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kingarooski's review against another edition
4.0
This is a slow-building book, with a bit of a twist. I really enjoyed it, but it did take one-third of the book to get going. The story switches points of view between Essie and Emily and it moves back in time, as well to reveal the whole story in slowly, layer by layer. It is beautifully written.
engrossedreader's review against another edition
3.0
The book cover got my attention, what a gorgeous dressing gown. Then the intriguing title. What could the issue (disgrace) be? Reading the synopsis cinched the deal: good location, mystery, suspense and probably a twist or two along the way.
This book is set in Edinburgh and has the intertwining stories of those that come in contact with an old lady who dies at home. We focus on two - one a crime scene cleaner and the other a policewoman. I really can't say anymore as I don't think that I can say anything else without slight spoilers, which means there might be a longer review on the blog.
The book starts with Essie, one of those special type of cleaners, whose expertise runs the gamut from extreme hoarding to all modes of death. As Essie, makes her way through cleaning this home, we find out more about her past and present. It is apparent from the beginning that she is troubled from childhood trauma, and this has had a detrimental effect on her health and wellbeing. One theme that is belaboured is that Essie is overweight and this point I believe is referenced too much in relation to everything she does.
Our second lead is Emily herself. She is a policewoman who is being ostracised at work, which is a problem in itself and because Emily has a fairly limited personal life due to a murky past. She desperately needs a win and maybe a new case will provide that or maybe it will open up a can of worms.
And let's not forget the deceased. To die in your home and have no one notice your absence is particularily sad.
Emily Noble's Disgrace was a good read, engaging even, the central storyline evolved and took us back in time so that the house became the star and we find out, how you can live in the same home for decades and not have any friends or loved ones in your life.
The choices we make or the choices we allow others to make on our behalf.
So much happened that when I found out the reference to Emily's disgrace I was nonplussed, because in comparison it wasn't as shocking. And that brings me to my main take away from this novel is context. When events and actions were put in context, it was thoroughly understandable why things happened the way they did. If you read a story that is sensationalised or facts only, it's difficult to get an accurate or rather true picture, as there's generally a bias.
This book carefully discussed gender roles, domestic violence, death and many other hard-hitting subjects in a delft way. I wasn't a fan of either leads, but that didn't adversely impact on my enjoyment of the story, a solid mystery that you will be satisfied to find out the answers to.
My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book in exchange for a candid review.
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This book is set in Edinburgh and has the intertwining stories of those that come in contact with an old lady who dies at home. We focus on two - one a crime scene cleaner and the other a policewoman. I really can't say anymore as I don't think that I can say anything else without slight spoilers, which means there might be a longer review on the blog.
The book starts with Essie, one of those special type of cleaners, whose expertise runs the gamut from extreme hoarding to all modes of death. As Essie, makes her way through cleaning this home, we find out more about her past and present. It is apparent from the beginning that she is troubled from childhood trauma, and this has had a detrimental effect on her health and wellbeing. One theme that is belaboured is that Essie is overweight and this point I believe is referenced too much in relation to everything she does.
Our second lead is Emily herself. She is a policewoman who is being ostracised at work, which is a problem in itself and because Emily has a fairly limited personal life due to a murky past. She desperately needs a win and maybe a new case will provide that or maybe it will open up a can of worms.
And let's not forget the deceased. To die in your home and have no one notice your absence is particularily sad.
Emily Noble's Disgrace was a good read, engaging even, the central storyline evolved and took us back in time so that the house became the star and we find out, how you can live in the same home for decades and not have any friends or loved ones in your life.
The choices we make or the choices we allow others to make on our behalf.
So much happened that when I found out the reference to Emily's disgrace I was nonplussed, because in comparison it wasn't as shocking. And that brings me to my main take away from this novel is context. When events and actions were put in context, it was thoroughly understandable why things happened the way they did. If you read a story that is sensationalised or facts only, it's difficult to get an accurate or rather true picture, as there's generally a bias.
This book carefully discussed gender roles, domestic violence, death and many other hard-hitting subjects in a delft way. I wasn't a fan of either leads, but that didn't adversely impact on my enjoyment of the story, a solid mystery that you will be satisfied to find out the answers to.
My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book in exchange for a candid review.
Read more reviews on the blog
Blog | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
portybelle's review against another edition
5.0
Emily Noble’s Disgrace is the third of Mary Paulson-Ellis’ Edinburgh set series which looks at what happens when people die with no next of kin. The two previous novels are The Other Mrs Walker and The Inheritance of Solomon Farthing but all are completely standalone. Emily Noble’s Disgrace takes place mainly in Portobello so you can imagine that I really enjoyed the setting.
Although PC Emily Noble is the eponymous main character, she doesn’t appear until quite a way into the book, Before that, we meet Essie Pound, a cleaner with The Company. This is a company which deep cleans houses when other cleaning companies don’t want to, houses where there may have been accidents, murders or where people having lain dead for some time before being discovered. Often they are cleaning in premises where the former resident appears to have no relatives and has left no will. The Company, while carrying out their deep cleaning, are also looking for personal items which may provide evidence of relatives, however distant. Essie is cleaning an old boarding house on Portobello Prom after the death of its elderly owner and she becomes embroiled in a missing person mystery stretching back 25 years. Emily is investigating this case and so their paths cross. It was good to see Margaret Penny from the Office of Lost People make an appearance, as well as heir hunter Solomon Farthing. Both are more minor characters here but featured in Mary Paulson-Ellis’ first two books.
I so enjoy this author’s meticulous writing style. Her vivid descriptions bring each scene into focus with her sharply detailed observations. She slowly builds up a sense of mystery around her characters and draws you into the story until you can’t put it down and absolutely have to know what has happened. It struck me that both Essie and Emily had much in common with the people they respectively clean up behind or investigate. Both have aspects of their pasts which have been hidden from them or that they would prefer to keep hidden.
