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mom2three's review against another edition
5.0
This is my first foray into the steampunk genre and Patricia Loofburrow has made me a fan for life! There was so much to love about this story that it makes it difficult for me to get my thoughts in order. The characters are fantastic! The mystery is intriguing and kept me very interested. I even loved the fact that the it wasn't tied up with a bow at the end. I'm not usually a fan of serials, but for some reason this one worked for me. Maybe it's because I know there are already more books in the series so I won't be waiting to read the next one. I loved it!
tani's review against another edition
3.0
Set in a steampunk world, this story follows Jacqui Spadros, wife of the heir to the Spadros family. The city is ruled by four families that are reminiscent of the mafia. Jacqui grew up poor, but is now one of the most powerful women in the city. However, she is uncomfortable in her position, so as an insurance policy for herself, she has taken up the habit of picking up minor investigative cases. However, when she is summoned regarding the kidnapping of a child, she knows that she's in over her head. The mother of the child is a face from her past, and despite herself, she gets drawn into the case.
I had mixed feelings on this book. The writing style is quite smooth, which I liked. Jacqui is a character who is far from perfect, but is very easy to empathize with. I also quite enjoyed the side character of Jacqui's husband, who felt quite developed, despite being very self-contained. Though there are a lot of flashbacks, I felt like they actually fit into the story pretty well. The mystery is actually handled pretty well too. Things feel like they develop fairly organically, without too much coincidence driving the plot.
However, I felt like the plot had a bit of a disconnect. Events happen, but they don't always feel like a unified part of the story, or like they're connected to each other. It's something I often see with writers who are lacking in experience.
There are also some gaps in the storytelling that really bothered me. For example, it's never really addressed why Jacqui was chosen to be the wife of this powerful man in the first place. I think the intention is to imply that she doesn't know, but I found that deeply unsatisfying. Similarly, there are a number of people who were raised in the same place as Jacqui who are floating around high society, and no explanation is given as to how or why. I also did not feel like the 'villain' of the story was very good. I didn't find him threatening, to be honest, and I didn't comprehend why Jacqui was so very frightened of him, which took some urgency from the story for me. .
However, I did feel like this was a good book, over all. There were some areas that could use some improvement, but the author definitely has the potential to become a strong voice as she continues to practice her craft.
I received a review copy of this for free. My opinions remain my own.
I had mixed feelings on this book. The writing style is quite smooth, which I liked. Jacqui is a character who is far from perfect, but is very easy to empathize with. I also quite enjoyed the side character of Jacqui's husband, who felt quite developed, despite being very self-contained. Though there are a lot of flashbacks, I felt like they actually fit into the story pretty well. The mystery is actually handled pretty well too. Things feel like they develop fairly organically, without too much coincidence driving the plot.
However, I felt like the plot had a bit of a disconnect. Events happen, but they don't always feel like a unified part of the story, or like they're connected to each other. It's something I often see with writers who are lacking in experience.
There are also some gaps in the storytelling that really bothered me. For example, it's never really addressed why Jacqui was chosen to be the wife of this powerful man in the first place. I think the intention is to imply that she doesn't know, but I found that deeply unsatisfying. Similarly, there are a number of people who were raised in the same place as Jacqui who are floating around high society, and no explanation is given as to how or why. I also did not feel like the 'villain' of the story was very good. I didn't find him threatening, to be honest, and I didn't comprehend why Jacqui was so very frightened of him, which took some urgency from the story for me. .
However, I did feel like this was a good book, over all. There were some areas that could use some improvement, but the author definitely has the potential to become a strong voice as she continues to practice her craft.
I received a review copy of this for free. My opinions remain my own.
egswriter's review against another edition
4.0
This story is a stunning example of steampunk and noir combined. The main character is a perfect combination of femme fatale and private investigator in the noir genre and I loved seeing her come to life on the page. There is adventure, intrigue and questions to be answered in book two. Definitely a worthwhile read.
carc19's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
booksavvyreviews's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed the story, but there was one drawback that prevented me from fully diving into it, which was the constant flashbacks. It was jarring and confusing to be thrust back and forth.
I enjoyed the world, the plot, and the characters.
