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tradepaperback's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Minor: Child abuse
lisabelle63's review
4.0
The second book in this series was worth the wait. I listened to the audio book which sometimes made it difficult to keep up with the myriad of characters and plot twists. I love the character of Mrs. Rodd. I hope we won’t have to wait too long for the next book!
ptaradactyl's review
3.0
It was a very slow start but quite interesting when it got going.
Spoiler
Homosexuality is a plot element, and it isn’t till near the end that they make it clear that it’s exactly what they mean. Until then, I wasn’t certain I was reading between comments correctly. So if you thought your were getting that vibe, you were correctblacksentai's review
2.0
So this book is all about fear of homosexuality, and it just so happens that all the gay characters die. On top of that, the murderer is someone who was born in the worst of poverty and became rich and wants to help poor people out. So obviously that man is evil. The politics of this book seem accidentally awful. Like the author didn't think about what was being said through all of the characters actions. Also, the way the author goes out of her way to describe one gay male character as womanly is just too much. She beats you over the head with it. Like, it's supposed to be subtle, but it's a hammer. And it's bad. And I know she is trying to do a thing where the book is supposed to feel like it is written by a woman in the 1860s but it doesn't work nearly as well in this book as in the last.
readtoramble's review against another edition
4.0
I first found this book while I was looking through the Bloomsbury catalogue and I immediately wanted to read it. I love murder mysteries and crime books and I was so excited to start it when I received it in the mail. It took a couple of chapters to get into it properly because it is set in the 1850s so the language and the setting is not very common and not what i am used to but it was a nice difference to read something not based on this generation. As always, I love all murder stories and mysteries so naturally this was a very good book for me ! I really want to read the first installment now and look forward to reading the next Laetitia Rodd mysteries in the coming years.
tchien's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
pearl_sull's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
wordnerdy's review against another edition
4.0
https://wordnerdy.blogspot.com/2019/12/2019-book-153.html
The second book in Saunders' mystery series, about a lady detective in Victorian times, finds the titular Mrs. Rodd asked to track down a dying man's brother—a former scholar who now lives as a hermit in the woods. Soon she is caught up in a MURDER and must prove a friend's innocence! I liked the characters and the plot a lot, though a lot of the characters are vicars and parsons who have arguments about Christianity, which I am not personally that interested in. Still, if Saunders writes more in this series, I will definitely read them; I like the narrative voice very much. A-.
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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released on Tuesday.
The second book in Saunders' mystery series, about a lady detective in Victorian times, finds the titular Mrs. Rodd asked to track down a dying man's brother—a former scholar who now lives as a hermit in the woods. Soon she is caught up in a MURDER and must prove a friend's innocence! I liked the characters and the plot a lot, though a lot of the characters are vicars and parsons who have arguments about Christianity, which I am not personally that interested in. Still, if Saunders writes more in this series, I will definitely read them; I like the narrative voice very much. A-.
_
A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released on Tuesday.
lovest's review
3.0
It was OK, but I found it quite boring. I liked the first one better to be honest. The ending felt very obvious from about halfway through, but I appreciate the faithfulness to the development of her characters.