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3.29 AVERAGE
3.29 AVERAGE
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Murder by Candlelight is set in a small English village in the 1920s. A well respected lady, Amy Phelps, is discovered dead inside her locked bedroom. A local ghost hunter and the vicar's daughter find themselves thrown into the investigation and acting as detectives.
I'm not sure if the author is English, but the first few chapters of this book were painful to read. They seemed to contain every single 'traditional British' phrase ever written. We begin by being introduced to the characters, but nothing really happens atall in the first third of the book. Beyond that, there is the mystery to solve, but I just found that I really wasn't that interested. I think the first part of the book put me off so much, it felt like more of a chore than an enjoyment to read.
The second half of the book was certainly easier to read and slightly more enjoyable, but overall, not for me.
My thanks to NetGalley and the Publishers for sending me this ARC in return for an honest review.
I'm not sure if the author is English, but the first few chapters of this book were painful to read. They seemed to contain every single 'traditional British' phrase ever written. We begin by being introduced to the characters, but nothing really happens atall in the first third of the book. Beyond that, there is the mystery to solve, but I just found that I really wasn't that interested. I think the first part of the book put me off so much, it felt like more of a chore than an enjoyment to read.
The second half of the book was certainly easier to read and slightly more enjoyable, but overall, not for me.
My thanks to NetGalley and the Publishers for sending me this ARC in return for an honest review.
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Arbie, an ironic writer of ghostly lore in the Costwolds, and Val, his school friend from days gone by, try to solve a local murder. Was the perpetrator a ghost, or a human with a grudge? I couldn't quite get into the prose on this so it was a bit of a slog, but the plot points of the murder/s themselves kept me interested enough that I had to finish! I learned quite a bit of science with this one. I kept waiting for something to happen between Arbie and Val, but maybe that's saved for subsequent books - I can definitely see this being first in a series. There's quite a bit going on that seems outside of the crime at hand, which felt like a setup for additional books.
Did I love it? No. Did it hold my interest enough to finish? Yes. It reads a bit like an old-timey cozy mystery.
Did I love it? No. Did it hold my interest enough to finish? Yes. It reads a bit like an old-timey cozy mystery.
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
This was such a fun read, and I’m happy to have discovered this new-to-me author! Dare I say, I hope this is the start of a new series?!
There were three elements that I enjoyed most about this historical mystery…writing, characters, and plot. The writing itself was lovely with lots of wonderful detail, accurate historical tidbits, and humorous sly wit. The characters, especially the protagonists, Arbuthnot (Arbie) Lancelot Swift and Valentina (Val) Olivia Charlotte Coulton-James, were well and delightfully drawn, quirky and with just the right amount of muddling to keep them lovable but not annoying. I liked that they shared a history of growing up together and how they knew each other so well under the surface. The plot was engaging, from the ghostly doings to the secrets discovered and the final denouement...it was entertaining and mostly believable. My favorite takeaway however were Arbie’s and Val’s personalities. Arbie’s put-upon reactions to his accidental fame were a riot, and Val’s strong, no-nonsense demeanor (especially in dealing with Arbie) was both refreshing and endearing.
I do plan to check out this author's backlist as I thoroughly enjoyed this light-hearted, locked-door mystery and do hope that this is not the last we’ll see of this dynamic duo.
My thanks to the author, NetGalley and HarperCollins for providing the free early arc of Murder by Candlelight for review. The opinions are strictly my own.
There were three elements that I enjoyed most about this historical mystery…writing, characters, and plot. The writing itself was lovely with lots of wonderful detail, accurate historical tidbits, and humorous sly wit. The characters, especially the protagonists, Arbuthnot (Arbie) Lancelot Swift and Valentina (Val) Olivia Charlotte Coulton-James, were well and delightfully drawn, quirky and with just the right amount of muddling to keep them lovable but not annoying. I liked that they shared a history of growing up together and how they knew each other so well under the surface. The plot was engaging, from the ghostly doings to the secrets discovered and the final denouement...it was entertaining and mostly believable. My favorite takeaway however were Arbie’s and Val’s personalities. Arbie’s put-upon reactions to his accidental fame were a riot, and Val’s strong, no-nonsense demeanor (especially in dealing with Arbie) was both refreshing and endearing.
I do plan to check out this author's backlist as I thoroughly enjoyed this light-hearted, locked-door mystery and do hope that this is not the last we’ll see of this dynamic duo.
My thanks to the author, NetGalley and HarperCollins for providing the free early arc of Murder by Candlelight for review. The opinions are strictly my own.
funny
mysterious