Scan barcode
sairaumar's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Thanks to the publisher & Net Galley for providing me with an eArc.
I was interested in this book as a fan of Enola Holmes, Sherlock, Hercule Poirot, Benoit Blanc, and the general murder mystery genre!
The book had a fun and interesting concept, but did read rather young for it to be set at college/college age-- may be better as an upper MG/lower YA set in HS based on the tone. It also didn't do much to set up the world -- I forgot where and when it was set often! Especially since often these types of mysteries are set in Victorian/England -- if they aren't, it helps if the setting also acts as a character for the enhanced mysterious atmosphere (like Knives Out).
The characters didn't get much development besides the relationship between the MC and Percy, which seemed a little unfounded as well.
As for the plot, it didn't really feel like a mystery where they gathered clues, looked at suspects etc. It was very much like they were in class, Ashley disappeared, they find her iPad and Holmes, they team up, then it's solved. The two mysteries didn't seem to be linked as nicely at the end as they seemed to want to be -- and didn't have a satisfying conclusion.
Overall the conclusion of the book was very rushed and half-done, and we never got answers as to if/why Ashley was related to the medium. Also was not a fan at all of the big reveal/culprit -- it seemed very out of character, especially as a Doctor. Also the ending prevented any sequels, but didn't really seem comprehensive enough to be a standalone.
I was interested in this book as a fan of Enola Holmes, Sherlock, Hercule Poirot, Benoit Blanc, and the general murder mystery genre!
The book had a fun and interesting concept, but did read rather young for it to be set at college/college age-- may be better as an upper MG/lower YA set in HS based on the tone. It also didn't do much to set up the world -- I forgot where and when it was set often! Especially since often these types of mysteries are set in Victorian/England -- if they aren't, it helps if the setting also acts as a character for the enhanced mysterious atmosphere (like Knives Out).
The characters didn't get much development besides the relationship between the MC and Percy, which seemed a little unfounded as well.
As for the plot, it didn't really feel like a mystery where they gathered clues, looked at suspects etc. It was very much like they were in class, Ashley disappeared, they find her iPad and Holmes, they team up, then it's solved. The two mysteries didn't seem to be linked as nicely at the end as they seemed to want to be -- and didn't have a satisfying conclusion.
Overall the conclusion of the book was very rushed and half-done, and we never got answers as to if/why
lastblossom's review
adventurous
informative
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
tl;dr
A relatable lead and an intriguing mystery, with the inclusion of Holmes and Watson somehow being the least interesting thing about this.
Thoughts
This is going to sound weird, but I loved everything about this book except Holmes and Watson. I knooow! But let's start at the beginning. Jules is a great lead - complex, smart, determined, and extremely human. Her struggles with herself, her writing, and her dreams were all very relatable. I also loved having an OwnVoices author talk about learning to live with hearing loss. Her friends are great, with contrasting personalities that both shine. Add to that some light romance, and you've got a very promising recipe. I'd be more than happy to watch the three of them solve mysteries forever. But that's not exactly what we get, because then we get Watson and Holmes, and an old mystery of theirs instead. Now don't get me wrong - I love Holmes and Watson, and I'll read any incarnation I can get my hands on. But I had invested a lot into the three young writers at the start, and I didn't enjoy seeing them take the back seat in a mystery they were already handling with a decent amount of competence. I really don't know how this could've been handled differently, but I do know that I was very eager for the kids to shine, and they didn't get as much screentime as I would have liked for them. I am saying this in the complimentary sense, dear author. I liked your characters, and they didn't need help. The mystery itself is serviceable. I didn't feel let down, but there weren't any huge surprises either. This book is marketed as being for Holmes fans, but it resonated with me much more as coming of age story about young writers.
Thanks to NetGalley and Blink for the advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own!
A relatable lead and an intriguing mystery, with the inclusion of Holmes and Watson somehow being the least interesting thing about this.
Thoughts
This is going to sound weird, but I loved everything about this book except Holmes and Watson. I knooow! But let's start at the beginning. Jules is a great lead - complex, smart, determined, and extremely human. Her struggles with herself, her writing, and her dreams were all very relatable. I also loved having an OwnVoices author talk about learning to live with hearing loss. Her friends are great, with contrasting personalities that both shine. Add to that some light romance, and you've got a very promising recipe. I'd be more than happy to watch the three of them solve mysteries forever. But that's not exactly what we get, because then we get Watson and Holmes, and an old mystery of theirs instead. Now don't get me wrong - I love Holmes and Watson, and I'll read any incarnation I can get my hands on. But I had invested a lot into the three young writers at the start, and I didn't enjoy seeing them take the back seat in a mystery they were already handling with a decent amount of competence. I really don't know how this could've been handled differently, but I do know that I was very eager for the kids to shine, and they didn't get as much screentime as I would have liked for them. I am saying this in the complimentary sense, dear author. I liked your characters, and they didn't need help. The mystery itself is serviceable. I didn't feel let down, but there weren't any huge surprises either. This book is marketed as being for Holmes fans, but it resonated with me much more as coming of age story about young writers.
Thanks to NetGalley and Blink for the advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder and Death
Minor: Ableism
bookishthieves's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
mrsdaliborreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
More...