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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I just love Lady Emily. I love that I can read a book without a bunch of thinking, but get a good story and good characters out of it.
Extremely silly, but so original. I saw it coming, but was still kind of charmed by the unique twist. Not the most polished prose, but a good story.
This on the other hand. I keep saying this, but I really AM going to take a break from these for a bit.
4.5 stars.
Tasha Alexander's The Counterfeit Heiress by is an absolutely riveting mystery set during the late 1800s. Although it is the ninth installment in the Lady Emily series, it can easily be read as a standalone novel.
The story opens at a masquerade ball celebrating Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubliee. A mysterious encounter with a stranger is just the first of the puzzling events experienced by Lady Emily and her close friend Cécile du Lac during the ball. Emily quickly forgets the perplexing meeting when Cécile realizes that the person purporting to be her old friend Estella Lamar is an imposter. Once Cécile realizes no one has actually seen Estella in person for nearly twenty years, she and good friend Jeremy Sheffield head to Paris to investigate further. When the fake Estella is found murdered the next morning, Emily and her husband Colin Hargreaves quickly join Cécile and Jeremy where all four try to discover which woman was actually the killer's intended victim.
Emily and Colin are a charming couple who are happily married and work very well together throughout the investigation. Emily's previous experience as an investigator leaves her well-equipped to look into the murder while simultaneously helping Cécile scrutinize the mysterious circumstances surrounding Estella's lengthy absence. As a trusted agent for the Crown, Colin gains access to information that would be otherwise unavailable and a worrisome picture soon emerges about Estella and the murdered woman who has been identified as Mary Darby, an midwife and would be actress. Is Estella really a world traveling adventurer? Or is there a more sinister reason for her prolonged absence? And most importantly, why would anyone hire Mary to attend the ball in Estella's place?
Alternating chapters provide fascinating insight into Estella and the events preceding her departure twenty years earlier. A picture of a shy, socially awkward young woman quickly emerges and offers a reasonable explanation for why no one questions her long-lasting journey. As more of her past is revealed, it soon becomes clear she crossed paths with someone who may have something to do with her disappearance, but what exactly his role is, remains unclear.
The Counterfeit Heiress is a fast-paced mystery that is quite compelling. The characters are exceptionally well-developed and engaging. The storyline is very intriguing with enough twists and turns that make it impossible to know for certain what happened to Estella. Tasha Alexander brings the novel to an incredibly exciting conclusion that provides answers for all the lingering questions raised throughout the investigation. An exhilarating installment that is sure to delight old and fans of the Lady Emily mystery series.
Tasha Alexander's The Counterfeit Heiress by is an absolutely riveting mystery set during the late 1800s. Although it is the ninth installment in the Lady Emily series, it can easily be read as a standalone novel.
The story opens at a masquerade ball celebrating Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubliee. A mysterious encounter with a stranger is just the first of the puzzling events experienced by Lady Emily and her close friend Cécile du Lac during the ball. Emily quickly forgets the perplexing meeting when Cécile realizes that the person purporting to be her old friend Estella Lamar is an imposter. Once Cécile realizes no one has actually seen Estella in person for nearly twenty years, she and good friend Jeremy Sheffield head to Paris to investigate further. When the fake Estella is found murdered the next morning, Emily and her husband Colin Hargreaves quickly join Cécile and Jeremy where all four try to discover which woman was actually the killer's intended victim.
Emily and Colin are a charming couple who are happily married and work very well together throughout the investigation. Emily's previous experience as an investigator leaves her well-equipped to look into the murder while simultaneously helping Cécile scrutinize the mysterious circumstances surrounding Estella's lengthy absence. As a trusted agent for the Crown, Colin gains access to information that would be otherwise unavailable and a worrisome picture soon emerges about Estella and the murdered woman who has been identified as Mary Darby, an midwife and would be actress. Is Estella really a world traveling adventurer? Or is there a more sinister reason for her prolonged absence? And most importantly, why would anyone hire Mary to attend the ball in Estella's place?
Alternating chapters provide fascinating insight into Estella and the events preceding her departure twenty years earlier. A picture of a shy, socially awkward young woman quickly emerges and offers a reasonable explanation for why no one questions her long-lasting journey. As more of her past is revealed, it soon becomes clear she crossed paths with someone who may have something to do with her disappearance, but what exactly his role is, remains unclear.
The Counterfeit Heiress is a fast-paced mystery that is quite compelling. The characters are exceptionally well-developed and engaging. The storyline is very intriguing with enough twists and turns that make it impossible to know for certain what happened to Estella. Tasha Alexander brings the novel to an incredibly exciting conclusion that provides answers for all the lingering questions raised throughout the investigation. An exhilarating installment that is sure to delight old and fans of the Lady Emily mystery series.
