Scan barcode
hannxm's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I'll admit, this is, I believe, my first ever cosy mystery book! I also admit that I only read this book because it had a purple cover and that was part of a story graph challenge. Honestly, I did not expect it to be a 5 star read at all, so I'm pleasantly surprised and really glad I stumbled across this book!
I generally avoid detective style books (if I see D.C or D.I on the back of a book, it goes back on the shelf immediately), probably because they take themselves too seriously, the storylines are too samey and they just seem boring to me - I'd much rather read a book about true crime than read about a fictional detective solving a fictional (and probably outlandish) murder! That's why I didn't expect to enjoy this book as much as I did.
Maybe because I took this story at face value and didn't go into it with a critical eye, that is why I don't really follow the criticisms shared in other reviews. One mentioned that Cleo is Cambridge educated, yet acts naïve and jumps to conclusions, but this is mentioned only a couple of times. Just because someone is well-educated, doesn't mean they can't make mistakes or be naïve to things. I didn't see Cleo as naïve, only passionate about figuring out the mystery.
I loved the tension and banter between Cleo and Harry and I hope it expands in later books. I was hoping something would happen at the end with them, but even though that didn't happen, it was still a satisfying ending that leads into the next book. All the characters felt so real and alive; they all had their own personalities and I could imagine how they behaved so easily. Archer gives little snippets of information which allows your mind to wander and imagine - nothing's bogged down by too much description which I'm all for!
The book was so easy to read, everything flowed so well into another. Although the book is 350+ pages, it didn't feel that way at all. Something was always happening and there was never a lull in the story where I felt I was losing interest. It felt almost fast paced, yet because of the length, it could probably still be deemed medium paced.
I can't think of any moment where I thought, 'that's cringe/weird/doesn't sound right'. It was just a pleasant read from start to finish. No writing/spelling errors either. I can't think of a negative part of the book which is why I had to give it 5 stars!
I generally avoid detective style books (if I see D.C or D.I on the back of a book, it goes back on the shelf immediately), probably because they take themselves too seriously, the storylines are too samey and they just seem boring to me - I'd much rather read a book about true crime than read about a fictional detective solving a fictional (and probably outlandish) murder! That's why I didn't expect to enjoy this book as much as I did.
Maybe because I took this story at face value and didn't go into it with a critical eye, that is why I don't really follow the criticisms shared in other reviews. One mentioned that Cleo is Cambridge educated, yet acts naïve and jumps to conclusions, but this is mentioned only a couple of times. Just because someone is well-educated, doesn't mean they can't make mistakes or be naïve to things. I didn't see Cleo as naïve, only passionate about figuring out the mystery.
I loved the tension and banter between Cleo and Harry and I hope it expands in later books. I was hoping something would happen at the end with them, but even though that didn't happen, it was still a satisfying ending that leads into the next book. All the characters felt so real and alive; they all had their own personalities and I could imagine how they behaved so easily. Archer gives little snippets of information which allows your mind to wander and imagine - nothing's bogged down by too much description which I'm all for!
The book was so easy to read, everything flowed so well into another. Although the book is 350+ pages, it didn't feel that way at all. Something was always happening and there was never a lull in the story where I felt I was losing interest. It felt almost fast paced, yet because of the length, it could probably still be deemed medium paced.
I can't think of any moment where I thought, 'that's cringe/weird/doesn't sound right'. It was just a pleasant read from start to finish. No writing/spelling errors either. I can't think of a negative part of the book which is why I had to give it 5 stars!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Murder
Minor: Vomit
bamboopanda's review
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Chronic illness, Death, Abandonment, and Vomit
foxcrofty's review
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
This is a fun story. It has the exact pacing and formula of a Nancy Drew book set against the backdrop of turn of the century London. I will say, I think the fact that I listened to the audio book rather than reading it directly probably saved this for me. I may have dnf'd it were it not for the charming performance of the narrator.
Certain parts of this I liked. The dynamic between Cleo and Mr. Armitage (Harry) is fun and flirty and the fact that it's probably going to slow burn through all four books will keep me listening. The mystery is pretty standard but I didn't figure it out too soon (this may be because I was doing other things while listening).
The parts of this that bugged me were the moments where the writing is just a bit vapid. Cleo's character kind of oscillates between being funny and clever to fixating on how everything looks constantly. And the way she describes herself in certain sections had my rolling my eyes a bit. She's got a bit of "not like other girls" syndrome but not enough to put me completely out.
All in all a fun little story and a good listen while trying to get stuff done.
Certain parts of this I liked. The dynamic between Cleo and Mr. Armitage (Harry) is fun and flirty and the fact that it's probably going to slow burn through all four books will keep me listening. The mystery is pretty standard but I didn't figure it out too soon (this may be because I was doing other things while listening).
The parts of this that bugged me were the moments where the writing is just a bit vapid. Cleo's character kind of oscillates between being funny and clever to fixating on how everything looks constantly. And the way she describes herself in certain sections had my rolling my eyes a bit. She's got a bit of "not like other girls" syndrome but not enough to put me completely out.
All in all a fun little story and a good listen while trying to get stuff done.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Classism, Grief, and Misogyny
Minor: Death of parent, Vomit, and Fatphobia
More...