Scan barcode
cemoses's review
3.0
This is the first book in the series I have read. It is a very pleasant book; reminds me a little of Anne Perry. Ut us enjoyable without the mystery beng the best,
saranel81's review against another edition
2.0
I feel about this installment of this series much as I did with the third: meh. The focus again deviates from Annie and Nate, who are definitely the more interesting characters, even though they still seem to be incapable of communicating appropriately with each other. Now that they're engaged to be married, one would think they'd gotten beyond that! Laura also suffers from the same problems she did in the previous book, suggesting she's incapable of change. I find her to be more annoying than anything else. And again, the mystery was fairly easy to solve and had no sense of urgency whatsoever. It just meanders around until someone comes up with the obvious answer. I enjoyed the first two books of this series, and I'm sorry to see that it's not living up to that great start.
Also, the editing here was very lax. There are numerous and obvious grammar errors throughout the book, something I would expect of a final draft but not a completed manuscript.
Also, the editing here was very lax. There are numerous and obvious grammar errors throughout the book, something I would expect of a final draft but not a completed manuscript.
ezekielblessing's review
4.0
Rounded up from 3.75
I was slightly disappointed by this book in some regards. I loved the story and characters as per usual, but something just felt off. I think part of it was the focus on mainly Laura, Nate, Annie, and Seth. That segmented POV just destabilized this book a bit for me and left me feeling confused. Secondly was the fact that the suspect pool was a little too wide until the end. I swear like 10 people were floated by as possible suspects and some of them just for a little bit. Having a twist ending, at least in my opinion, requires there to be a cemented option that suddenly falls apart.
Also, I was kinda hoping that Laura and Seth wouldn't get together. I know that this genre of book basically calls for it, but it could have been great to show Laura not needing a man in such and era. Oh well. Definitely still going to read the next one
I was slightly disappointed by this book in some regards. I loved the story and characters as per usual, but something just felt off. I think part of it was the focus on mainly Laura, Nate, Annie, and Seth. That segmented POV just destabilized this book a bit for me and left me feeling confused. Secondly was the fact that the suspect pool was a little too wide until the end. I swear like 10 people were floated by as possible suspects and some of them just for a little bit. Having a twist ending, at least in my opinion, requires there to be a cemented option that suddenly falls apart.
Also, I was kinda hoping that Laura and Seth wouldn't get together. I know that this genre of book basically calls for it, but it could have been great to show Laura not needing a man in such and era. Oh well. Definitely still going to read the next one
elyra's review
4.0
Deadly Proof is the fourth book in the Victorian San Francisco Mystery series. You can read it first, and it will still make sense, but if you plan to read the rest of the series I would recommend reading them first due to spoilers.
1-10 rating: 8 1/2
Genre: Historical Fiction/Mystery
Place it should be on your to-read list: If you like historical fiction or books that revolve around character interaction, I would definitely recommend you read this series. The mystery is decent, but I wouldn't recommend you read it specifically for that.
The premise: Annie Fuller is a widowed boarding house owner, who was taught by her father to be a financial advisor. Using this knowledge, but fearing that she will not be taken seriously as a working female, she supplements her boarding house income by working as Madam Sybil, a fake clairvoyant who dispenses real advise. She also likes to help solve crimes, as her beau, Nate Dawson, is a lawyer. In Deadly Proof, the duo work on the mystery of a murdered print shop boss with a bad reputation.
Good points: In depth and finely detailed, from the characters to the world. The author is a retired professor of U.S. and women's history, and with this background she is able to create a very accurate world. The story flows well, the characters interact well, the writing is good, and the mystery is by no means over obvious.
Bad Points: A couple little points didn't feel quite right, but other than that I can't think of any bad points!
1-10 rating: 8 1/2
Genre: Historical Fiction/Mystery
Place it should be on your to-read list: If you like historical fiction or books that revolve around character interaction, I would definitely recommend you read this series. The mystery is decent, but I wouldn't recommend you read it specifically for that.
The premise: Annie Fuller is a widowed boarding house owner, who was taught by her father to be a financial advisor. Using this knowledge, but fearing that she will not be taken seriously as a working female, she supplements her boarding house income by working as Madam Sybil, a fake clairvoyant who dispenses real advise. She also likes to help solve crimes, as her beau, Nate Dawson, is a lawyer. In Deadly Proof, the duo work on the mystery of a murdered print shop boss with a bad reputation.
Good points: In depth and finely detailed, from the characters to the world. The author is a retired professor of U.S. and women's history, and with this background she is able to create a very accurate world. The story flows well, the characters interact well, the writing is good, and the mystery is by no means over obvious.
Bad Points: A couple little points didn't feel quite right, but other than that I can't think of any bad points!
mad_about_books's review
5.0
As I start the fourth novel in this series, I find that as Annie Fuller grows as a person, develops as a character, the books are starting to take on a bit more of an edge. There is still an emphasis on decorum congruent with Victorian morals and customs, but there is less beating around the bush when talking about difficult subjects.
Dr. Locke is exceptionally good at describing the San Francisco of the late 19th century, along with the fashions of the day. I have a fairly good mental image of what clothing looked like back then, but I do sometimes find myself wishing that the books had illustrations so I would know for sure how a polonaise differs from a long basque bodice.
Perhaps one of the most telling lines in the book is "If you want the freedom to pursue a career, have friends of both sexes, determine your own fate, you can't let outmoded ideas of womanly behavior guide you." -- Iris Bailor to Laura Dawson. This sentiment, expressed in 1880, still holds merit today in 2018. The ongoing struggle of the Women's Movement started a long, long time ago, and the idea that women have come a long way still doesn't hold water. This is most especially true in the United States.
Diehard feminists might have a problem with some of the underlying subject matter, but reading about how women were regarded then is important to make the point that nearly 140 years later women are still struggling for much the same things.
M. Louisa Locke's Victorian San Francisco mysteries are a pleasure to read as they convey things about American history that may have gotten lost, or at the very least not been given their due.
Dr. Locke is exceptionally good at describing the San Francisco of the late 19th century, along with the fashions of the day. I have a fairly good mental image of what clothing looked like back then, but I do sometimes find myself wishing that the books had illustrations so I would know for sure how a polonaise differs from a long basque bodice.
Perhaps one of the most telling lines in the book is "If you want the freedom to pursue a career, have friends of both sexes, determine your own fate, you can't let outmoded ideas of womanly behavior guide you." -- Iris Bailor to Laura Dawson. This sentiment, expressed in 1880, still holds merit today in 2018. The ongoing struggle of the Women's Movement started a long, long time ago, and the idea that women have come a long way still doesn't hold water. This is most especially true in the United States.
Diehard feminists might have a problem with some of the underlying subject matter, but reading about how women were regarded then is important to make the point that nearly 140 years later women are still struggling for much the same things.
M. Louisa Locke's Victorian San Francisco mysteries are a pleasure to read as they convey things about American history that may have gotten lost, or at the very least not been given their due.
katiemulcahy122's review
4.0
I liked this next installment of Annie Fuller’s life. It included more of her relationship with Nate, while calming it down with Laura Dawson’s story (who’s fine, but I was annoyed with how much the focus was on her in the last book). And I really like how each book focuses on a specific thing of the time, whether looking at the lives of servants, the Spiritualism movement (including the fraud), the work of teachers, and now the printing industry. I will say, I wasn’t necessarily surprised by the murderer, but I did not see the cover up story unraveling as it did.