Usually I wouldn't pick up a book knowing it's part of a series that I haven't read the beginning, but I needed something to listen to and this one was available from my library that very moment, and it's not too long, not too short, just under 10 hours. While it's a good pastime for your ears when you hands are busy knitting, I don't think this book got me hooked on the series.
The murder mystery was so very simple, basically just a lot of running around finding clues and following them, all the way from London to Paris, where most of the story happened. While Lady Emily did have a good intuition of feeling that something is amiss, something is not quite right, and there was some aspect of criminal profiling throughout her investigation, the plot didn't offer any a-ha moment where our detectives figured out whodunit, and that was a disappointment for me.
A third of the book was told from Estella's side of the plot, all the way back in time 15 years ago. At first, it kept readers on the edge of not knowing what had happened to her in all these years. But all too soon, about half way through, it became much too clear what would become of her and the book turned tedious.
I still enjoyed the first person POV writing style, so rich with details it feels like you were really living at the turn of the 19th century and Lady Emily talked to you like you were a person living in her world.
I may pick up the beginning of the series just to know her romance with Colin.
The murder mystery was so very simple, basically just a lot of running around finding clues and following them, all the way from London to Paris, where most of the story happened. While Lady Emily did have a good intuition of feeling that something is amiss, something is not quite right, and there was some aspect of criminal profiling throughout her investigation, the plot didn't offer any a-ha moment where our detectives figured out whodunit, and that was a disappointment for me.
A third of the book was told from Estella's side of the plot, all the way back in time 15 years ago. At first, it kept readers on the edge of not knowing what had happened to her in all these years. But all too soon, about half way through, it became much too clear what would become of her and the book turned tedious.
I still enjoyed the first person POV writing style, so rich with details it feels like you were really living at the turn of the 19th century and Lady Emily talked to you like you were a person living in her world.
I may pick up the beginning of the series just to know her romance with Colin.
The Counterfeit Heiress is the 9th book in the Lady Emily series of Victorian era mysteries. In this edition, Lady Emily takes on the murder of a woman impersonating the childhood friend of Cecile du Lac, Lady Emily's dear friend. The murdered woman leads Emily and team into the bigger mystery of what happened to Cecile' s friend Estella in the first place.
The identity of the murderer was not much of a mystery to me but the author did an excellent job of obscuring what had happened to Estella Lamar. There were hints throughout that left the reader wondering which one of several "villains" might have been involved. I also enjoyed many of the historical facts included, such as the Devonshire' s grand masquerade and about the Catacombs of Paris.
Tasha Alexander included Jeremy Bainbridge and Cecile, as well as Lady Emily and her husband Colin in this edition. There was less romance in this book than the previous one, which I was thankful for. All in all, a satisfying read.
I received a copy of this book from Goodreads First Reads for my honest review.
The identity of the murderer was not much of a mystery to me but the author did an excellent job of obscuring what had happened to Estella Lamar. There were hints throughout that left the reader wondering which one of several "villains" might have been involved. I also enjoyed many of the historical facts included, such as the Devonshire' s grand masquerade and about the Catacombs of Paris.
Tasha Alexander included Jeremy Bainbridge and Cecile, as well as Lady Emily and her husband Colin in this edition. There was less romance in this book than the previous one, which I was thankful for. All in all, a satisfying read.
I received a copy of this book from Goodreads First Reads for my honest review.
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
3 stars. This book was good but odd. It starts off at a major society event-a masquerade ball. Emily is mistaken for someone else, a lady known to Cecile (Emily’s friend from Paris). The twist is the masked guest is Mary Darby, an impostor who flees the ball and is found murdered. Now they don’t know who the murderer was after-the real Estella Lamar or Mary Darby, the woman posing as her. And how does this all fit in with Darby’s life as a midwife and the grieving woman who lost her baby? Or are they red herrings that distract the reader from the clues in the book-within-a-book that actually works well this time. The plot got a bit convoluted in the middle but the ending was crazy. Only three stars because of the constant running around and conversations that led nowhere. It really came together when I read the author’s notes at the end of the book. I was like, “AHA!” now I understand what some things meant and why they were included in the book. But, the book should have made it clear. Readers can’t be expected to read every word between the covers to figure out what’s going on. I, personally, enjoy the notes at the ends of books and the way they help me understand the author and the whys and wherefores of the way they write. It’s too much for the casual reader so I think Tasha failed a bit in this one. However, I am still a big fan of Emily and the completely dishy Colin and Jeremy; so onward to book ten.
It was okay. The mystery started out good and had a great conclusion but dragged in the middle losing the momentum.