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libbs004's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
4.5
nobookendinsight's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? No
4.0
ernis's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
mysterious
sad
slow-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? No
3.75
Interesting story but at times was repetitive, the mysteries didn't resolve in a satisfactory way.
kleonard's review against another edition
5.0
This is a great novel, full of well-developed characters, a rich setting, and a compelling plot. Letitia is mourning the death of her brother. Undertaking what she thinks will be a simple errand, Letitia sets off in her new Tin Lizzie across rough roads and bush trails to find her great-aunt. What she finds is a woman devastated by the disappearance of her sister many years before. Intrigued and feeling--for the first time in a long while--at home with her newfound relatives and her friends, Letitia dives into the mystery herself, revealing family secrets and stories. I loved the determined and smart women of this book, their independence and competence. I can't wait to read more by Cooper.
reflectiverambling_nalana's review
adventurous
informative
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
heidirgorecki's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-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
2.5
It was a bit odd of a setup with a dual timeline thru less than half the book. Then the second half just dragged on. I mostly just got bored, honestly.
The dialogue felt stilted and like it was pulling teeth for them to have a conversation half the time or it just rehashed old conversations or the other timeline again. When the mystery was unfolded it did so rather quickly compared to the rest. And both Evie and Lettie felt whiney and childish most of the time till it got annoying.
The dialogue felt stilted and like it was pulling teeth for them to have a conversation half the time or it just rehashed old conversations or the other timeline again. When the mystery was unfolded it did so rather quickly compared to the rest. And both Evie and Lettie felt whiney and childish most of the time till it got annoying.
esdeecarlson's review against another edition
3.0
**This book was provided to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.**
3 stars
The Cartographer’s Secret is a historical fiction mystery romance novel. I like all of these genres, and I particularly love seeing them mixed together, so this book should be right up my alley; and indeed, I enjoyed it. However, perhaps the proportions weren’t quite right, because to me this book ‘got the job done’ but didn’t stick out to me in any particular way.
The story follows a dual timeline: Evie, in 1981, is a 17-year-old artist and amateur cartographer who hopes to win her father’s approval by making a map of a famous explorer’s final journey, and perhaps solve the mystery of his disappearance. Lettie, in 1910, is Evie’s 25-year-old niece, who hopes to solve the mystery of why Evie disappeared in 1981. The two young women are strikingly similar to those who meet them, and during her search Lettie feels closer and closer to her vanished aunt.
The story begins surprisingly slowly; Lettie does not learn about and decide to begin searching for Evie until about page 150. The buildup is beautifully written and certainly sets us in turn-of-the-century Australia, but I didn’t get the emotional connection to the characters that I would want to hang about for that long before the first big plot hook.
While I love a mystery romance, in this case I think the story would have benefitted from cutting the romance entirely from the mystery. Nathaniel and Lettie’s romance was stilted and felt more tacked-on than anything. It also contributed to a sense I had that Lettie was a rather wishy-washy character; I enjoyed her chapters significantly less than I enjoyed Evie’s, which is a problem. A multiple-perspective or dual-timeline story only works when I as a reader am equally invested in both of the perspectives/timelines.
There is plenty to enjoy about the novel. The period setting is meticulously portrayed, and the integration of details about early settlers and mid-nineteenth-century interior exploration was handled beautifully. It was in the characters, and the way that the various sub-plots were woven together and paced, that this novel failed to wow me.
3 stars
The Cartographer’s Secret is a historical fiction mystery romance novel. I like all of these genres, and I particularly love seeing them mixed together, so this book should be right up my alley; and indeed, I enjoyed it. However, perhaps the proportions weren’t quite right, because to me this book ‘got the job done’ but didn’t stick out to me in any particular way.
The story follows a dual timeline: Evie, in 1981, is a 17-year-old artist and amateur cartographer who hopes to win her father’s approval by making a map of a famous explorer’s final journey, and perhaps solve the mystery of his disappearance. Lettie, in 1910, is Evie’s 25-year-old niece, who hopes to solve the mystery of why Evie disappeared in 1981. The two young women are strikingly similar to those who meet them, and during her search Lettie feels closer and closer to her vanished aunt.
The story begins surprisingly slowly; Lettie does not learn about and decide to begin searching for Evie until about page 150. The buildup is beautifully written and certainly sets us in turn-of-the-century Australia, but I didn’t get the emotional connection to the characters that I would want to hang about for that long before the first big plot hook.
While I love a mystery romance, in this case I think the story would have benefitted from cutting the romance entirely from the mystery. Nathaniel and Lettie’s romance was stilted and felt more tacked-on than anything. It also contributed to a sense I had that Lettie was a rather wishy-washy character; I enjoyed her chapters significantly less than I enjoyed Evie’s, which is a problem. A multiple-perspective or dual-timeline story only works when I as a reader am equally invested in both of the perspectives/timelines.
There is plenty to enjoy about the novel. The period setting is meticulously portrayed, and the integration of details about early settlers and mid-nineteenth-century interior exploration was handled beautifully. It was in the characters, and the way that the various sub-plots were woven together and paced, that this novel failed to wow me.
kirstdm's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Love me an Aussie read
emilylovesreading_'s review against another edition
5.0
This was my first Tea Cooper book, and I will absolutely read her other two works now. I don't think I had ever read a novel set in Australia before, so I really enjoyed the setting of this story. A historical fiction with a love story, a mystery, and lots of maps? Yes, please. I already recommended this book to a friend. :)