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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
This was a very cosy and light mystery read, which was perfect for my vacation mood. No need to think. Just read, read, read. I did figure out who the murderer was a bit early on, but I still enjoyed the book. (I usually don't try to figure out who the murderer is in these "cosy" mysteries. I am just along for the ride and entertainment.)
I thought about the disappointment I had with the last female detective protagonist, Ruth Galloway, by Elly Griffiths. Gethsemane Brown made up for that. She was delightfully nerdy and sharp, and she didn't turn into a "helpless girly" stereotype, which I felt Ruth Galloway did.
However - and I am really sad that I am even thinking about this - one point really puzzled me a lot. Gethsemane is African-American. She is a smallish village in Ireland. There isn't a whiff of racism anywhere at any time in the book. That is really nice -but sadly, unrealistic. I am not sure if that is intentional or the point or what. She is new in this small town so everyone knows who she is. That is not unusual. Newbies often stick out a lot. But there is a visual thing about this newbie that is never mentioned, which really puzzled me. I found Alexia Gordon when I read this article: http://greglevin.com/scrawl-space-blog/black-authors-of-crime-fiction-everyone-needs-to-read. (I found Attica Locke and others there, too.) I wanted entertaining read, like a good crime story or mystery, but I also wanted to expand and diversity my reading horizon. I feel I got that different angle with Attica Locke, but there was nothing of that here. Puzzling, but OK, it's Alexia Gordon's decision.
I thought about the disappointment I had with the last female detective protagonist, Ruth Galloway, by Elly Griffiths. Gethsemane Brown made up for that. She was delightfully nerdy and sharp, and she didn't turn into a "helpless girly" stereotype, which I felt Ruth Galloway did.
However - and I am really sad that I am even thinking about this - one point really puzzled me a lot. Gethsemane is African-American. She is a smallish village in Ireland. There isn't a whiff of racism anywhere at any time in the book. That is really nice -but sadly, unrealistic. I am not sure if that is intentional or the point or what. She is new in this small town so everyone knows who she is. That is not unusual. Newbies often stick out a lot. But there is a visual thing about this newbie that is never mentioned, which really puzzled me. I found Alexia Gordon when I read this article: http://greglevin.com/scrawl-space-blog/black-authors-of-crime-fiction-everyone-needs-to-read. (I found Attica Locke and others there, too.) I wanted entertaining read, like a good crime story or mystery, but I also wanted to expand and diversity my reading horizon. I feel I got that different angle with Attica Locke, but there was nothing of that here. Puzzling, but OK, it's Alexia Gordon's decision.
3.5 stars rounded up. It has all of the requirements for a fun cozy mystery: bucolic Irish setting complete with cottage and lighthouse, cold case murders, and ghosts. Looking forward to reading other books in the series.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Decent cozy mystery. Light hearted, didn't require much paying attention, characters were generally likeable. But I found myself wishing that either the plot or characters would be more gripping, and while both were enjoyable enough to keep reading, they both fell a bit flat to me. There were also a few too many instances of the emotions of the characters, or clues to the mystery, being laid out super explicitly. I think there's a good chance I'd come back to the series at some point. I definitely think there's good potential and it's a fun background listen
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:
Yes
Story was ok. Not sure I like Gethsemane but I do like stories set in Ireland. Will give the series a second try with the next book.
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A Black violinist moves to hills of Ireland to teach music at a boarding school. She is able to communicate with the ghost of a world-renown composer who was accused of murdering his beloved wife. This musician turned slueth sorts through the colorful mix of town residents to find the truth.
I adored this book. I loved the setting, the slueth and the secret. It was so refreshing to read because cozies can get a bit monotonous.
This book is nearly perfect.
I adored this book. I loved the setting, the slueth and the secret. It was so refreshing to read because cozies can get a bit monotonous.
This book is nearly perfect.