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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Medical trauma, Abortion, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, Classism
I chose this audiobook because the narrator, Mary Jane Wells, is lovely. I was browsing the audiobooks she's narrated on Audio Plus and came across this one. I thought the blurb sounded interesting, and I've been in the mood for gothic mysteries lately. I enjoyed the narration, and the story was told well, but the main character, Sarah, made a lot of questionable decisions. Plus, the novel was extremely dark and depressing. Just when I thought things couldn't be any more bleak, we'd be hit with another sad, sorry fact about the fate of women and their lack of rights in the 1890s.
I appreciated the strength of character it took for Sarah to stay on her current path, despite (or perhaps in spite of) the misfortunes she suffered in the past. But her blithely following said path without a thought to her safety or the consequences of her actions was frustrating. I wasn't surprised by any of the revelations, but I did enjoy Sarah's surprise, so I guess there's that.
Though I enjoyed parts of this, I don't believe I'll continue with the series. Sarah didn't endear herself enough for me to want to read more books from her point of view.
3.25-3.5
I appreciated the strength of character it took for Sarah to stay on her current path, despite (or perhaps in spite of) the misfortunes she suffered in the past. But her blithely following said path without a thought to her safety or the consequences of her actions was frustrating. I wasn't surprised by any of the revelations, but I did enjoy Sarah's surprise, so I guess there's that.
Though I enjoyed parts of this, I don't believe I'll continue with the series. Sarah didn't endear herself enough for me to want to read more books from her point of view.
3.25-3.5
I enjoyed this historical murder mystery very much. I loved the descriptions of Edinburgh and I loved the way the author shared the real frustrations of the late19th century for a woman. The medical treatment for " hysterical " women was also covered really well. I loved the atmosphere of this book ; the stuffy drawing rooms, the cold lecture rooms, and the stinking slums all came across very strongly.
My only reason for not giving this book 5 stars was that I found the plot a bit rambling sometimes and Sarah didn't really have a good reason for some of her outings except to move the plot along a little which weakened her as a character. I felt her critics were justified in calling her a trouble maker, because her motives for some things were no more than curiosity.
Apart from that it was a great read and I recommend it.
My only reason for not giving this book 5 stars was that I found the plot a bit rambling sometimes and Sarah didn't really have a good reason for some of her outings except to move the plot along a little which weakened her as a character. I felt her critics were justified in calling her a trouble maker, because her motives for some things were no more than curiosity.
Apart from that it was a great read and I recommend it.
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexism, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abortion
Moderate: Drug abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Sexual harassment
Minor: Child death, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts
This book is intelligent, well-written, and timely in today's society (despite being historical fiction).
A very readable if ultimately underwhelming historical mystery set in Edinburgh the late 1800s. Pros: In Sarah, Welsh has created likable, imperfect protagonist to carry the series; her growing relationship with her male counterpart will undoubtedly be fun to follow. Welsh's examination of the treatment of women in the time period is especially moving: she goes beyond the obvious (female medical students teased and tormented by male classmates) to the more horrific (forced hysterectomies, rape as cause for a victim to be disowned, etc.).
Cons: the beats of the mystery are pretty predictable, even for an oblivious reader like me, and honestly, just aren't that interesting. You've got a headstrong, good-hearted but sometimes foolish ingenue, a mysterious man with a dark past who's either an ally or the bad guy, a long monologue from the murderer during the denouement, even a period-appropriate nod to Sherlock Holmes. I didn't guess the culprit, but nothing was a true surprise, and many of the red herrings obviously false leads.
That said, I can see myself reading the sequels that I assuming are coming. This was quick and engaging, and if the plots improve, it could become a series worth following.
A good choice for readers looking for a leisurely, character-driven mystery with lots of historical detail.
Cons: the beats of the mystery are pretty predictable, even for an oblivious reader like me, and honestly, just aren't that interesting. You've got a headstrong, good-hearted but sometimes foolish ingenue, a mysterious man with a dark past who's either an ally or the bad guy, a long monologue from the murderer during the denouement, even a period-appropriate nod to Sherlock Holmes. I didn't guess the culprit, but nothing was a true surprise, and many of the red herrings obviously false leads.
That said, I can see myself reading the sequels that I assuming are coming. This was quick and engaging, and if the plots improve, it could become a series worth following.
A good choice for readers looking for a leisurely, character-driven mystery with lots of historical detail.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A absolutely brilliant book! Can't wait to read the next in the series
I had mixed feelings with the book while I was reading it. First, I loved it, it was great, im not usually a historical fiction reader but I enjoyed this one, in the middle I was getting kind of bored, I thought that the story wasn't that interesting, but I was wrong, I devoured the last chapters, I couldn't put the book down. I really enjoyed the end.