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katreader's review against another edition
5.0
THE HOUSE OF MEMORY by Carolyn Haines
The Second Pluto's Snitch Mystery
News of Pluto's Snitch Detective Agency has spread and Raissa James and her partner, Reginald Proctor, head to Montgomery, Alabama to meet the famous flapper, Zelda Fitzgerald. Zelda has called on them for their occult expertise as she believes her friend may be possessed. Camilla had always been a sweet, gentle young woman. Delighted to be engaged to a wonderful man who's restoring a glorious old home for her, she suddenly attacked and tried to kill him. Twice. Now, in order to make her a docile wife Camilla's mother has sent her to a mental institution and scheduled her for an extreme experimental surgery. Is Camilla mentally ill or could she truly be influenced by a malevolent spirit?
THE HOUSE OF MEMORY is a thrilling tale of revenge and madness, but just who is mad is up for debate. Raissa and Reginald are forced to deal with a strong entity as they look into the history of Roswell House, which appears to be the catalyst for Camilla's shocking behaviour. Pretty young girls are disappearing from neighboring counties and Bryce Hospital appears to have secrets of its own. As Raissa starts to look for a connection between all of them she must prepare to fight something more powerful than she has ever encountered.
Carolyn Haines gives a fascinating look as to what it was to be a woman in the 1920s. Ideas were changing, women were starting to spread their wings and become more independent. A good portion of society, women included, thought these young women wild, unsuitable, even insane. A woman was meant to be controlled and if she rebelled, quickly put back in her place. Many women were placed in mental institutions, whether they were mentally ill or not.
While still flush with the Gothic vibe, there is no doubt that THE HOUSE OF MEMORY is a mystery. In fact, several mysteries entwine to create a complex puzzle. I love the historical details in the Pluto's Snitch Mystery series and was thrilled to see Zelda Fitzgerald and Tallulah Bankhead as characters in this second mystery. I find the society portrayed here fascinating, especially seeing the amount of alcohol easily available and widely accepted during prohibition!
A Southern Gothic miasma fills THE HOUSE OF MEMORY making it a captivating and compelling mystery snaring readers with its chilling story.
FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me a copy of this book in the hopes I would review it.
The Second Pluto's Snitch Mystery
News of Pluto's Snitch Detective Agency has spread and Raissa James and her partner, Reginald Proctor, head to Montgomery, Alabama to meet the famous flapper, Zelda Fitzgerald. Zelda has called on them for their occult expertise as she believes her friend may be possessed. Camilla had always been a sweet, gentle young woman. Delighted to be engaged to a wonderful man who's restoring a glorious old home for her, she suddenly attacked and tried to kill him. Twice. Now, in order to make her a docile wife Camilla's mother has sent her to a mental institution and scheduled her for an extreme experimental surgery. Is Camilla mentally ill or could she truly be influenced by a malevolent spirit?
THE HOUSE OF MEMORY is a thrilling tale of revenge and madness, but just who is mad is up for debate. Raissa and Reginald are forced to deal with a strong entity as they look into the history of Roswell House, which appears to be the catalyst for Camilla's shocking behaviour. Pretty young girls are disappearing from neighboring counties and Bryce Hospital appears to have secrets of its own. As Raissa starts to look for a connection between all of them she must prepare to fight something more powerful than she has ever encountered.
Carolyn Haines gives a fascinating look as to what it was to be a woman in the 1920s. Ideas were changing, women were starting to spread their wings and become more independent. A good portion of society, women included, thought these young women wild, unsuitable, even insane. A woman was meant to be controlled and if she rebelled, quickly put back in her place. Many women were placed in mental institutions, whether they were mentally ill or not.
While still flush with the Gothic vibe, there is no doubt that THE HOUSE OF MEMORY is a mystery. In fact, several mysteries entwine to create a complex puzzle. I love the historical details in the Pluto's Snitch Mystery series and was thrilled to see Zelda Fitzgerald and Tallulah Bankhead as characters in this second mystery. I find the society portrayed here fascinating, especially seeing the amount of alcohol easily available and widely accepted during prohibition!
