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bookedbymadeline's review
emotional
hopeful
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Thank you to Quercus and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions Expressed are my own.
I was loving the mystery at first but that sadly didn’t last long. Nothing really wrong with the writing, I could read it okay and it held my attention, but I just didn’t love it either. Does more telling than showing when presenting clues/new info, which is a reading pet peeve of mine. I think if it had been dual POV and we could discover the secrets from Elizabeth’s perspective rather than being told everything secondhand it could’ve been more intriguing/mysterious.
I was loving the mystery at first but that sadly didn’t last long. Nothing really wrong with the writing, I could read it okay and it held my attention, but I just didn’t love it either. Does more telling than showing when presenting clues/new info, which is a reading pet peeve of mine. I think if it had been dual POV and we could discover the secrets from Elizabeth’s perspective rather than being told everything secondhand it could’ve been more intriguing/mysterious.
The story began to slow down a bit in the middle, making me lose interest 😭 The romance felt almost forced and the mystery waned! The characters involved in the romance barely have any scenes together so it just doesn’t make sense. The murder mystery completely slowed and there’s zero tension, it feels more like a cozy mystery than a gothic novel (which there’s nothing wrong with that but it’s not something I enjoy; I prefer mysteries with tension).
Flat characters-there’s no development or character arcs. It’s always the same things and we don’t learn anything new to add to the characterization of the MC or side characters. The main mystery also disappears for awhile and becomes more of a side plot to the romance and character relationships.
The book just tries to do too much and falls flat in its premise/execution! The one thing it does well is show Grace’s grief following World War 1 and the aftermath effects of how it affected the country as a whole. Honestly the book would have been much better as a historical romance or general historical novel that focuses on characters’ grief and trying to move on following the war.
Finally, the ending felt underwhelming and rushed. The novel as a whole felt way too long on the details it did focus on and way too short for the mystery portion. The revealing of secrets and solving of the mystery didn’t pack the punch I hoped for and left me underwhelmed because it took so damn long to reveal anything! Everything was revealed in the last 30 pages (which at that point I started skimming) and I just thought “okay and?” Like I wanted to finish the book to find out what happened but once I did I couldn’t have had less feelings about it all 🙈
Finally, the ending felt underwhelming and rushed. The novel as a whole felt way too long on the details it did focus on and way too short for the mystery portion. The revealing of secrets and solving of the mystery didn’t pack the punch I hoped for and left me underwhelmed because it took so damn long to reveal anything! Everything was revealed in the last 30 pages (which at that point I started skimming) and I just thought “okay and?” Like I wanted to finish the book to find out what happened but once I did I couldn’t have had less feelings about it all 🙈
If you read this, go in with zero expectations of it being a gothic murder mystery, because it absolutely isn’t 😅 If you enjoy cozy mysteries, with slight dark elements then you may enjoy this! That’s where I began to feel disappointed was because I expected and wanted a gothic mystery novel but didn’t get any of that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Death, Suicide, Grief, War, and Mental illness
Moderate: Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Car accident, and Classism
Minor: Homophobia and Abortion
kitr's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Thank you to Helen Scarlett, NetGalley and Quercus for the arc in exchange for my honest review.
A beautifully poetic gothic novel, I didn’t expect to love it as much as I have. The way it details Grace’s experience with grief and war makes the reader experience it with her and I have not seen it detailed so well before in a book about the aftermath of WW1. I struggled at the beginning to be invested, a lot of time was spent setting the scene and seeing as it’s short book and context was already established, it felt a little unnecessary. However, I enjoyed the slow spiral from a typical WW1 novel to a gothic novel dealing with life after mass death.
