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A review by petalpineink
The Parlour Game by Jennifer Renshaw
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
Immerse yourself in a tale of dark mystery in 1873 London as Ivy, our young botany-loving protagonist, sets out to solve the mystery of the lovely Madam Earnshaw, a spiritualist who has unexpectedly appeared in Ivy’s life with strange claims and warnings, and attempts to survive the consuming darkness of the Blackham House.
This story had a lot going on. Overall, I enjoyed the atmosphere and main plot of this story, but I got too caught up in the small details. One one hand, the author did a good job of using some unexplained moments to add to the feel of unsettling haunted mystery to the book. Though, on the other hand, there were too many of these unexplained moments. At the end of the book I found myself wondering too strongly about all of these small moments - I was left with too many unanswered questions. I felt that there were too many aspects for this book that did not have a strong enough tie throughout the entire story to make them feel entirely relevant, which ultimately left me feeling like I didn’t get to know the characters nor the story itself deep enough.
As I was looking for a dark haunted read with an air of mystery to get me in the mood for the coming fall season, this book did keep my attention and satisfy that atmospheric vibe I was hoping for. So, if you are a fan of dark, magical realism with a mystery at the heart of its plot, this book may be a read for you.
Thanks NetGalley for this advanced reader copy.
This story had a lot going on. Overall, I enjoyed the atmosphere and main plot of this story, but I got too caught up in the small details. One one hand, the author did a good job of using some unexplained moments to add to the feel of unsettling haunted mystery to the book. Though, on the other hand, there were too many of these unexplained moments. At the end of the book I found myself wondering too strongly about all of these small moments - I was left with too many unanswered questions. I felt that there were too many aspects for this book that did not have a strong enough tie throughout the entire story to make them feel entirely relevant, which ultimately left me feeling like I didn’t get to know the characters nor the story itself deep enough.
As I was looking for a dark haunted read with an air of mystery to get me in the mood for the coming fall season, this book did keep my attention and satisfy that atmospheric vibe I was hoping for. So, if you are a fan of dark, magical realism with a mystery at the heart of its plot, this book may be a read for you.
Thanks NetGalley for this advanced reader copy.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Suicide