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3.37 AVERAGE
3.37 AVERAGE
adventurous
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
On a bitterly cold night, three seemingly unconnected events happen. Lord Strythe who is being watched by Octavia Hillingdon who thinks she is onto a story, vanishes into the night. In his home, a seamstress who is there to make alterations to a finely crafted gown is locked into the attic room to carry out her duties. She has been careful to disguise her pain in front of the butler from the words sewn into her own flesh, but she climbs through the window onto the sill before turning and jumping. That same night, Gideon Bliss seeks shelter from the snow in a Soho church, where he finds Angie Tatton, a former love of his, lying before the altar. In her delirium, he hears snatches of phrases about black air and Spiriters before he is knocked out. When he comes to she is no longer there.
In the cold light of day, Inspector Cutter of Scotland Yard begins his investigation into the suspicious death of Eleanor Tull and the disappearance of Angie Tatton. Gideon Bliss offers to help given his personal connection and Cutter is reluctant at first, but eventually relents. As they start to find out more about the people affected, they hear rumours of a shadowy group of men that may be the Spiriters. Octavia Hillingdon’s own research for her paper on the group who claim to be stealing souls is rapidly heading to a similar conclusion as Cutter and Bliss, that all these threads lead to the mysterious house on Vesper Sands
I must admit that I am not the biggest fan of these Victorian Gothic melodramas, but this came highly recommended by Melissa Harrison, no less. And O’Donnell has done a pretty good job with this one. He captures the atmosphere of the places really well, the brooding and pervasive dampness of London fogs, the bleakness of the Kent coast in winter coupled with strong flawed characters and blended all those elements with a reasonable plot and a sprinkling of supernatural otherness that don’t undermine the plausibility of the story. I thought it was worth reading and if you have read an loved The Essex Serpent and The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock then this will be right up your darkened alley.
In the cold light of day, Inspector Cutter of Scotland Yard begins his investigation into the suspicious death of Eleanor Tull and the disappearance of Angie Tatton. Gideon Bliss offers to help given his personal connection and Cutter is reluctant at first, but eventually relents. As they start to find out more about the people affected, they hear rumours of a shadowy group of men that may be the Spiriters. Octavia Hillingdon’s own research for her paper on the group who claim to be stealing souls is rapidly heading to a similar conclusion as Cutter and Bliss, that all these threads lead to the mysterious house on Vesper Sands
I must admit that I am not the biggest fan of these Victorian Gothic melodramas, but this came highly recommended by Melissa Harrison, no less. And O’Donnell has done a pretty good job with this one. He captures the atmosphere of the places really well, the brooding and pervasive dampness of London fogs, the bleakness of the Kent coast in winter coupled with strong flawed characters and blended all those elements with a reasonable plot and a sprinkling of supernatural otherness that don’t undermine the plausibility of the story. I thought it was worth reading and if you have read an loved The Essex Serpent and The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock then this will be right up your darkened alley.
Thrilling read. Come along on a journey, unraveling a grand mystery alongside a cop and his shadow. It is difficult to predict where this story goes if one reads with an open mind. I picked it up on a whim and was not disappointed.
promising start. so slow and then just kinda random. but pretty good.
I really liked this book and can see it being turned into a PBS Masterpiece movie
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
All the characters seem ever-so-slightly larger than life, especialy the inspector, as does the plot, kicked off when a seamstress sews a message nto her own body then jumps through a window. It all turns low-key, and seamlessly, into something with supernatural elements, but honestly a lot of the dialogue is the main attraction.
I was very excited to get this book from the library as I read a synopsis of it in a flyer from my local bookstore and knew I had to read it! I am a lover of Victorian mysteries and have read extensively within the genre, some of it good, some not so good. Thankfully, this book did not disappoint.
O'Donnell weaves together several story lines throughout the book each of which is following a particular piece of the larger puzzle which eventually brings all of the characters and storylines together at the end for the 'big reveal!' Each story line is intriguing in it's own right and I was pleasantly surprised that I never found myself wishing the author would go back to a different piece of the puzzle.
The characters themselves fit squarely into stereotypical Victorian mystery literature: the uncultured but savvy detective, the over-educated but not street-smart side-kick, the quintessential upper-class gentleman, and the independent and clever young female newspaper reporter. However, O'Donnell gave each an interesting and unique background which provided clues to their motivations and decision-making processes throughout the story. I also appreciated that the female characters had agency and their narratives helped to move the story forward rather than being simply 'token' women in 'a man's world' (which often happens in Victorian mystery novels).
Since this is a mystery novel and I do not want to spoil any of the story I will simply conclude by saying, I enjoyed this book and read it in just three days! If you like Victorian mysteries this is definitely a good choice for you!
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O'Donnell weaves together several story lines throughout the book each of which is following a particular piece of the larger puzzle which eventually brings all of the characters and storylines together at the end for the 'big reveal!' Each story line is intriguing in it's own right and I was pleasantly surprised that I never found myself wishing the author would go back to a different piece of the puzzle.
The characters themselves fit squarely into stereotypical Victorian mystery literature: the uncultured but savvy detective, the over-educated but not street-smart side-kick, the quintessential upper-class gentleman, and the independent and clever young female newspaper reporter. However, O'Donnell gave each an interesting and unique background which provided clues to their motivations and decision-making processes throughout the story. I also appreciated that the female characters had agency and their narratives helped to move the story forward rather than being simply 'token' women in 'a man's world' (which often happens in Victorian mystery novels).
Since this is a mystery novel and I do not want to spoil any of the story I will simply conclude by saying, I enjoyed this book and read it in just three days! If you like Victorian mysteries this is definitely a good choice for you!
Want more book content? Follow me at thebookwar.com