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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
The problem was that I guessed it at the beginning. Which is definitely a problem. Also not really enthusiastic about ghosts in a murder mystery. Too easy to cheat about how things are revealed.
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Read this one for "mystery by a person of color or LGBTQ+ author." It has a cranky ghost, a boys' school music competition, and is set in an Irish village. Ends on a bit of a cliffhanger.
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was my first foray into the cozy mystery genre and I can't tell if I just don't like the genre or this was just a poor excuse for it. First and foremost, the writing doesn't try to immerse the reader into the story, but rather reads just like a police report, telling what happened in as straightforward and boring a way possible. This goes for the dialogue, the narration, and the action.
Similarly, the protagonist is a Mary Sue (her one "mistake" in her past isn't one at all) with an equally Mary Sue family, which might be a first. She is bold, competent, calm under pressure, and snarky in a clever way, which would be great, if she had any other dimension to her. Regardless of the situation, she doesn't change or have any emotion at all, making it incredibly difficult to relate to her.
The only worthwhile moment is the final confrontation with the big baddie. It wasn't the most original thing in the world, but it was done well. Working through the rest of the novel wasn't worth it, however.
Similarly, the protagonist is a Mary Sue (her one "mistake" in her past isn't one at all) with an equally Mary Sue family, which might be a first. She is bold, competent, calm under pressure, and snarky in a clever way, which would be great, if she had any other dimension to her. Regardless of the situation, she doesn't change or have any emotion at all, making it incredibly difficult to relate to her.
The only worthwhile moment is the final confrontation with the big baddie. It wasn't the most original thing in the world, but it was done well. Working through the rest of the novel wasn't worth it, however.
adventurous
funny
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
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I haven't read a cozy mystery in a while, and it made a nice change of pace. Gethsemane Brown was also a refreshingly original character. She is a black violinist/conductor from a high achieving family who ends up in the middle of Irish nowhere after an offer to be a conductor goes south through no fault of hers. Gethsemane needs a win, and not to go home to the USA to her somewhat judgy family, so she takes a gig as an instructor of music for a boys' school. This in and of itself would be interesting enough without the haunted house that she moves into.
Gethsemane has some experience with the supernatural. Tschaikovsky plays in her head when she's about to get into trouble, some of her family members have claimed to see ghosts. So it's not long before she agrees to help her haunting housemate to solve the murder, committed 25 years ago, of him and his wife.
Gethsemane goes about this in a practical way- finding a posthumous alibi for Eamon. However, she stumbles into the sights of a murderer who is still very much alive.
I thought the strengths of this book lay in the snappy banter between Gethsemane and Eamon. In fact, I'd say dialogue in general is a strength of this author. Gethsemane interacts with quite a few of the villagers and her spunkiness impresses the most stone-hearted Irishman. I felt like she had a couple of possible options for romance after the book was over, but nothing was too obvious. I'm interested to see where her relationships go.
Gethsemane notices smells (the notes in perfume and cologne, mostly) more than others, and her perceptiveness also becomes part of the story.
The weaker aspect of the book was the actual plot. Gethsemane isn't exactly subtle, and neither was the murderer, although I didn't guess too early who it was. And the part of the book that interested me- the musical instruction and contest that would earn Gethsemane validation- seemed really sidelined by everything else that was going on. I really did want to read about her musical talent and how she worked with her difficult orchestra and I felt like that part got short shrift. The plot ran all over the place, and it didn't feel like it really settled down.
I haven't read a cozy mystery in a while, and it made a nice change of pace. Gethsemane Brown was also a refreshingly original character. She is a black violinist/conductor from a high achieving family who ends up in the middle of Irish nowhere after an offer to be a conductor goes south through no fault of hers. Gethsemane needs a win, and not to go home to the USA to her somewhat judgy family, so she takes a gig as an instructor of music for a boys' school. This in and of itself would be interesting enough without the haunted house that she moves into.
Gethsemane has some experience with the supernatural. Tschaikovsky plays in her head when she's about to get into trouble, some of her family members have claimed to see ghosts. So it's not long before she agrees to help her haunting housemate to solve the murder, committed 25 years ago, of him and his wife.
Gethsemane goes about this in a practical way- finding a posthumous alibi for Eamon. However, she stumbles into the sights of a murderer who is still very much alive.
I thought the strengths of this book lay in the snappy banter between Gethsemane and Eamon. In fact, I'd say dialogue in general is a strength of this author. Gethsemane interacts with quite a few of the villagers and her spunkiness impresses the most stone-hearted Irishman. I felt like she had a couple of possible options for romance after the book was over, but nothing was too obvious. I'm interested to see where her relationships go.
Gethsemane notices smells (the notes in perfume and cologne, mostly) more than others, and her perceptiveness also becomes part of the story.
The weaker aspect of the book was the actual plot. Gethsemane isn't exactly subtle, and neither was the murderer, although I didn't guess too early who it was. And the part of the book that interested me- the musical instruction and contest that would earn Gethsemane validation- seemed really sidelined by everything else that was going on. I really did want to read about her musical talent and how she worked with her difficult orchestra and I felt like that part got short shrift. The plot ran all over the place, and it didn't feel like it really settled down.
funny
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:
Complicated
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
First book I’ve read by author. Enjoyed the ride with Gethsemane and other characters! Will be reading more books from this series.
First book I’ve read by author. Enjoyed the ride with Gethsemane and other characters! Will be reading more books from this series.
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No