A beautifully poetic gothic novel, I didn’t expect to love it as much as I have. The way it details Grace’s experience with grief and war makes the reader experience it with her and I have not seen it detailed so well before in a book about the aftermath of WW1. I struggled at the beginning to be invested, a lot of time was spent setting the scene and seeing as it’s short book and context was already established, it felt a little unnecessary. However, I enjoyed the slow spiral from a typical WW1 novel to a gothic novel dealing with life after mass death.
thebooktrail88's review
4.0
Locations in the novel The Lodger
This was a very interesting case and storyline which I had never heard of before. Political scandal, a lodger who goes missing and then a body is found. Someone is keeping a whole lot of secrets. Luckily for the reader, the author drip feeds these one by one through the novel creating a lovely pace and a gripping case. Throughougly enjoyed this one!
London is very well evoked and it's just after the war so there is a lot of detail in this area - dark alleys, smoke, poverty etc. We go from posh houses to the kind of establishments that charge by the hour. Quite the city tour!
jesselynn's review
funny
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
2.75
The Lodger is a historical mystery novel set in post-World War I London. We follow Grace, an aspiring reporter in her early 20s as she works to discern the truth of the death of her dear family friend and long-time lodger, Elizabeth.
The book has a cast of believable and fun characters, my favourite and a highlight of which is Miss Bunty (a cocktail and gossip loving lady that is a terrible driver). Grace is a nice heroine, and I really liked her drive and empathy. I like how the book explores grief and the everyday trials of mourning the losses of war. I was especially interested when these themes were explored through Grace and her Mother Isobel, and other women who were grieving, such as Bridget. Collective grief in a time of great change was a poignant motif in this book and I appreciated it. Though I was not really a fan of the actual mystery, the way it was slowly unraveled and told was well done, and I found it interesting how our perception of the lodger fluctuates throughout the book.
The romance in this book didn't really resonate with me, and could have been left out. The grief Grace experiences and how she processes her loss would have been enough here. The end of this novel was lacking unfortunately, it was entirely convenient and did not tie up the story or the themes explored in a satisfying way for me. I did not find the dialogue or the plot itself very believable either. The book was also missing a sense of time, and it did not feel very Edwardian in tone or through the descriptions, they were rather simple and ambiguous. The sense of atmosphere was quite strong though, and I liked the way that different areas of London were portrayed. Something about this book was missing, and I was unable to really connect with it unfortunately.
Thank you to Quercus and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
The book has a cast of believable and fun characters, my favourite and a highlight of which is Miss Bunty (a cocktail and gossip loving lady that is a terrible driver). Grace is a nice heroine, and I really liked her drive and empathy. I like how the book explores grief and the everyday trials of mourning the losses of war. I was especially interested when these themes were explored through Grace and her Mother Isobel, and other women who were grieving, such as Bridget. Collective grief in a time of great change was a poignant motif in this book and I appreciated it. Though I was not really a fan of the actual mystery, the way it was slowly unraveled and told was well done, and I found it interesting how our perception of the lodger fluctuates throughout the book.
The romance in this book didn't really resonate with me, and could have been left out. The grief Grace experiences and how she processes her loss would have been enough here. The end of this novel was lacking unfortunately, it was entirely convenient and did not tie up the story or the themes explored in a satisfying way for me. I did not find the dialogue or the plot itself very believable either. The book was also missing a sense of time, and it did not feel very Edwardian in tone or through the descriptions, they were rather simple and ambiguous. The sense of atmosphere was quite strong though, and I liked the way that different areas of London were portrayed. Something about this book was missing, and I was unable to really connect with it unfortunately.
Thank you to Quercus and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
helenh1975's review
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
loandbeholdx's review
dark
mysterious
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
This is a historic mystery following Grace, a young woman who is desperate to find answers after her lodger, Elizabeth, disappears. Set just after the world War, we also get an insight into the devasting effects it caused to those who fought, and to those who lost loved ones. The writing style is reminiscent of a gothic novel, which made this a very atmospheric read. I was unable to connect with the characters as I felt they lacked depth and personality, but I was so intrigued by the plot and the way we are drip fed little cIues throughout, that I still really enjoyed reading this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Homophobia, and War
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Suicide, and Car accident
Minor: Drug abuse and Abortion
bookswithruby's review
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
kintara81's review
challenging
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Well this book had me all over the place, it started as a missing person case then turn into a murder investigation. This was not all though it then turned into a story about family secrets and how this is effecting the family and friends of those that they effect. This is set in a time period of when the UK is trying to recover from WW2 and the loses and grief which has swept the country. We follow a main character who has lost her fiancé, her mother is suffering mental illness and she is trying to move on with her life. It depicts not only her investigating the death of her friend however it is her story of recovery.
