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3.43 AVERAGE
3.43 AVERAGE
This book's arrival in my reading pile was total serendipity. I don't usually read mysteries; I listen to them so I don't cheat and read the last page first. However, I was looking for something to read at one of our libraries and the title of this book jumped out at me. This volume and the third were sitting together waiting for me to find them.
Charles Lenox is the product of his time which is the Victorian era. However, he is willing to consider that some modernizations are a good thing. He is an aristocrat with time on his hands so solving mysteries is both a job and entertainment.
I think Charles Finch has picked an interesting era for his mysteries. The Scotland Yard has only been around a couple of decades so folks are still not sure what their role is in solving murders; life is changing with manufacturing so money is not just something aristocrats have and science and exploration is a big part of life for Britain.
For some reason, probably the pace this book reminds me of Laurie R. King's Sherlock Holmes series. I know I want to read more about Charles Lenox and I will continue to resist reading that last page.
Charles Lenox is the product of his time which is the Victorian era. However, he is willing to consider that some modernizations are a good thing. He is an aristocrat with time on his hands so solving mysteries is both a job and entertainment.
I think Charles Finch has picked an interesting era for his mysteries. The Scotland Yard has only been around a couple of decades so folks are still not sure what their role is in solving murders; life is changing with manufacturing so money is not just something aristocrats have and science and exploration is a big part of life for Britain.
For some reason, probably the pace this book reminds me of Laurie R. King's Sherlock Holmes series. I know I want to read more about Charles Lenox and I will continue to resist reading that last page.
i tried i really tried. I got more than half way and just couldn't care a rats ass anymore
lighthearted
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
Took me awhile to finish this book. There was something inherently wrong with the writing. Something was definitely missing. I did not feel at all eager to know what would happen next. A tad bit slow paced and the main protagonist was referred to as an intelligent man but he seemed to miss some clues which made me doubt how truly intelligent he was.
Lady Jane, the so called love interest, was not fleshed out as befits a main character of a novel.
Back to the writing, the author seemed to repeat himself quite a lot in his descriptions of characters. We have already established that Lady Jane was Lenox's childhood friend. You don't need to repeat it numerous times throughout the narrative.
Sadly, I bought the first three books, so I might as well read the others at some point.
Lady Jane, the so called love interest, was not fleshed out as befits a main character of a novel.
Back to the writing, the author seemed to repeat himself quite a lot in his descriptions of characters. We have already established that Lady Jane was Lenox's childhood friend. You don't need to repeat it numerous times throughout the narrative.
Sadly, I bought the first three books, so I might as well read the others at some point.
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Full review on sloreads.ca
A Beautiful Blue Death is a quaint, cozy mystery. I'm unsure if Goodreads had the series order incorrect, but this book referred to previous cases, so there may be a prequel kicking around. Charles Lenox, an aristocratic second son, has little to occupy his time and a penchant for investigating. His close family friend Lady Jane asks him to look into the death of a former staff member as a favour to her.
For a book set in the Victorian era, Prudence, Lady Jane's former staff member, sure gets up to some hijinks. A Beautiful Blue Death handles the tension between amateur detective and police service well, with limited collaboration and Charles getting told to butt out repeatedly.
A Beautiful Blue Death is a comfortable story. It was engaging and cozy while staying within the expected boundaries of the genre. As it's a fifteen-book series still in publication, I hope the series will continue to improve and engage.
A Beautiful Blue Death is a quaint, cozy mystery. I'm unsure if Goodreads had the series order incorrect, but this book referred to previous cases, so there may be a prequel kicking around. Charles Lenox, an aristocratic second son, has little to occupy his time and a penchant for investigating. His close family friend Lady Jane asks him to look into the death of a former staff member as a favour to her.
For a book set in the Victorian era, Prudence, Lady Jane's former staff member, sure gets up to some hijinks. A Beautiful Blue Death handles the tension between amateur detective and police service well, with limited collaboration and Charles getting told to butt out repeatedly.
A Beautiful Blue Death is a comfortable story. It was engaging and cozy while staying within the expected boundaries of the genre. As it's a fifteen-book series still in publication, I hope the series will continue to improve and engage.
Plodding, slow, needlessly complicated plotting that didn’t work.
What a charming mystery novel. I dog-eared several pages because revisiting certain passages gives me the coziest feeling. The setting is lovely but the story was wonderful too, with a great cast of characters. Can't wait to get my hands on the next one in the series!
To be honest, this reminds me much of the great mouse detective. If of course, Lenox was basil and lived on Baker Street. It's a bit like Sherlock Holmes, without being too intense or suspenseful. It may not be the literary work of the century, but I don't usually read who-dun-it's and I enjoyed this one thoroughly.
Trying very hard to be Sherlock Holmes, and failing. Somewhat interesting, but no real depth. Just a quick read.