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3.32 AVERAGE
3.32 AVERAGE
i wanted to love this & there was so much to love, but i felt held at arms-length by the pacing and the way the narrative moved in strange, juddering waves. there will always be a very tender spot in my heart for neo-victorian lesbian thrillers though, and i look forward to following wherever laura carlin's writing goes next.
Holy hell this was intense! I started reading this yesterday evening, and I found myself curled up with my Kindle in bed, thinking 'oh, I might as well read another chapter'. And again. And again. In the end I had to stop myself and put the book away, because I knew I would keep reading otherwise.
This was such a well-written page turner. Every chapter speaks of Carlin's meticulous research into the time period, and the lesbian aspect was really well done, too. Though I guessed some aspects of the mystery (or at least heavily suspected them), the story was so intricate and so well-written it really wouldn't have mattered if I had known it all before I started reading; I'd read it anyway. For a moment near the ending I thought I would have to hurl the Kindle across the room and sob like a demented thing, but luckily it all turned out all right (since Sarah Water's Affinity, I simply can't read sad lesbian books anymore). I'm really looking forward to Carlin's next novels, that's for sure!
This was such a well-written page turner. Every chapter speaks of Carlin's meticulous research into the time period, and the lesbian aspect was really well done, too. Though I guessed some aspects of the mystery (or at least heavily suspected them), the story was so intricate and so well-written it really wouldn't have mattered if I had known it all before I started reading; I'd read it anyway. For a moment near the ending I thought I would have to hurl the Kindle across the room and sob like a demented thing, but luckily it all turned out all right (since Sarah Water's Affinity, I simply can't read sad lesbian books anymore). I'm really looking forward to Carlin's next novels, that's for sure!
London, 1831. Eighteen year old Hester White is desperate to escape life in the slums, and increasingly concerned by a spate of disappearances in the capital. When she's injured in a collision with a carriage, the passenger, Dr Calder Brock, sees to her wounds and proposes an experiment: Hester will recuperate at his home, Waterford Hall, and be educated by his sister Rebekah. Determined to grasp this opportunity with both hands, Hester agrees - finding herself drawn to the aloof Rebekah Brock from their first meeting. But with London's poor now disappearing daily, Hester is soon pulled back towards the terrible wickedness lurking in the city streets.
What I liked: there's a real richness of historical detail in Carlin's depiction of London life in the late Georgian period. This is no Austen wannabe. Carlin's London is dirty, dark, and dangerous. The queer romance is sweet, too.
What I didn't: I found the pacing difficult. It's a book of two halves - a twisted murder mystery and a fairly innocent love story - which at times feel stitched together rather than organically connected.
Overall, I wanted to love this one more than I did. Still, I appeciated its murky old-London atmosphere, historical detail and unapologetically tender queer romance. An enjoyable read.
What I liked: there's a real richness of historical detail in Carlin's depiction of London life in the late Georgian period. This is no Austen wannabe. Carlin's London is dirty, dark, and dangerous. The queer romance is sweet, too.
What I didn't: I found the pacing difficult. It's a book of two halves - a twisted murder mystery and a fairly innocent love story - which at times feel stitched together rather than organically connected.
Overall, I wanted to love this one more than I did. Still, I appeciated its murky old-London atmosphere, historical detail and unapologetically tender queer romance. An enjoyable read.
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated