looking for something to read at one of our libraries and the title of this book jumped out at me. This volume and the third were sitting together waiting for me to find them.
Charles Lenox is the product of his time which is the Victorian era. However, he is willing to consider that some modernizations are a good thing. He is an aristocrat with time on his hands so solving mysteries is both a job and entertainment.
I think Charles Finch has picked an interesting era for his mysteries. The Scotland Yard has only been around a couple of decades so folks are still not sure what their role is in solving murders; life is changing with manufacturing so money is not just something aristocrats have and science and exploration is a big part of life for Britain.
For some reason, probably the pace this book reminds me of Laurie R. King's Sherlock Holmes series. I know I want to read more about Charles Lenox and I will continue to resist reading that last page.
Charles Lenox is the product of his time which is the Victorian era. However, he is willing to consider that some modernizations are a good thing. He is an aristocrat with time on his hands so solving mysteries is both a job and entertainment.
I think Charles Finch has picked an interesting era for his mysteries. The Scotland Yard has only been around a couple of decades so folks are still not sure what their role is in solving murders; life is changing with manufacturing so money is not just something aristocrats have and science and exploration is a big part of life for Britain.
For some reason, probably the pace this book reminds me of Laurie R. King's Sherlock Holmes series. I know I want to read more about Charles Lenox and I will continue to resist reading that last page.
bookfey's review
1.0
i tried i really tried. I got more than half way and just couldn't care a rats ass anymore
aas393's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
geekbrocade's review
2.0
Took me awhile to finish this book. There was something inherently wrong with the writing. Something was definitely missing. I did not feel at all eager to know what would happen next. A tad bit slow paced and the main protagonist was referred to as an intelligent man but he seemed to miss some clues which made me doubt how truly intelligent he was.
Lady Jane, the so called love interest, was not fleshed out as befits a main character of a novel.
Back to the writing, the author seemed to repeat himself quite a lot in his descriptions of characters. We have already established that Lady Jane was Lenox's childhood friend. You don't need to repeat it numerous times throughout the narrative.
Sadly, I bought the first three books, so I might as well read the others at some point.
Lady Jane, the so called love interest, was not fleshed out as befits a main character of a novel.
Back to the writing, the author seemed to repeat himself quite a lot in his descriptions of characters. We have already established that Lady Jane was Lenox's childhood friend. You don't need to repeat it numerous times throughout the narrative.
Sadly, I bought the first three books, so I might as well read the others at some point.
sloreads_ca's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Full review on sloreads.ca
A Beautiful Blue Death is a quaint, cozy mystery. I'm unsure if Goodreads had the series order incorrect, but this book referred to previous cases, so there may be a prequel kicking around. Charles Lenox, an aristocratic second son, has little to occupy his time and a penchant for investigating. His close family friend Lady Jane asks him to look into the death of a former staff member as a favour to her.
For a book set in the Victorian era, Prudence, Lady Jane's former staff member, sure gets up to some hijinks. A Beautiful Blue Death handles the tension between amateur detective and police service well, with limited collaboration and Charles getting told to butt out repeatedly.
A Beautiful Blue Death is a comfortable story. It was engaging and cozy while staying within the expected boundaries of the genre. As it's a fifteen-book series still in publication, I hope the series will continue to improve and engage.
A Beautiful Blue Death is a quaint, cozy mystery. I'm unsure if Goodreads had the series order incorrect, but this book referred to previous cases, so there may be a prequel kicking around. Charles Lenox, an aristocratic second son, has little to occupy his time and a penchant for investigating. His close family friend Lady Jane asks him to look into the death of a former staff member as a favour to her.
For a book set in the Victorian era, Prudence, Lady Jane's former staff member, sure gets up to some hijinks. A Beautiful Blue Death handles the tension between amateur detective and police service well, with limited collaboration and Charles getting told to butt out repeatedly.
A Beautiful Blue Death is a comfortable story. It was engaging and cozy while staying within the expected boundaries of the genre. As it's a fifteen-book series still in publication, I hope the series will continue to improve and engage.
nshellab's review against another edition
2.0
Plodding, slow, needlessly complicated plotting that didn’t work.
susannareads's review
5.0
What a charming mystery novel. I dog-eared several pages because revisiting certain passages gives me the coziest feeling. The setting is lovely but the story was wonderful too, with a great cast of characters. Can't wait to get my hands on the next one in the series!