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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
Lady Julia Grey is not like other women. She's much more insufferable. However, it's a credit to the author that she manages to make this book fairly likeable despite the fact that the lead characters are so cliched and the mystery rather obvious. If you manage to skim past the over the top main characters, the book is fast paced and an enjoyable read.
So I definitely liked this one more than book 1 but I am really noticing that this is like a Veronica Speedwell beta or light which gives me a "I think I've read this before" feeling. I like how the romance is developing and the mystery was far more complex and less obvious than book one.
Julia Grey takes command, admits her mistakes, and finally ravishes Brisbane (just a little) like a proper lady should.
My grandmother told me this was the first book of the series and since I needed something to read, I started reading it.
Julia March returns to her family home for Christmas time with several siblings, their spouses and several extended family members and friends. When someone is murdered after dinner one night, it is up to the investigator (who was already there as a guest)and Julia to solve the mystery before everyone leaves.
Things I liked:
The time period: This book is set in 1885.
The location: Sussex.
The manners: Everything was so proper with the upper class during this time period. I LOVED IT!
Clean Language
No sex
The story: Even though the "action" doesn't occur until the middle of the book, I was still intrigued with the story line. It is not a nail-biter by any means, but it is interesting to see how things get resolved.
Things I didn't like as much:
Too many characters: Julia comes from a family of 10 children. Trying to read this novel was difficult at times when trying to keep all the characters straight. I also had a hard time when she would refer to a character by their first name and then next call them Mr. so and so.
Julia March returns to her family home for Christmas time with several siblings, their spouses and several extended family members and friends. When someone is murdered after dinner one night, it is up to the investigator (who was already there as a guest)and Julia to solve the mystery before everyone leaves.
Things I liked:
The time period: This book is set in 1885.
The location: Sussex.
The manners: Everything was so proper with the upper class during this time period. I LOVED IT!
Clean Language
No sex
The story: Even though the "action" doesn't occur until the middle of the book, I was still intrigued with the story line. It is not a nail-biter by any means, but it is interesting to see how things get resolved.
Things I didn't like as much:
Too many characters: Julia comes from a family of 10 children. Trying to read this novel was difficult at times when trying to keep all the characters straight. I also had a hard time when she would refer to a character by their first name and then next call them Mr. so and so.
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Much more engaging than Silent in the Grave; I definitely want to read the next in the series.
First published at Lit Addicted Brit
When I read the first in this series, I liked it but didn't love it. Since everyone else does seem to love it, though, when I found the second instalment tucked away in the Mystery section of my local library, I decided to give it another go. I imagine that it being sat in the Mystery section causes a lot of disappointment. This is not a great mystery. More specifically, the first half of the book isn't any kind of mystery. That's in no way a criticism because what it is is fantastic historical fiction.
One of Raybourn's major talents is clearly creating characters that are easy to love and fun to spend time with. As this is the second in the series, there's that feeling of familiarity right from the first few pages and it quickly becomes apparent that none of the characters' strengths have diminished. Lady Julia is still wonderfully eccentric - I didn't really appreciate her in the first book because she was a bit too reckless for my liking. This time around, she seemed to be a lot...calmer. The more I think about it, the more I like to think that this is intentional. Silent in the Grave has her looking to avenge her late husband's murder; Silent in the Sanctuary sees her a little more settled in her own skin and using her fledgling detective skills to investigate something not so close to home. It stands to reason that she'd be more considered and less erratic in her choices. She's also a lot stronger around Nicholas Brisbane and I loved her for keeping the delicious man on his toes.
The rest of the Lady Julia's family are as rich and colourful. It makes absolute sense that the first half of the book is spent focussing on them and developing them. Even through the bitterest exchanges and most acerbic banter, there's a warmth that's almost impossible not to smile at and it sets a solid base for the rest of the series. The resolution of the mystery (when it finally comes along...) even manages to be kind of endearing. There are some gruesome(ish) moments, some darkness and some twists but mostly there's a Christmas jauntiness to proceedings that helps take the edge off. For a book that's nearly 600 pages, the plot does bumble along at a fairly slow pace but the people and story are so much fun that I just didn't care.
The only downside is the occasional excess of Lady Julia-Brisbane tension. Their barbed exchanges and witty frankness, I like. Their refusal to be honest or considerate with each other, I don't like as much (even though I would reluctantly admit that it's sort in character for both!). Still, I suppose that this is but one novel out of five so far and it would actually be disappointing if all the characters did end up right where I wanted them so early on.
Overall: If you're in the mood for some feisty and entertaining historical fiction, this story is an accomplished follow-up to Silent in the Grave. If you haven't yet read the first instalment, get hold of a copy so that you'll be all caught up and ready to love Silent in the Sanctuary with all of its snow, mischief and tinsel at the perfect time.
When I read the first in this series, I liked it but didn't love it. Since everyone else does seem to love it, though, when I found the second instalment tucked away in the Mystery section of my local library, I decided to give it another go. I imagine that it being sat in the Mystery section causes a lot of disappointment. This is not a great mystery. More specifically, the first half of the book isn't any kind of mystery. That's in no way a criticism because what it is is fantastic historical fiction.
One of Raybourn's major talents is clearly creating characters that are easy to love and fun to spend time with. As this is the second in the series, there's that feeling of familiarity right from the first few pages and it quickly becomes apparent that none of the characters' strengths have diminished. Lady Julia is still wonderfully eccentric - I didn't really appreciate her in the first book because she was a bit too reckless for my liking. This time around, she seemed to be a lot...calmer. The more I think about it, the more I like to think that this is intentional. Silent in the Grave has her looking to avenge her late husband's murder; Silent in the Sanctuary sees her a little more settled in her own skin and using her fledgling detective skills to investigate something not so close to home. It stands to reason that she'd be more considered and less erratic in her choices. She's also a lot stronger around Nicholas Brisbane and I loved her for keeping the delicious man on his toes.
The rest of the Lady Julia's family are as rich and colourful. It makes absolute sense that the first half of the book is spent focussing on them and developing them. Even through the bitterest exchanges and most acerbic banter, there's a warmth that's almost impossible not to smile at and it sets a solid base for the rest of the series. The resolution of the mystery (when it finally comes along...) even manages to be kind of endearing. There are some gruesome(ish) moments, some darkness and some twists but mostly there's a Christmas jauntiness to proceedings that helps take the edge off. For a book that's nearly 600 pages, the plot does bumble along at a fairly slow pace but the people and story are so much fun that I just didn't care.
The only downside is the occasional excess of Lady Julia-Brisbane tension. Their barbed exchanges and witty frankness, I like. Their refusal to be honest or considerate with each other, I don't like as much (even though I would reluctantly admit that it's sort in character for both!). Still, I suppose that this is but one novel out of five so far and it would actually be disappointing if all the characters did end up right where I wanted them so early on.
Overall: If you're in the mood for some feisty and entertaining historical fiction, this story is an accomplished follow-up to Silent in the Grave. If you haven't yet read the first instalment, get hold of a copy so that you'll be all caught up and ready to love Silent in the Sanctuary with all of its snow, mischief and tinsel at the perfect time.