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3.43 AVERAGE
3.43 AVERAGE
Too slow, didn't care about the characters or the mystery
The word that comes to mind for this first in a series is ambling. You amble along with Charles Lenox as he becomes involved with solving the crime, you amble along with him as he solves it taking in stride the few bumps and surprises, and amble to the conclusion. There is nothing hurried here, but plenty of lovely period descriptions and character notes. The character of the butler is probably my favorite as he is something of an enigma but very loyal. A well told story all in all, Mr. Finch has secured my readership for the next in the series. If you like your mysteries unhurried and you like the Victorian/Edwardian era, you'll be sure to enjoy A Beautiful Blue Death.
#42-2017
I can’t tell if it was the book, the narrator, or the dialogue in general that I didn’t enjoy. I expected the book to be similar to Sherlock Holmes, but was disappointed with the lack of deductive reasoning. Still, I will try book 2 as a book to eliminate the narrator.
I can’t tell if it was the book, the narrator, or the dialogue in general that I didn’t enjoy. I expected the book to be similar to Sherlock Holmes, but was disappointed with the lack of deductive reasoning. Still, I will try book 2 as a book to eliminate the narrator.
Unfortunately, I was disappointed in this book. The plot was quite good, but the writing was dull, tedious, and rather repetitious. It confused the old adage of "Show, don't tell" with "Show AND tell," which made for long, drawn out pages of fluff.
I also felt that the main characters were too perfect. Lenox, Lady Jane, even Graham, felt like cardboard cutouts...or like fanfiction.
And, final complaint - slight spoiler alert!!! - after the main plot is wrapped up, we learn about a small subplot. Lenox decides to wrap up this subplot, but instead we spend several chapters (maybe only 2 or 3, but it felt like several) at his brother's home, eating food, chatting about nothing, talking about people from the village the reader has never been introduced to and frankly doesn't care about, and riding off into the sunset with Lady Jane. And the second subplot is never mentioned again!
I also felt that the main characters were too perfect. Lenox, Lady Jane, even Graham, felt like cardboard cutouts...or like fanfiction.
And, final complaint - slight spoiler alert!!! - after the main plot is wrapped up, we learn about a small subplot. Lenox decides to wrap up this subplot, but instead we spend several chapters (maybe only 2 or 3, but it felt like several) at his brother's home, eating food, chatting about nothing, talking about people from the village the reader has never been introduced to and frankly doesn't care about, and riding off into the sunset with Lady Jane. And the second subplot is never mentioned again!
A decent enough story, just... boring. Lenox was completely separate from the actual investigation, and a lot of the book is just him meandering around and being sad that his feet are cold. I already have the second book from the library, so I am going to give it a try, but if it is as prosy as the first book, I'll probably give the rest a miss.
The first book in the Charles Lenox Mystery series. A charming historical fiction mystery tale set in Victorian London. Charles Lenox is a gentleman who has a talent for solving mysteries. When his neighbor's former servant dies, supposedly suicide, Lady Jane asks Charles to discover the truth. The truth turns out to be much more involved than even a simple murder. The death is linked to very powerful men in the government and a large stash of gold. If you like Victorian mysteries, you will thoroughly enjoy this series
Charles Lenox, Victorian gentleman and armchair explorer, likes nothing more than to relax in his private study with a cup of tea, a roaring fire and a good book. And solve mysteries.
One thing this book has convinced me of is this, if I get to be reincarnated I want to come back as a wealthy Victorian era man like Charles Lenox. They get to be waited on, read all day, go to clubs and don't really have to do much to justify their lives if they don't want to.
This was a slow paced book but it never really felt drawn out or boring, the slower pace seemed to fit the character and the atmosphere of the story quite well. I don't know how realistic a depiction of life in the Victorian era this book really is but it made me feel like I was in that time period
I enjoyed the main characters of Charles Lenox and Lady Jane but I can't say that I felt particularly attached to them, they don't quite seem like real people, still they were pleasant enough that I wouldn't mind getting to know more about them.
The overall mystery was well plotted and I didn't begin to suspect the resolution until pretty far into it, the author did a nice job giving one or two clues that could be missed but could also allow you to figure it out on your own and avoided the whole red herring trap.
This was a nice, fairly gentle (for a story involving a murder), slow paced mystery and a good introduction to a new series. I am willing to read more in the series but I would have to be in the mood for this particular type of mystery.
One thing this book has convinced me of is this, if I get to be reincarnated I want to come back as a wealthy Victorian era man like Charles Lenox. They get to be waited on, read all day, go to clubs and don't really have to do much to justify their lives if they don't want to.
This was a slow paced book but it never really felt drawn out or boring, the slower pace seemed to fit the character and the atmosphere of the story quite well. I don't know how realistic a depiction of life in the Victorian era this book really is but it made me feel like I was in that time period
I enjoyed the main characters of Charles Lenox and Lady Jane but I can't say that I felt particularly attached to them, they don't quite seem like real people, still they were pleasant enough that I wouldn't mind getting to know more about them.
The overall mystery was well plotted and I didn't begin to suspect the resolution until pretty far into it, the author did a nice job giving one or two clues that could be missed but could also allow you to figure it out on your own and avoided the whole red herring trap.
This was a nice, fairly gentle (for a story involving a murder), slow paced mystery and a good introduction to a new series. I am willing to read more in the series but I would have to be in the mood for this particular type of mystery.