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omegabeth's review against another edition
4.0
Not as rapturously happy-making as the first in the series, but very enjoyable, and I was very sad to discover that there are only 4 total in this series.
ktaylor1164's review against another edition
3.0
Enjoyable, but not as good as the next in the series. I didn't remotely buy the romance between Julian and Sally, which made the rest hard to fully enjoy.
neerajams's review against another edition
3.0
Fully entertaining, although requires some suspension of disbelief for all of the good luck our plucky band of detectives experiences to further their investigation. Also perhaps a bit too much going on across the different plots that doesn't allow you to go deeply into any of the multiple mysteries. Still, loads of likable characters, a solid amount of menace and satisfaction in getting the bad guys, and a fun, fast-moving plot that makes it perfect for a COVID times.
gjh229's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
iam_griff's review against another edition
3.0
I didn’t enjoy this mystery as much as the 1st one. There wasn’t any character development for Julian or Dipper. Julian just didn’t have any real personality in this story & the romance with Sally felt forced & incredibly unrealistic for the time period. The mystery itself was rather good, but with a few cliche moments with the killer confessing everything at what they think is their grand moment of escape. I also like the mention of characters from the first book (Dr. MacGregor & Pippa) & the several references to Julian’s. Ross’ use of the cockney accent & slang were superb, found myself mentally trying to emulate their pronunciation. I have the 3rd book in my cue to read & hope it’s better in character development.
thunguyen's review against another edition
4.0
The 2nd instalment in Julian Kestrel series, there is a pattern here: an unknown girl found dead in a locked up house. So, again, almost all of the book was about following the loosest leads to find out who the girl was, and of course, some of the leads led to an entirely unrelated mystery, it is our amateur sleuths' job to sieve through all the information and follow the right lead.
Unlike the 1st book, this one doesn't have the same feel of "police procedure" about the murder, there is no extensive discussion of post-mortem report as the dead was cause by poison, there is no establishing alibis for suspects as the dead was deemed a suicide and there was no suspect. Half of the book was told from Sally's, a new character, point of view, it took the time away from Julian but I didn't mind the change as long as the story makes sense. Dipper again played a role in the investigation, and I like the way that his character has a lot of independence in skills and personalities. He has his own wit and adventure, not simply to carry out Julian's order and be in a position to talk to servants (as usually seen in other ladies & gentlemen sleuths books).
Many reviews seem to strongly disagree with the fling between Julian and Sally, but I think it makes sense. In a book heavy with prostitution topics, from the girls' perilous lives, to despicable reforming preachers and charity matrons, to straight out human trafficking, Sally's character adds a drop of sunlight to the story. Her deliberate choice of spending one night with Julian without expecting anything is her own way to express her fierce independence. For Julian's part, this act added another layer of humanity underneath his dandy exterior. If he could send an illustration book to a little lady girl who was a friend from the 1st story "Cut to the quick", and spent time away from his investigation to help a poor peasant girl, and carried his own luggage in the rain while walking with his manservant, why couldn't he fall a little bit in love with a very clever and playful prostitute?
In the end, the mysteries were somewhat predictable, I have an inkling of what they are before the penny dropped for Julian, purely because of the drama effect such answers would bring. All loose ends were explained, and didn't leave us with the feeling of "too many coincidences" like in book 1.
Gonna keep reading the series, after all, there are only 4 books. I hope the 3rd one will be different once again.
Unlike the 1st book, this one doesn't have the same feel of "police procedure" about the murder, there is no extensive discussion of post-mortem report as the dead was cause by poison, there is no establishing alibis for suspects as the dead was deemed a suicide and there was no suspect. Half of the book was told from Sally's, a new character, point of view, it took the time away from Julian but I didn't mind the change as long as the story makes sense. Dipper again played a role in the investigation, and I like the way that his character has a lot of independence in skills and personalities. He has his own wit and adventure, not simply to carry out Julian's order and be in a position to talk to servants (as usually seen in other ladies & gentlemen sleuths books).