I enjoyed the world, the plot, and the characters.
s_books's review against another edition
2.0
*I received this book for free through Goodreads giveaways*
I did not care for this book. It's confusing, just launching straight into the story and only explaining the world of the book in bits and pieces, almost like pulling teeth. It was hard to fully imagine the world and the people in it and some of their reactions and without being able to fully understand the world and people I never felt fully drawn into the book.
I did not care for this book. It's confusing, just launching straight into the story and only explaining the world of the book in bits and pieces, almost like pulling teeth. It was hard to fully imagine the world and the people in it and some of their reactions and without being able to fully understand the world and people I never felt fully drawn into the book.
myoungs's review against another edition
5.0
The perfect book if you love a good mystery, but hate predictability. This one kept me guessing. Jacqueline is a very strong lead character. Raised in the wrong part of town and brought up in the world by a cruel man, she walks in both worlds. Tony's true nature surprised me. Roy is brutal and everything you'd want in a character you love to hate. The world created, Bridges, is very dark but rich. While some of the story was resolved at the end of this book, I was left with more questions than answers. I'm definitely looking forward to the next part in this series.
petra_reads's review
4.0
My original The Jacq of Spades audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.
In 1899, four crime families – the Spadros, Diamonds, Hearts and Clubbs – rule the domed city of Bridges, which is divided into four quadrants accordingly. The city is characterized by social and class divisions and growing social discontent. A new group, the Red Dogs, has appeared. The protagonist, Jacqueline, grew up in the poorest part of the city. Her mother was a prostitute, her father sold Jacqueline to be married to Tony Spadros, the son and heir of one of the leaders of the city. The Spadros family is heavily involved in the production of ‘Party Time’, an illegal drug.
This is the first book in the Red Dog Conspiracy series, and as with many first in a series, a lot of characters and numerous storylines are introduced. The main one here is the disappearance of a young boy. Jacqui, who secretly works as a private investigator, becomes involved in the search for the boy, as he is the little brother of her deceased childhood friend whose death Jacqui is still trying to come to terms with.
Initially, I found it difficult to get into the story. The action takes off right from the start without much of an introduction to the world it is set in. With the (for me) unusual setting, the numerous characters and the various subplots, there was so much going on, it was a little confusing at times.
I was wishing I had the eBook as a companion, to sometimes go back a page or two, to look up names, to work out who is who. The story is told from Jacqui’s first-person perspective with occasional flashbacks to her youth. I wasn’t sure I liked Jacqui to start with. She is still yearning for her childhood love, while “working” her marriage as best as she can. She doesn’t love her husband, but she doesn’t hate him either. Her relationship with her father-in-law, who is a really nasty piece of work, is filled with hatred and distrust. However, Jacqui grew on me with time. She is having a difficult time maneuvering between her past as a poor, helpless woman and her elevated status as the wife of an influential man, where she has to fulfill certain expectations. The author has created an interesting and unusual protagonist, which I found quite intriguing. She is a strong heroine but also very vulnerable.
The story certainly wasn’t predictable, which was a big plus. While the mystery of the missing boy is solved, the book left me with more questions than answers at the end of it. There was a thread regarding the inventors each of the crime families have and the problematic nature of the power resources sustaining their world. This was left unresolved undoubtedly to be picked up in the second book. I also wanted to find out more about several of the other characters (e.g. Joseph, Blaze, Black Jack) and their relationship with Jacqui. So I guess if you want the full picture, you need to be prepared to follow this up with the next book in the series, The Queen of Diamonds, to be published in October 2016.
It took me a little while to get used to the narration. The voice artist has a very distinctive voice. There were times where I wished I could more clearly distinguish between the different characters, which was down to my overall confusion with the sheer amount of people involved in the story. The production quality was ok. There were several instances where it was possible to detect where the narrator had paused and then re-started recording again. But it was a minor distraction.
You don’t need to be a major fan of steampunk novels to enjoy this. I think it would appeal to any listeners who enjoy mysteries with a historical element and/or a strong female heroine.
4 stars for the story. 3.5 stars for the narration and production quality.