A Southern Gothic miasma fills THE HOUSE OF MEMORY making it a captivating and compelling mystery snaring readers with its chilling story.
FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me a copy of this book in the hopes I would review it.
elbg's review against another edition
1.0
Where to start. I decided to give this second book a shot after being meh about the first. I thought the series had some good bones that could be developed. I had similar problems with this book as with the first.
There are annoying inconsistencies and inaccurate portrayals that could have been fixed with a minor amount of research or more thorough editing. First, this book starts by saying that Zelda Fitzgerald and her problem was sent to the two main characters by “a friend of [Raissa’s] uncle.” Uh, no. The first book literally ends with Zelda writing a letter to the two, saying a medium in New Orleans, who had been one of the two main character’s bosses until recently, sent her to them. NOT a friend of the uncle, who had met the medium only briefly.
Second, and this is because I’m a lawyer, judges don’t investigate crimes!! Good grief this is a simple issue that would have been obvious to anyone doing research. Any judge who participated in an investigation could not then preside over criminal matters because he would be presumed to be unduly prejudiced. That would have been the case in the 1920s, hell even in the 1820s. Our system of jurisprudence hasn’t changed. So, no, Zelda’s father was not “looking into” the disappearance of area girls. And at the end the judge tells police officers “there’s a murderer tied up in the dining room” NO JUDGE WOULD SAY THAT. “Murderer” is what you call someone after they’ve been tried and convicted … not when they’re arrested. It’s why someone is called an alleged murderer prior to trial even if twenty people witnessed it. I don’t know why I would have expected any coherence in the judge’s character by the end of the book given the constant accuracy problems, but the “murderer” line just sent me over the edge.
Then there’s the pacing. This book suffers from the same problem as the first: inconsistent pacing. Too many parts of the story are repeated and the story gets bogged down in unnecessary prose.
I love historical mysteries and love paranormal books. This series seemed like a perfect combination. I won’t read the rest of this series though.
There are annoying inconsistencies and inaccurate portrayals that could have been fixed with a minor amount of research or more thorough editing. First, this book starts by saying that Zelda Fitzgerald and her problem was sent to the two main characters by “a friend of [Raissa’s] uncle.” Uh, no. The first book literally ends with Zelda writing a letter to the two, saying a medium in New Orleans, who had been one of the two main character’s bosses until recently, sent her to them. NOT a friend of the uncle, who had met the medium only briefly.
Second, and this is because I’m a lawyer, judges don’t investigate crimes!! Good grief this is a simple issue that would have been obvious to anyone doing research. Any judge who participated in an investigation could not then preside over criminal matters because he would be presumed to be unduly prejudiced. That would have been the case in the 1920s, hell even in the 1820s. Our system of jurisprudence hasn’t changed. So, no, Zelda’s father was not “looking into” the disappearance of area girls. And at the end the judge tells police officers “there’s a murderer tied up in the dining room” NO JUDGE WOULD SAY THAT. “Murderer” is what you call someone after they’ve been tried and convicted … not when they’re arrested. It’s why someone is called an alleged murderer prior to trial even if twenty people witnessed it. I don’t know why I would have expected any coherence in the judge’s character by the end of the book given the constant accuracy problems, but the “murderer” line just sent me over the edge.
Then there’s the pacing. This book suffers from the same problem as the first: inconsistent pacing. Too many parts of the story are repeated and the story gets bogged down in unnecessary prose.
I love historical mysteries and love paranormal books. This series seemed like a perfect combination. I won’t read the rest of this series though.
jen_baroness_mom's review against another edition
5.0
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.The House of Memory by Carolyn Haines returns us to the world of Pluto's Snitch Investigations. However, this time Uncle Brett isn't there to help them. Raissa and Reginald have to deal with this one on their own.