Emily Noble’s Disgrace is an excellent book, cleverly written and so atmospheric. Mary Paulson-Ellis is a wonderful storyteller and this latest novel really showcases her skills at weaving together intriguing, compelling and moving plotlines
Although PC Emily Noble is the eponymous main character, she doesn’t appear until quite a way into the book, Before that, we meet Essie Pound, a cleaner with The Company. This is a company which deep cleans houses when other cleaning companies don’t want to, houses where there may have been accidents, murders or where people having lain dead for some time before being discovered. Often they are cleaning in premises where the former resident appears to have no relatives and has left no will. The Company, while carrying out their deep cleaning, are also looking for personal items which may provide evidence of relatives, however distant. Essie is cleaning an old boarding house on Portobello Prom after the death of its elderly owner and she becomes embroiled in a missing person mystery stretching back 25 years. Emily is investigating this case and so their paths cross. It was good to see Margaret Penny from the Office of Lost People make an appearance, as well as heir hunter Solomon Farthing. Both are more minor characters here but featured in Mary Paulson-Ellis’ first two books.
I so enjoy this author’s meticulous writing style. Her vivid descriptions bring each scene into focus with her sharply detailed observations. She slowly builds up a sense of mystery around her characters and draws you into the story until you can’t put it down and absolutely have to know what has happened. It struck me that both Essie and Emily had much in common with the people they respectively clean up behind or investigate. Both have aspects of their pasts which have been hidden from them or that they would prefer to keep hidden.
Emily Noble’s Disgrace is an excellent book, cleverly written and so atmospheric. Mary Paulson-Ellis is a wonderful storyteller and this latest novel really showcases her skills at weaving together intriguing, compelling and moving plotlines
sarahrosel's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
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
3.75
amy_da1sy's review against another edition
2.0
I was really hoping to like this one and unfortunately it just didn’t work out that way
em2411's review
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
deeclancy's review against another edition
2.0
I really struggled to finish this book. After getting about three-quarters the way through it, I left it for a week to see if that made a difference to my experience of it, and finally tackled the last part this weekend, but it felt like a duty.
I applaud the author for writing about the dark underbelly of Edinburgh and the difficult subject matter, and so on. However, I found the writing uneven. Some chapters were a pleasure to read, while others made little sense to me whatsoever. There is also a slightly irritating repetition of certain words and phrases throughout the book that seems fine at first, but as the book progresses begins, for me, to seem like writing that isn't very tight or disciplined, or trying too hard to be literary. For example, in my mind, there is no need to state a fact and follow it with 'this is what she knew', 'this much she knew', as if the factual statement is momentous, when it's not actually that important in terms of the plot or themes. Speaking of which...actually no. I think it's best that I don't go into the plot structure and how it was laid out.
There is a very decent story, hidden somewhere in the occasionally impenetrable prose. There is a sense that the author has a lot of interesting things to say about trauma and its effects, but it doesn't really get said in any profound way. Between the multiple generations of Miss Havisham figures in the book, the bizarre ongoing mentions of chicken carcasses for no real reason that I could detect, and so forth, I think the story itself gets very lost for me. I really wanted to like this book. I know the writer is regarded well from looking at reviews. But unfortunately, this is not even close to being my cup of tea (or coffee, for that matter).
I applaud the author for writing about the dark underbelly of Edinburgh and the difficult subject matter, and so on. However, I found the writing uneven. Some chapters were a pleasure to read, while others made little sense to me whatsoever. There is also a slightly irritating repetition of certain words and phrases throughout the book that seems fine at first, but as the book progresses begins, for me, to seem like writing that isn't very tight or disciplined, or trying too hard to be literary. For example, in my mind, there is no need to state a fact and follow it with 'this is what she knew', 'this much she knew', as if the factual statement is momentous, when it's not actually that important in terms of the plot or themes. Speaking of which...actually no. I think it's best that I don't go into the plot structure and how it was laid out.
There is a very decent story, hidden somewhere in the occasionally impenetrable prose. There is a sense that the author has a lot of interesting things to say about trauma and its effects, but it doesn't really get said in any profound way. Between the multiple generations of Miss Havisham figures in the book, the bizarre ongoing mentions of chicken carcasses for no real reason that I could detect, and so forth, I think the story itself gets very lost for me. I really wanted to like this book. I know the writer is regarded well from looking at reviews. But unfortunately, this is not even close to being my cup of tea (or coffee, for that matter).
tdk's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
stephlyon25's review
dark
mysterious
sad
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
3.0
redfishstarfish's review against another edition
2.0
Content warning for book: fatphobia, murder of child, gore, violence, domestic abuse, suicide, implications of past self harm
Actual rating - 1.5
This book is very repetitive. Phrases are used over and over within the space of a few pages, Instead of adding to the story it just became annoying.
The title character does not come into the novel until part 2, the first part centres around Essie, who is bland as a character. Emily is better written.
There are multiple time jumps, memories mostly, but seem to be random.
Characters seem to gain information out of nowhere, possibly remembering events from the past but the reader is given no indication of this.
Mostly I just found it slow and boring
Actual rating - 1.5
This book is very repetitive. Phrases are used over and over within the space of a few pages, Instead of adding to the story it just became annoying.
The title character does not come into the novel until part 2, the first part centres around Essie, who is bland as a character. Emily is better written.
There are multiple time jumps, memories mostly, but seem to be random.
Characters seem to gain information out of nowhere, possibly remembering events from the past but the reader is given no indication of this.
Mostly I just found it slow and boring