Audiobook provided for review by the audiobookreviewer.com
In 1899, four crime families – the Spadros, Diamonds, Hearts and Clubbs – rule the domed city of Bridges, which is divided into four quadrants accordingly. The city is characterized by social and class divisions and growing social discontent. A new group, the Red Dogs, has appeared. The protagonist, Jacqueline, grew up in the poorest part of the city. Her mother was a prostitute, her father sold Jacqueline to be married to Tony Spadros, the son and heir of one of the leaders of the city. The Spadros family is heavily involved in the production of ‘Party Time’, an illegal drug.
This is the first book in the Red Dog Conspiracy series, and as with many first in a series, a lot of characters and numerous storylines are introduced. The main one here is the disappearance of a young boy. Jacqui, who secretly works as a private investigator, becomes involved in the search for the boy, as he is the little brother of her deceased childhood friend whose death Jacqui is still trying to come to terms with.
Initially, I found it difficult to get into the story. The action takes off right from the start without much of an introduction to the world it is set in. With the (for me) unusual setting, the numerous characters and the various subplots, there was so much going on, it was a little confusing at times.
I was wishing I had the eBook as a companion, to sometimes go back a page or two, to look up names, to work out who is who. The story is told from Jacqui’s first-person perspective with occasional flashbacks to her youth. I wasn’t sure I liked Jacqui to start with. She is still yearning for her childhood love, while “working” her marriage as best as she can. She doesn’t love her husband, but she doesn’t hate him either. Her relationship with her father-in-law, who is a really nasty piece of work, is filled with hatred and distrust. However, Jacqui grew on me with time. She is having a difficult time maneuvering between her past as a poor, helpless woman and her elevated status as the wife of an influential man, where she has to fulfill certain expectations. The author has created an interesting and unusual protagonist, which I found quite intriguing. She is a strong heroine but also very vulnerable.
The story certainly wasn’t predictable, which was a big plus. While the mystery of the missing boy is solved, the book left me with more questions than answers at the end of it. There was a thread regarding the inventors each of the crime families have and the problematic nature of the power resources sustaining their world. This was left unresolved undoubtedly to be picked up in the second book. I also wanted to find out more about several of the other characters (e.g. Joseph, Blaze, Black Jack) and their relationship with Jacqui. So I guess if you want the full picture, you need to be prepared to follow this up with the next book in the series, The Queen of Diamonds, to be published in October 2016.
It took me a little while to get used to the narration. The voice artist has a very distinctive voice. There were times where I wished I could more clearly distinguish between the different characters, which was down to my overall confusion with the sheer amount of people involved in the story. The production quality was ok. There were several instances where it was possible to detect where the narrator had paused and then re-started recording again. But it was a minor distraction.
You don’t need to be a major fan of steampunk novels to enjoy this. I think it would appeal to any listeners who enjoy mysteries with a historical element and/or a strong female heroine.
4 stars for the story. 3.5 stars for the narration and production quality.
Audiobook provided for review by the audiobookreviewer.com
writeramyshannon's review against another edition
4.0
Intriguingly dark
Magnificent characters are intertwined in this gritty journey into the life of Jacqi. Haunted and forcably married to a drug lord, she looks for any freedom from her life. It's a guise of the Victorian era, filled with twists and turns that keeps the pages turning. Extrememly vibrant and dark at the same time. The hunt for the kidnapped little brother keeps Jacqi focused and hopeful. It's a grand journey where the reader is invited along. I look forward to reading the next in the series.
Magnificent characters are intertwined in this gritty journey into the life of Jacqi. Haunted and forcably married to a drug lord, she looks for any freedom from her life. It's a guise of the Victorian era, filled with twists and turns that keeps the pages turning. Extrememly vibrant and dark at the same time. The hunt for the kidnapped little brother keeps Jacqi focused and hopeful. It's a grand journey where the reader is invited along. I look forward to reading the next in the series.
petermedeiros1988's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
A mystery set in an alternate-world city of "Bridges." Sort of "soft steampunk," insofar as the speculative elements don't play a huge role in the book. But the main character has a lot of voice, and as the title of the series suggests there is a dark conspiracy and intrigue across four crime families...which is definitely enough to draw you in and makes for a fun enough read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping