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3.4 AVERAGE
3.4 AVERAGE
funny
mysterious
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:
Yes
I requested this as I was in the mood for a cozy mystery, and the cover and title intrigued me. From the start however, I was very confused. The main character, Betty Church, appears to be the god daughter of the main character of a previous series of the same author. The lack of exposition on some aspects of her history makes me think that perhaps she has already played a part in that series, despite this listed as the first in a series. There are many cases mentioned, trauma’s she has gone through – including a very physical trauma – but only on passing. After multiple recent reads that have turned out not to be the first in a series this annoyed me from the start, and made it difficult for me to get into it.
Betty is one of the first female officers in London, and the very first when she gets sent to Sackwater. Most if not all the other male officers at the station treat her as such, and while she is used to this – and it is probably very true to the times – it became old very quickly. She adopts a passive-aggressive stance towards pretty much every other character in the book, and while this again becomes repetitive really quickly, in her defense she is faced with an absurd set of other cast members. Especially considering the only other female officer assigned to Sackwater is ridiculous to say the least – honestly, who says ‘Oopsy-woopsy’ in real life? Even in the 1930’s. Add to that some idiotic twins that are too stupid to live – all assigned there because of their ‘connections’. Maybe situations like that really happened, but for me it was too unrealistic – even for a cozy mystery.
The writing style was difficult to follow at times, as every character with a different accent had their lines written out phonetically. The dialogue swerved wildly between being witty and cringy, depending on who Betty was talking to at the time. The mystery was all over the place, and there were many side-tracks that eventually came together but for the longest time it just seemed like a jumble of story lines. This all against a backdrop of Britain at the start of World War II, with mandatory curfew and blackouts, as well as the treat of bombings and invasion. There are some short passages where Betty deals with a local couple who are originally German and the treatment they receive because of the current climate, but this is only a footnote in the larger story. This is a shame, as this was one of the parts I actually enjoyed reading about!
Disclaimer – This review is based on a NetGalley ARC provided in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion.
Betty is one of the first female officers in London, and the very first when she gets sent to Sackwater. Most if not all the other male officers at the station treat her as such, and while she is used to this – and it is probably very true to the times – it became old very quickly. She adopts a passive-aggressive stance towards pretty much every other character in the book, and while this again becomes repetitive really quickly, in her defense she is faced with an absurd set of other cast members. Especially considering the only other female officer assigned to Sackwater is ridiculous to say the least – honestly, who says ‘Oopsy-woopsy’ in real life? Even in the 1930’s. Add to that some idiotic twins that are too stupid to live – all assigned there because of their ‘connections’. Maybe situations like that really happened, but for me it was too unrealistic – even for a cozy mystery.
The writing style was difficult to follow at times, as every character with a different accent had their lines written out phonetically. The dialogue swerved wildly between being witty and cringy, depending on who Betty was talking to at the time. The mystery was all over the place, and there were many side-tracks that eventually came together but for the longest time it just seemed like a jumble of story lines. This all against a backdrop of Britain at the start of World War II, with mandatory curfew and blackouts, as well as the treat of bombings and invasion. There are some short passages where Betty deals with a local couple who are originally German and the treatment they receive because of the current climate, but this is only a footnote in the larger story. This is a shame, as this was one of the parts I actually enjoyed reading about!
Disclaimer – This review is based on a NetGalley ARC provided in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, Alcohol, War
I really liked M. R. C. Kasasian's Gower Street series, despite its increasing darkness and gore. I thought I would like this new series better than I actually did. (I mean the setting alone seemed hand-picked for me: England, 1939!)
All the supporting cast, and I mean ALL of them, are annoying in one way or another. And Betty is intrepid, but somehow not truly likeable. The names are over the top. The plot is obscure.
But Kasasian does have a way of turning a phrase...I know I'll give at least one more book in the series a chance before I give up.
All the supporting cast, and I mean ALL of them, are annoying in one way or another. And Betty is intrepid, but somehow not truly likeable. The names are over the top. The plot is obscure.
But Kasasian does have a way of turning a phrase...I know I'll give at least one more book in the series a chance before I give up.
Spoiler
So, Betty is totally March Middleton's daughter, right? I mean her "parents" are AWFUL. They don't remember her birthday. They don't visit her in the hospital. They don't care about her at all. But M.M. does. So. This is not really a spoiler, just my guess at how the series might go.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-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
lighthearted
mysterious
Kasasian's dry wit and humor are in top from throughout this book, but the motives for the murders (I won't tell it here) was a bit insensitive given the type of world we live in now and the silliness of the perpetrators could have been approached differently.
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No