Many reviews seem to strongly disagree with the fling between Julian and Sally, but I think it makes sense. In a book heavy with prostitution topics, from the girls' perilous lives, to despicable reforming preachers and charity matrons, to straight out human trafficking, Sally's character adds a drop of sunlight to the story. Her deliberate choice of spending one night with Julian without expecting anything is her own way to express her fierce independence. For Julian's part, this act added another layer of humanity underneath his dandy exterior. If he could send an illustration book to a little lady girl who was a friend from the 1st story "Cut to the quick", and spent time away from his investigation to help a poor peasant girl, and carried his own luggage in the rain while walking with his manservant, why couldn't he fall a little bit in love with a very clever and playful prostitute?
In the end, the mysteries were somewhat predictable, I have an inkling of what they are before the penny dropped for Julian, purely because of the drama effect such answers would bring. All loose ends were explained, and didn't leave us with the feeling of "too many coincidences" like in book 1.
Gonna keep reading the series, after all, there are only 4 books. I hope the 3rd one will be different once again.
ladyhighwayman's review against another edition
4.0
Another gem; I loved it almost as much as Cut to the Quick.
One night, a prostitute name Sally Stokes picks up three separate men. She swipes a handkerchief from each of their pockets in the hope of selling them later. After a bad run-in with John #3, whom she refers to as 'Blinkers', she runs into her brother, who just happens to be manservant to one Mr. Julian Kestrel.
Kestrel discovers a letter hidden in one of the handkerchiefs. Problem is, he's not sure which handkerchief it came from and, of course, there is no name on the letter (that would be just a little too easy, wouldn't it?). The letter is a desperate plead from what is clearly a woman in trouble. The woman is soon tracked down, but there's another problem: she's dead. Her death is written off a suicide, but Kestrel thinks otherwise. With the help of Sally and his manservant Dipper, Kestrel tries to discover who had the letter and what their connection was to the mysterious woman, and more importantly, who was the killer?.
A Broken Vessel was a great fast-paced historical mystery novel. There were so many twists and turns that you're not sure which way is up until the very end. Just when I think I have down the culprit, my mind is soon changed, and I'm suspecting someone else.
So far, this is a strong series and hopefully it'll just get better.
One night, a prostitute name Sally Stokes picks up three separate men. She swipes a handkerchief from each of their pockets in the hope of selling them later. After a bad run-in with John #3, whom she refers to as 'Blinkers', she runs into her brother, who just happens to be manservant to one Mr. Julian Kestrel.
Kestrel discovers a letter hidden in one of the handkerchiefs. Problem is, he's not sure which handkerchief it came from and, of course, there is no name on the letter (that would be just a little too easy, wouldn't it?). The letter is a desperate plead from what is clearly a woman in trouble. The woman is soon tracked down, but there's another problem: she's dead. Her death is written off a suicide, but Kestrel thinks otherwise. With the help of Sally and his manservant Dipper, Kestrel tries to discover who had the letter and what their connection was to the mysterious woman, and more importantly, who was the killer?.
A Broken Vessel was a great fast-paced historical mystery novel. There were so many twists and turns that you're not sure which way is up until the very end. Just when I think I have down the culprit, my mind is soon changed, and I'm suspecting someone else.
So far, this is a strong series and hopefully it'll just get better.
comeintothegraveyardmary's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
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
jessalynn_librarian's review against another edition
4.0
A fantastic follow-up to [b:Cut to the Quick|351385|Cut to the Quick (Julian Kestrel Mysteries, #1)|Kate Ross|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223675280s/351385.jpg|742856], with a very different mystery and setting, but even more of the inimitable Julian Kestrel. Julian's getting more into the swing of things, as a detective, and now he's on his own turf in Regency London. He is thrown out of his element a bit by the introduction of Dipper's sister, Sally, who brings a crime his way and provides him with an often hilarious counterpart. I'm curious to see how Sally figures into the later books, but I'm trying not to gobble them down too quickly because there are only four. Definitely read Cut to the Quick first, if this blend of historical fiction, mystery, and sharp-witted characters sounds appealing.
faintingviolet's review against another edition
3.0
While not as intriguing as the first Julian Kestrel novel this one was worth the time.
http://faintingviolet.wordpress.com/2012/10/11/a-broken-vessel-cbr4-40/
http://faintingviolet.wordpress.com/2012/10/11/a-broken-vessel-cbr4-40/