outsmartyourshelf's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
London, 1901. Since the end of the Great War, Grace Armstrong feels as if life has passed her by in some respects. She works at 'Nursing World', a small magazine but longs for more. Her fiancé, Robert, was listed as missing, presumed killed in action at the Somme, & she misses him & mourns their lost future. Her brother Edward was badly injured by shrapnel & died undergoing one of several operations needed. Even since his death, their mother has been distraught & is currently in a nursing home after a mental breakdown, & it's just been Grace, her father, & their lodger, the quiet unassuming Elizabeth Smith, alongside the few remaining staff, maid Bridget, & cook, Mrs Watson, at home. Grace is, therefore, shocked when she returns home after a short visit away, & is told that Elizabeth packed up her things, burned everything else including her artwork, & disappeared & has not been heard from since.
Edward & Robert's friend, Arthur, comes to visit & brings with him another colleague, Tom, who was injured & had to have several fingers amputated, putting to an end his music career. Tom is bitter about the war & clashes with Grace's father who keeps the quintessential English 'stiff upper lip' about his emotions & believes in the sacrifices made. When the body of a woman is found in the river, the description of what she was wearing is familiar & Grace goes along to the police station with a photograph & gets confirmation that sadly Elizabeth is dead. She cannot believe that the police are going to write it off as a suicide though - the Elizabeth she knew was not in that frame of mind, but as Grace investigates what happened with the surprising help of Tom, she finds that perhaps she didn't know their lodger as well as she thought.
After reading the wonderful 'The Deception of Harriet Fleet' by the same author, I thought it would be a difficult act to follow. I needn't have been concerned, as although this takes place in a different era & a completely different subject, it was just as good. The story takes place just after the 'Great War' (WWI) & Scarlett aptly conveys the grief & the guilt felt by those who survived. The plot gradually unfolds into a story which has many twists & turns & covers blackmail, infidelity, scandal, & murder. There's also a hint of the unknown as Grace is convinced she keeps seeing Robert everywhere but when she chases him down, he has always disappeared. Is Grace imagining things or is Robert still alive? If you enjoy slow burning mysteries in historical settings, or you enjoyed the author's debut novel, then you should give this a try too.
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Quercus Books, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
Edward & Robert's friend, Arthur, comes to visit & brings with him another colleague, Tom, who was injured & had to have several fingers amputated, putting to an end his music career. Tom is bitter about the war & clashes with Grace's father who keeps the quintessential English 'stiff upper lip' about his emotions & believes in the sacrifices made. When the body of a woman is found in the river, the description of what she was wearing is familiar & Grace goes along to the police station with a photograph & gets confirmation that sadly Elizabeth is dead. She cannot believe that the police are going to write it off as a suicide though - the Elizabeth she knew was not in that frame of mind, but as Grace investigates what happened with the surprising help of Tom, she finds that perhaps she didn't know their lodger as well as she thought.
After reading the wonderful 'The Deception of Harriet Fleet' by the same author, I thought it would be a difficult act to follow. I needn't have been concerned, as although this takes place in a different era & a completely different subject, it was just as good. The story takes place just after the 'Great War' (WWI) & Scarlett aptly conveys the grief & the guilt felt by those who survived. The plot gradually unfolds into a story which has many twists & turns & covers blackmail, infidelity, scandal, & murder. There's also a hint of the unknown as Grace is convinced she keeps seeing Robert everywhere but when she chases him down, he has always disappeared. Is Grace imagining things or is Robert still alive? If you enjoy slow burning mysteries in historical settings, or you enjoyed the author's debut novel, then you should give this a try too.
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Quercus Books, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
sibby's review
mysterious
tense
slow-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
3.5