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mamap's review
3.0
Idk.
Not really well written, but - has potential. Good moments and lots of rather blah ones.
I don't find myself believing in the characters. The author lacks some sort of fire or spark --
Georgia is a member of the Archivist Society - they privately look into unsolvable or untouched mysteries or murders in the Victorian era.
Library worthy only.
Not really well written, but - has potential. Good moments and lots of rather blah ones.
I don't find myself believing in the characters. The author lacks some sort of fire or spark --
Georgia is a member of the Archivist Society - they privately look into unsolvable or untouched mysteries or murders in the Victorian era.
Library worthy only.
littletaiko's review
3.0
Georgia is a bookshop owner in Victorian times. She inherited the shop after her parents were murdered in front of her. While she dreams of one day finding their killer, in the meantime she is part of a group called the Archivist Society whose purpose is to help achieve justice for people who need their help. When a woman approaches her claiming that her next door neighbor was kidnapped by a duke it opens up a much bigger can of worms. Nice first book in the series. I'm interested to see how the characters continue to develop in later books.
jesuu__'s review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
I can't quite put my finger on it but there was something bothering me the whole book, I'm not sure if it was that pacing of the story, or that the dialogue didn't feel accurate to the time.
Another thing I didn't like it was that there were too many characters and it was a bit difficult to remember why they were brought up.
Another thing I didn't like it was that there were too many characters and it was a bit difficult to remember why they were brought up.
lakecake's review
4.0
This was a good start to a series, although it's written as though it's a little farther in. I liked that it didn't waste quite as much time on the step-by-step exposition of "this is who we are and this is what we do and this is how we got here," because I feel that tends to be the worst part of the first books, but at times I felt a little bit like I had jumped into the series at the wrong point and had to keep checking. (It likely doesn't help that I'm in the midst of several different series and therefore have a harder time keeping track of where I am in each one, so maybe this won't be an issue for others.) I also felt that the ending wrapped up rather quickly, but the promise of more to come mitigates that some for me.
yasdnilr's review
1.0
Don't waste your time or money. Where was an editor? There's a glaring narrative error almost immediately in the few pages and absolutely none of it makes sense at all. No historical accuracy either. Reluctantly giving it one star because I have to.
littlepanda's review
3.0
Good book, very fluid to read. The plot was interesting but sometimes I thought characters were a bit confusing or not developped enough. But still I really want to read more in this series.
angiebee81's review
5.0
I loved this book and eagerly await the next in the series. I hope to hear of more adventures of Georgia with Duke of Blackford.
cj_mo_2222's review
4.0
Georgia Fenchurch leads a double life. She runs an antique bookshop in Victorian London, but is secretly a private investigator for the Archivist Society, led by Sir Broderick duVene. Georgia gets some satisfaction by seeking justice on behalf others to try to make up for not being able to save her parents from a murderer over ten years ago. Something doesn’t add up about the story their latest client is telling about the disappearance of her neighbor, but Georgia believes everyone deserves a chance to be rescued, even a notorious thief and possible blackmailer like Nicholas Drake. So in spite of being warned off the case by several members of the upper class, including the charming but dangerous Duke of Blackford, Georgia will not give up the search for Nicholas, even when it puts her own life in danger.
"The Vanishing Thief" is a good start to a brand new historical mystery series. Although the story does bog down a bit near the middle, there are plenty of sub-plots to keep the reader’s interest through most of the book. In addition to the hunt for Nicholas Drake and his kidnapper, Georgia also wants to know what the Duke of Blackford is hiding and why he’s so interested in Drake’s disappearance. Georgia also has a new lead in her parents’ murder, so that search is never far from her mind and adds interest when the other parts of the story start to lag.
Georgia is a likeable and sympathetic heroine who is very independent, especially for the times. Georgia is a great detective, and the mystery is eventually resolved in a satisfactory way. I really enjoyed the setting and the interesting characters in this book. Georgia’s beautiful assistant Emma Keyes is also likeable, as well as their “Aunt” Phyllida Monthalf have interesting backstories and play important roles in the book. The Vanishing Thief is well-written, but the realistic way the Victorian times are portrayed is also the thing that makes portions of the book hard to read. The strict class divisions and snobbery are unsettling. As one point, even Georgia’s friend and fellow archivist Lady Westover tells her “You are not one of us.” when they have a disagreement on how to handle an aristocratic witness.
There is plenty of chemistry between Georgia and the Duke of Blackford, even though the Duke is often demeaning and disrespectful to Georgia asking impudent, personal questions of her. Although Georgia admires him, I don’t know what their future will hold. Georgia finds him fascinating, but says he is “out-of-bounds for a nonaristocrat.” Although societal constraints say the two can’t be together, the author does offer hope. Georgia tells herself, “I knew someday…the Duke of Blackford…would return. I planned to be ready.” I am also ready for the sequel to this intriguing debut to a new series. Readers who enjoy Victoria Thompson or Anne Perry are in for a treat with this historical mystery by Kate Parker.
This review was originally written for The Season EZine. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.
"The Vanishing Thief" is a good start to a brand new historical mystery series. Although the story does bog down a bit near the middle, there are plenty of sub-plots to keep the reader’s interest through most of the book. In addition to the hunt for Nicholas Drake and his kidnapper, Georgia also wants to know what the Duke of Blackford is hiding and why he’s so interested in Drake’s disappearance. Georgia also has a new lead in her parents’ murder, so that search is never far from her mind and adds interest when the other parts of the story start to lag.
Georgia is a likeable and sympathetic heroine who is very independent, especially for the times. Georgia is a great detective, and the mystery is eventually resolved in a satisfactory way. I really enjoyed the setting and the interesting characters in this book. Georgia’s beautiful assistant Emma Keyes is also likeable, as well as their “Aunt” Phyllida Monthalf have interesting backstories and play important roles in the book. The Vanishing Thief is well-written, but the realistic way the Victorian times are portrayed is also the thing that makes portions of the book hard to read. The strict class divisions and snobbery are unsettling. As one point, even Georgia’s friend and fellow archivist Lady Westover tells her “You are not one of us.” when they have a disagreement on how to handle an aristocratic witness.
There is plenty of chemistry between Georgia and the Duke of Blackford, even though the Duke is often demeaning and disrespectful to Georgia asking impudent, personal questions of her. Although Georgia admires him, I don’t know what their future will hold. Georgia finds him fascinating, but says he is “out-of-bounds for a nonaristocrat.” Although societal constraints say the two can’t be together, the author does offer hope. Georgia tells herself, “I knew someday…the Duke of Blackford…would return. I planned to be ready.” I am also ready for the sequel to this intriguing debut to a new series. Readers who enjoy Victoria Thompson or Anne Perry are in for a treat with this historical mystery by Kate Parker.
This review was originally written for The Season EZine. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.
melmo2610's review
3.0
Interesting opener to a new to me series. I enjoyed the era and setting of this one. A historical cozy is always right up my alley. I liked there are a couple of mysteries in this one, one of which is solved in this story and one that is ongoing into more books of the series. The read was a little dry at times but overall, I liked it. I will work my way towards more of this series in the future.