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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
Another if you like that then try this recommendation - and I suspect this is going to be another series I end up buying. I really enjoyed this. I had a couple of the twists worked out, but I still really enjoyed getting there and the cast of characters are quirky and engaging. I hope the next book lives up to this one!
http://wordnerdy.blogspot.com/2016/01/2016-book-6.html
This was a Kindle daily deal a couple of days ago, and my mom thought I would like it. And I did! It's a mystery set in Victorian England, first in a series, centering on a young woman whose sickly husband has died, and she assumes it's his heart ailment--at least until a private detective hired by her husband tells her he thinks it may be murder. I really liked the writing here, and only correctly guessed some of what was going on, which was all pretty interesting. I also really loved the protagonist's large and eccentric family, and found the romantic tension between the protagonist and the detective to be well-handled. I am definitely going to read more of this series. A-.
This was a Kindle daily deal a couple of days ago, and my mom thought I would like it. And I did! It's a mystery set in Victorian England, first in a series, centering on a young woman whose sickly husband has died, and she assumes it's his heart ailment--at least until a private detective hired by her husband tells her he thinks it may be murder. I really liked the writing here, and only correctly guessed some of what was going on, which was all pretty interesting. I also really loved the protagonist's large and eccentric family, and found the romantic tension between the protagonist and the detective to be well-handled. I am definitely going to read more of this series. A-.
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Deanna Raybourn is an excellent writer and I’m convinced I should enjoy anything she writes.
This novel, the first she ever published (I think?), is already lovely and smart and complex and interesting. I really enjoyed reading it. I do feel conflicted about Nicolas Brisbane and Julia Grey. Don’t get me wrong, I love them and believe them to have chemistry, but the unfolding of their connection felt less substantiated than it did in her later novels about Veronica Speedwell. Or maybe I simply forget where Veronica and Stoker started now that I've read where they're going.
Anyway, this novel may not have been perfect, but it was superb in my eyes.
This novel, the first she ever published (I think?), is already lovely and smart and complex and interesting. I really enjoyed reading it. I do feel conflicted about Nicolas Brisbane and Julia Grey. Don’t get me wrong, I love them and believe them to have chemistry, but the unfolding of their connection felt less substantiated than it did in her later novels about Veronica Speedwell. Or maybe I simply forget where Veronica and Stoker started now that I've read where they're going.
Anyway, this novel may not have been perfect, but it was superb in my eyes.
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I could not get into this book. It was entirely too slow, but well written. It was a chore to actually finish. I definitely won't be continuing with this series.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I picked up Silent in the Grave after much hemming and hawing, while waiting between Veronica Speedwell books. I had seen this series often recommended, but I wasn’t sure if I was ready to commit to another mystery series, especially given my uneven experience with the Veronica books. And while it wasn’t as good as Veronica Speedwell, I am willing to allow this series to grow on me, as this is a much earlier work.
Julia is an interesting character. I like that she comes from a bit of an eccentric family, with some of their antics coming into play as side stories. And it’s cool to dig into her backstory with her late husband, and that it was a marriage based around friendship and mutual convenience. It would be such a cliche for their marriage to be miserable, and I’m glad the book played against that.
I knew going in that Julia develops a romance with the inquiry agent Nicholas Brisbane. It’s not like I had heard they were the best ship ever, but that in comparison to Veronica and Stoker, the romantic pace is much quicker. However, I struggled to feel the chemistry, as it is still super subtle. And he didn’t really grab me in and of himself, as he’s kind of just your typical broody leading man. However, I’m open to my mind being changed.
The length of this one was a big barrier to me picking this one up, as I feel like just under 400 pages is the sweet spot for most romances and mysteries. However, while there are some moments where the pacing did feel a bit off, I also found myself really enjoying it purely for the sake of the writing style and voice.
There’s also a lot of “yikes!” elements that have not aged well. While I do applaud the fact that Julia and her family generally have progressive views toward race and sexuality (which, contrary to popular belief, are not anachronistic), it feels really out of place when you contrast it with some of the racist language and homophobic plot devices employed. I’m giving Raybourn some benefit of the doubt, as this book was published fifteen years ago, and she’s grown a lot as a writer since then. However, that does not undo the harm that this book could potentially do today as it continues to be read.
While I did have a lot of issues with this book, I am still optimistic to see where the series goes from here. And while I’m hesitant to recommend it to anyone without caveats, it is quite an interesting read for those who’ve only read Deanna Raybourn’s newer work, like I have.
Liked Julia. Sassy. Loved the raven. Loved the time period (Upstairs, Downstairs/Downton Abbey come to mind) I think I'm actually liking British mysteries!
I would give this a 3.5. It was a little slow for my liking but I really enjoyed the historical aspect and it picked up a lot at the end. I would read more in this series.