These two are the best of friends. They must learn to take care of each other as forces of evil are closer than they think in this episode. Their employer is none other than Zelda Fitzgerald. She and her friend Talluha are the perfect flappers. Zelda plans to teach Raissa all the new ways. Raissa has ambitions, and her first short story is publishing in October; she is pretty popular. Reginald is charming and handsome. He can sweet-talk the ladies and be buddies with guys. He helps keep Raissa from getting in trouble and can work the good ole boy network exceptionally well.
Zelda is wonderfully written. The interactions between Raissa, Reginald, Zelda, and her parents are wonderfully written. I felt like I was sippin' lemonade on the porch with them and listening to all the significant bits of their lives.
Zelda has hired Pluto's Snitch to figure out why Camilla has become violent towards her fiance on the two occasions they visited their soon-to-be home Roswell House. There is no time to stall as Camilla's mother (aka the dragon) will have a lobotomy performed on Camilla as soon as possible. Currently, she is at Bryce Hospital, which is a sanitarium. Raissa and Reginald must figure out the house's history and how it connects to Camilla now. This isn't the only mystery that they find. There are also young girls going missing in all the nearby counties. Raissa has noticed an unusual number of prostitutes in the area, something that she isn't used to seeing.
This episode was a bit dark, but I so enjoyed it. I was right there with Raissa when she was figuring it out; I got some of it but missed a bit too.
Another installment that had me thinking about the characters and their predicaments when I shouldn't have been. Lesson learned, when cooking, it should be what you are thinking about. My rating for The House of Memory by Carolyn Haines is five stars. The characters continue to grow and find their strengths as a team. Another highly recommended book by Ms. Haines. Although, I don't believe I have read a book of her's that I didn't like.
Will Raissa and Reginald save Camilla before she loses herself?
Raissa and Reginald
These two are the best of friends. They must learn to take care of each other as forces of evil are closer than they think in this episode. Their employer is none other than Zelda Fitzgerald. She and her friend Talluha are the perfect flappers. Zelda plans to teach Raissa all the new ways. Raissa has ambitions, and her first short story is publishing in October; she is pretty popular. Reginald is charming and handsome. He can sweet-talk the ladies and be buddies with guys. He helps keep Raissa from getting in trouble and can work the good ole boy network exceptionally well.
Zelda is wonderfully written. The interactions between Raissa, Reginald, Zelda, and her parents are wonderfully written. I felt like I was sippin' lemonade on the porch with them and listening to all the significant bits of their lives.
The Mystery
Zelda has hired Pluto's Snitch to figure out why Camilla has become violent towards her fiance on the two occasions they visited their soon-to-be home Roswell House. There is no time to stall as Camilla's mother (aka the dragon) will have a lobotomy performed on Camilla as soon as possible. Currently, she is at Bryce Hospital, which is a sanitarium. Raissa and Reginald must figure out the house's history and how it connects to Camilla now. This isn't the only mystery that they find. There are also young girls going missing in all the nearby counties. Raissa has noticed an unusual number of prostitutes in the area, something that she isn't used to seeing.
This episode was a bit dark, but I so enjoyed it. I was right there with Raissa when she was figuring it out; I got some of it but missed a bit too.
Five Stars
Another installment that had me thinking about the characters and their predicaments when I shouldn't have been. Lesson learned, when cooking, it should be what you are thinking about. My rating for The House of Memory by Carolyn Haines is five stars. The characters continue to grow and find their strengths as a team. Another highly recommended book by Ms. Haines. Although, I don't believe I have read a book of her's that I didn't like.
The Pluto's Snitch Series
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of The House of Memory by Carolyn Haines.
Until the next time,
This review was originally posted on Baroness' Book Trove
lm_lostinabook's review against another edition
4.0
This was the first book I read from the Pluto’s Snitch series, although it is the second in the series. It made allusions to the first book, but nothing major.
The House of Memory is set in the deep south of America in the 1920s. I really enjoyed the incorporation of non-fictional characters like Zelda Fitzgerald in a creepy, mysterious world filled with ghosts, curses, and disappearances. I'll definitely be interested in more of Carolyn Haines' writing, and might check out a few more paranormal/ghost stories in the future!
