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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
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
I think after reading 'Secret Letters' I might consider reading more historical fiction...
Thank you to NetGalley for making this book available.
Anyone who loves mysteries and Victorian England will love this book.(You know who you are.)
Dora believes that her biological father is Sherlock Holmes. She finally travels to meet him at the exact time that his death is announced. She has always loved the art of observation and detecting. She begins working with a young man that she meets in front of Sherlock Holmes' home to find the person who stole love letters from her cousin and is now blackmailing her.
There were actually several mysteries in this story. I especially enjoyed the mystery involving the young man. Who was he, and why was he interested in Dora?
The book is set up to have a sequel. I hope it does because we know that Dora cannot be happy just going back to her home and finding a husband. There has to be more excitement in her future.
Anyone who loves mysteries and Victorian England will love this book.(You know who you are.)
Dora believes that her biological father is Sherlock Holmes. She finally travels to meet him at the exact time that his death is announced. She has always loved the art of observation and detecting. She begins working with a young man that she meets in front of Sherlock Holmes' home to find the person who stole love letters from her cousin and is now blackmailing her.
There were actually several mysteries in this story. I especially enjoyed the mystery involving the young man. Who was he, and why was he interested in Dora?
The book is set up to have a sequel. I hope it does because we know that Dora cannot be happy just going back to her home and finding a husband. There has to be more excitement in her future.
Really liked this Victorian mystery, especially the interaction between the two main characters. I am impatiently waiting for a sequel.
This book reads like a typical first novel, complete with a mirror description scene and some info dumping. However, it is a fun little book and I wouldn't mind reading any sequels. Any clumsiness in prose is bound to improve with practice.
Fun read, fast-paced mystery, not-too-obnoxious love interest, and well written.
This book seemed so promising when I read the premise. The secret daughter of Sherlock Holmes? Yes please! Unfortunately, it wasn't executed very well. I think this is supposed to be YA, but the writing is definitely more Middle Grade. The content is slightly more on the YA side as there are some Victorian-era scandals. But everything is written about so innocently that the scandals are more implied than explicitly stated. Mostly, though, the main character (who is Sherlock Holmes daughter) wants to be a detective like her father, but she spends most of the book being clueless. And I don't mean, Sherlock "clueless" where she doesn't get social cues, but she spends more time thinking about what she should be doing than noticing the things around her. Or that's how it felt. She's supposed to be 16, and she's a very childish 16.
I also wasn't very impressed with the ending. It left it pretty open-ended...like maybe the story would continue. But I think there's only one book. So then maybe the reader is just going to imply that there's more? Or the reader gets to guess what happens next? It just wasn't very satisfying. And everything wrapped up so hastily at the end, too, that I wasn't even sure I would get all the answers before the book ended. Overall, not a fan of this book.
I also wasn't very impressed with the ending. It left it pretty open-ended...like maybe the story would continue. But I think there's only one book. So then maybe the reader is just going to imply that there's more? Or the reader gets to guess what happens next? It just wasn't very satisfying. And everything wrapped up so hastily at the end, too, that I wasn't even sure I would get all the answers before the book ended. Overall, not a fan of this book.
If you are a fan of books about Sherlock Holmes, like I am, then you will enjoy this book. The premise of Secret Letters is that a young woman goes to London, with her cousin, under the pretense of asking Sherlock Holmes to help with a black mailing case. Her respectable cousin is being blackmailed about a past relationship. The real reason that Dora (the young woman) wants to meet with Sherlock, is that she believes that he may be her father. Yet, upon arriving in London she discovers that Sherlock Holmes is dead!
Overall the story doesn't talk about Sherlock Holmes very much. This was a bit disappointing for me. Instead it is about Dora using Sherlock-like-detective skills to investigate her cousin's blackmailing and another case. This is an enjoyable read if you are a fan of Sherlock Holmes and YA books or if you just like the time period in general. I wouldn't say that the book was amazing. I think it makes for a good summer read. Enjoy!
Overall the story doesn't talk about Sherlock Holmes very much. This was a bit disappointing for me. Instead it is about Dora using Sherlock-like-detective skills to investigate her cousin's blackmailing and another case. This is an enjoyable read if you are a fan of Sherlock Holmes and YA books or if you just like the time period in general. I wouldn't say that the book was amazing. I think it makes for a good summer read. Enjoy!
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:
No
You can find this review and many more at Mermaid Vision Books!
Source: ARC received from publisher
Tell Me More: What better way to start a month of mystery reading than with a salute to Sherlock Holmes? Admittedly, Secret Letters reads a bit like a piece of fanfiction, but Dora is a delightful character, and thankfully, she carries the story with grace.
I wasn't sure what to expect from this story, especially since the biggest hook--Sherlock Holmes--is deceased by the time the story begins. Dora is hit with this news early on, and similarly, I did feel as though I'd lost my grip on the story. I didn't know any of the characters well enough yet to be emotionally attached to them, the plot was still vague, and the writing was attuned to readers younger than myself. But the mystery? Much more intriguing and interesting that I'd expected. Scherier structures the novel in surprising ways: as one learns about the mystery Dora has to solve, one also learns about Dora and the tiny quirks and idiosyncrasies that make up her personality.
From the limited experience I've had with mystery novels, this is one aspect that I've always enjoyed. The connection between the detective and the mysteries they solve is intrinsic to the organic unity of the story, and it gives the reader stakes to hold on to. In this novel, Dora is desperate to regain her footing after finding out about her alleged father's death, and her actions/decisions reflect that need. It doesn't excuse them, by any means, but they're more understandable in that light. Tied as she is to societal norms, Dora nevertheless goes after what she wants and that is a quality every reader can appreciate.
The Final Say: Secret Letters is a dynamic and feminist-positive mystery novel which will fascinate new and old mystery readers alike.
Source: ARC received from publisher
Tell Me More: What better way to start a month of mystery reading than with a salute to Sherlock Holmes? Admittedly, Secret Letters reads a bit like a piece of fanfiction, but Dora is a delightful character, and thankfully, she carries the story with grace.
I wasn't sure what to expect from this story, especially since the biggest hook--Sherlock Holmes--is deceased by the time the story begins. Dora is hit with this news early on, and similarly, I did feel as though I'd lost my grip on the story. I didn't know any of the characters well enough yet to be emotionally attached to them, the plot was still vague, and the writing was attuned to readers younger than myself. But the mystery? Much more intriguing and interesting that I'd expected. Scherier structures the novel in surprising ways: as one learns about the mystery Dora has to solve, one also learns about Dora and the tiny quirks and idiosyncrasies that make up her personality.
From the limited experience I've had with mystery novels, this is one aspect that I've always enjoyed. The connection between the detective and the mysteries they solve is intrinsic to the organic unity of the story, and it gives the reader stakes to hold on to. In this novel, Dora is desperate to regain her footing after finding out about her alleged father's death, and her actions/decisions reflect that need. It doesn't excuse them, by any means, but they're more understandable in that light. Tied as she is to societal norms, Dora nevertheless goes after what she wants and that is a quality every reader can appreciate.
The Final Say: Secret Letters is a dynamic and feminist-positive mystery novel which will fascinate new and old mystery readers alike.