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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
mysterious
medium-paced
The writing style was not for me. The author kept explaining things that were obvious like she didn’t trust her readers to figure it out on their own.
adventurous
funny
mysterious
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:
Yes
funny
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
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
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The premise of this novel was captivating. A locked-room mystery solved by five well-known female mystery authors. I did enjoy trying to solve the mystery as I followed the story. It was also interesting to learn a bit more background about these authors, and I would love to read more of the real-world books that they have published. I have only read mysteries written by Agatha Christie, but now I am very interested in sampling the novels written by the other four authors featured in this book.
I understand that this is set in a time period when women were not seen as being as capable or valuable as their male counterparts. I have no problem with that issue being addressed and explored as it is a vital part of the context. However, at times it felt like this point was being forced over and over again. I enjoyed Benedict’s writing style, and she did a wonderful job bringing these issues out to light in the story both through the plot and the interactions with the characters. In my opinion, it felt redundant to continue reiterating the disparities between the men and women in this setting. It was already made quite plain, and it honestly took me out of the story from time to time which resulted in a lower rating.
I understand that this is set in a time period when women were not seen as being as capable or valuable as their male counterparts. I have no problem with that issue being addressed and explored as it is a vital part of the context. However, at times it felt like this point was being forced over and over again. I enjoyed Benedict’s writing style, and she did a wonderful job bringing these issues out to light in the story both through the plot and the interactions with the characters. In my opinion, it felt redundant to continue reiterating the disparities between the men and women in this setting. It was already made quite plain, and it honestly took me out of the story from time to time which resulted in a lower rating.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Miscarriage, Rape, Abortion
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
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
This was a really quaint read. I loved seeing these icons of mystery come to life in a fiction story. I loved the way it followed traditional mystery tropes but felt fresh. I felt that the pacing of the last third was not the strongest. I also just could not stand the main character’s husband and that was distracting. Overall it was a great read but not life changing for me.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-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