The House of Memory is set in the deep south of America in the 1920s. I really enjoyed the incorporation of non-fictional characters like Zelda Fitzgerald in a creepy, mysterious world filled with ghosts, curses, and disappearances. I'll definitely be interested in more of Carolyn Haines' writing, and might check out a few more paranormal/ghost stories in the future!
dollycas's review against another edition
5.0
Dollycas’s Thoughts
In this second book of this series Pluto’s Snitch is called on by the famous Zelda Fitzgerald. She has asked partners Raissa James and Reginald Proctor to help her friend Camilla. After two unexplainable episodes Camilla’s mother has sent her to the Bryce Hospital asylum thinking that she has gone insane. Her mother gives permission of any and all treatment the will make her daughter docile enough to get married. Raissa and Reginald quickly find this is a difficult case that may involve many more young girls. Putting themselves in danger they are determined not only to save Camilla but as many other girls as they can.
The author takes us back to the roaring 20’s with flappers, prostitution, prohibition, possession, ghosts and more. A time when women were seen but not heard and many were treated a property. She even includes Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald and Tallulah Bankhead in the story. The author brings true history into her stories making them very believable.
What makes the story so interesting is that Raissa has a gift. She can see and hear the dead. Sometimes what she sees is quite graphic and scary but she soldiers on to get the answers she seeks. She has dead people in her dreams too, sometimes they give her more questions than answers but they almost always move her investigation forward. While Reginald cannot see spirits (yet) he is a critical thinker and has Raissa’s complete trust. Together they make a fine detective team.
Carolyn Haines is very descriptive in everything from the characters to the settings. She has to be for this story to be a success. Pictures were painted in my mind of both the human characters and the spirits. I could also clearly picture everywhere Raissa went from the Sayre house to the asylum.
There was evil at play in this story both in the living and the dead. The plot would make an excellent movie but it would be one I probably would watch peeking through my fingers over my eyes.
A fast read, hard to put down, a chilling story. You may want to read The Book of Beloved first to start this series from the beginning. I highly recommend both.
In this second book of this series Pluto’s Snitch is called on by the famous Zelda Fitzgerald. She has asked partners Raissa James and Reginald Proctor to help her friend Camilla. After two unexplainable episodes Camilla’s mother has sent her to the Bryce Hospital asylum thinking that she has gone insane. Her mother gives permission of any and all treatment the will make her daughter docile enough to get married. Raissa and Reginald quickly find this is a difficult case that may involve many more young girls. Putting themselves in danger they are determined not only to save Camilla but as many other girls as they can.
The author takes us back to the roaring 20’s with flappers, prostitution, prohibition, possession, ghosts and more. A time when women were seen but not heard and many were treated a property. She even includes Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald and Tallulah Bankhead in the story. The author brings true history into her stories making them very believable.
What makes the story so interesting is that Raissa has a gift. She can see and hear the dead. Sometimes what she sees is quite graphic and scary but she soldiers on to get the answers she seeks. She has dead people in her dreams too, sometimes they give her more questions than answers but they almost always move her investigation forward. While Reginald cannot see spirits (yet) he is a critical thinker and has Raissa’s complete trust. Together they make a fine detective team.
Carolyn Haines is very descriptive in everything from the characters to the settings. She has to be for this story to be a success. Pictures were painted in my mind of both the human characters and the spirits. I could also clearly picture everywhere Raissa went from the Sayre house to the asylum.
There was evil at play in this story both in the living and the dead. The plot would make an excellent movie but it would be one I probably would watch peeking through my fingers over my eyes.
A fast read, hard to put down, a chilling story. You may want to read The Book of Beloved first to start this series from the beginning. I highly recommend both.
anjana's review against another edition
4.0
https://superfluousreading.wordpress.com/2018/04/01/the-house-of-memory-by-carolyn-haines
jenndian's review against another edition
5.0
Great second book,in the Pluto's Snitch series. So many twists and turns! A simple case quickly turns into something far more sinister than anyone could imagine! Brilliant writing! Excellent story and extremely satisfying ending! I also loved,the inclusion of Zelda Fitzgerald!
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