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A review by kamrynkoble
The Rose Arbor by Rhys Bowen
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.5
2.5. I didn’t love this one.
It felt pretty standard as far as mysteries go, with the main character trudging from lead to lead trying to piece together the crime.
This is a random journalist stumbled into a lot of convenient coincidences to magically solve four crimes. I can’t call it cozy, but we did get some atmospheric settings and descriptions of roughly four hundred different English dishes.
I also found the characters flat/didn’t connect with them in any meaningful way. They all seemed to respond to circumstances in very bizarre, unnatural ways. So many life-changing moments were “🤷♀️ anyways…”
It also bugged me how many times a character would say something, and the other person would plow forward in the conversation without even acknowledging what they said. It’s a weird complaint, and not one I remember having about any other books I’ve read.
Also, in the acknowledgments, the author says she intentionally chose the American spelling of “arbor” instead of the British spelling “arbour.” But she did not explain further. Guess that’s another mystery.
If you like historical English mysteries, you may like this one. I don’t think I’ll be seeking out more from this author.
It felt pretty standard as far as mysteries go, with the main character trudging from lead to lead trying to piece together the crime.
This is a random journalist stumbled into a lot of convenient coincidences to magically solve four crimes. I can’t call it cozy, but we did get some atmospheric settings and descriptions of roughly four hundred different English dishes.
I also found the characters flat/didn’t connect with them in any meaningful way. They all seemed to respond to circumstances in very bizarre, unnatural ways. So many life-changing moments were “🤷♀️ anyways…”
It also bugged me how many times a character would say something, and the other person would plow forward in the conversation without even acknowledging what they said. It’s a weird complaint, and not one I remember having about any other books I’ve read.
Also, in the acknowledgments, the author says she intentionally chose the American spelling of “arbor” instead of the British spelling “arbour.” But she did not explain further. Guess that’s another mystery.
If you like historical English mysteries, you may like this one. I don’t think I’ll be seeking out more from this author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Kidnapping, and Death of parent
Moderate: Suicide and Murder