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chelsea_shelves's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This gothic murder mystery was moving, layered and beautifully written. I was particularly drawn in with the opening imagery and sensory language depicting the woods and nature. The narration by Karen Cass was absolutely fantastic. Her voice was melodic with a warm tone, and she created nice differentiation between the characters.
I quickly came to feel sympathetic toward Eliza, the teenage heroine and amateur sleuth. Her desire for freedom, exploration and fairness mirrored many familiar female characters. As far as mystery this one leans more eerie than cozy. There was significant build up and background given before the murder. This pacing added a layer of complexity which I appreciated, but it may feel slow for some readers expecting a snappy mystery. I found the story quite sad and affecting, yet it was somehow a relaxing read overall. It felt reminiscent of The Secret Garden and Jane Eyre mixed with a whodunnit Sherlock Holmes storyline.
I adored the Welsh border 1870s setting and light philosophizing. There was the right amount of twists and turns to keep me guessing and still feel believable. I enjoyed this and look forward to the next book in the series. I’m also intrigued by how this was co-written. I would be interested to read more from both authors and discern what they each leant to the creation of Eliza Mace.
Thank you NetGalley and Bolinda Audio for my audiobook.
I quickly came to feel sympathetic toward Eliza, the teenage heroine and amateur sleuth. Her desire for freedom, exploration and fairness mirrored many familiar female characters. As far as mystery this one leans more eerie than cozy. There was significant build up and background given before the murder. This pacing added a layer of complexity which I appreciated, but it may feel slow for some readers expecting a snappy mystery. I found the story quite sad and affecting, yet it was somehow a relaxing read overall. It felt reminiscent of The Secret Garden and Jane Eyre mixed with a whodunnit Sherlock Holmes storyline.
I adored the Welsh border 1870s setting and light philosophizing. There was the right amount of twists and turns to keep me guessing and still feel believable. I enjoyed this and look forward to the next book in the series. I’m also intrigued by how this was co-written. I would be interested to read more from both authors and discern what they each leant to the creation of Eliza Mace.
Thank you NetGalley and Bolinda Audio for my audiobook.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Violence, Grief, Alcohol, Infidelity, and Chronic illness
Minor: Pregnancy
rosiethesheep's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I really enjoyed the audio for this one and the writing style drew me into the story. It took a little while to get going and was a bit on the slow side for me. I guessed quite a few of the twists, but that’s ok as the atmosphere made up for it. I’ll be interested to see where Eliza goes on her other adventures after this one.
bookishreadsandme's review
mysterious
medium-paced
3.5
I do love a historical mystery, particularly in the Victorian era and this one was a highly entertaining story. The writing flows well making it an easy read that you could definitely binge in a few days.
Eliza is a coming-of-age young woman who is strong minded and wise beyond her years. She lives within quite a dysfunctional family and has learnt to be bold and gutsy to be able to cope with that kind of home life. This gives her the ability and traits to be able to have the determination to find out what happened to her father. With the help of Dafydd, the policeman in charge of the case, they work together to try and solve the mystery.
I must admit, I had worked out a lot of what was going to happen but it was still an enjoyable read. I just found the reveal of the murderer a bit underwhelming due to me working it out.
Eliza Mace is a fantastic first book in a new mystery series that will keep your eyes glued to the pages. With many secrets, lies and twists throughout it will certainly you on your toes! I look forward to reading more from this series and to see how Eliza develops as a character.
mrs_hs_favourite_books's review
3.5
This was such an easy and engaging reading and I read it in a few sittings. Filled with atmosphere and mystery, it really is a page-turner.
Eliza is a fabulous character. She is only 16 but being brought up in a household with difficult relationships and interesting dynamics makes her seem older than she is. And she is a very determined and independent person. She has a great sense of what is morally right and will stop at nothing to do what she must to uncover the truth of her father’s disappearance. I really enjoyed her relationship with Dafydd Pritchard and the way they worked as a team to uncover the truth.
Although, slow in places, I did really enjoy this book. It was a brilliant start to a new series of books and I’m looking forward to reading more about Eliza Mace.
Eliza is a fabulous character. She is only 16 but being brought up in a household with difficult relationships and interesting dynamics makes her seem older than she is. And she is a very determined and independent person. She has a great sense of what is morally right and will stop at nothing to do what she must to uncover the truth of her father’s disappearance. I really enjoyed her relationship with Dafydd Pritchard and the way they worked as a team to uncover the truth.
Although, slow in places, I did really enjoy this book. It was a brilliant start to a new series of books and I’m looking forward to reading more about Eliza Mace.
calistaw's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
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? It's complicated
5.0
books_in_wales's review
mysterious
slow-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? Yes
3.5
andrea_author's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
On the brink of adulthood in the 1870s Welsh borders, Eliza feels trapped in a decaying manor and facing parents who seek to control her. When her father vanishes under mysterious circumstances, she’s determined to uncover the truth. She helps Dafydd, the charming new police constable, investigate her father’s enemies and debts—unearthing secrets that could shatter everything she knows.
This charming young-adult mystery is gripping and atmospheric. I loved the characters and the twisty plot. I enjoyed the audiobook narration. I look forward to more in the series.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
This charming young-adult mystery is gripping and atmospheric. I loved the characters and the twisty plot. I enjoyed the audiobook narration. I look forward to more in the series.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
marksh98's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
oceans_ofbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
kxtiebooks's review against another edition
4.0
This was a breeze to read which I flew through in a few sittings. It's a cosy murder mystery, and I feel it would be perfect for fans of series such as The Thursday Murder Club. I've got to admit, I was expecting more of a heavy historical crime novel, seeing as it has been compared to Laura Purcell (which it most definitely is not), but I wasn't unpleasantly surprised with the witty, lighter style of writing that I got instead.
It did drop a star purely because I felt like the reveal of the murderer's identity was kind of rushed, which took away the element of shock for me. Nonetheless, I enjoyed it overall and will definitely be picking up the rest of the series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Duckworth Books for my eARC of this one!
It did drop a star purely because I felt like the reveal of the murderer's identity was kind of rushed, which took away the element of shock for me. Nonetheless, I enjoyed it overall and will definitely be picking up the rest of the series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Duckworth Books for my eARC of this one!