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A review by leandrathetbrzero
A Novel Disguise by Samantha Larsen
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
5.0
*BOOK REVIEW CATCH UP #5/54 😳*
Such a fun historical mystery in a brand new series!
I paired the e-book with the audiobook for an immersive experience, often times neglecting the e-book and listening along as I completed a puzzle. I entered A Novel Disguise knowing nothing about the plot beyond the fact that it is a historical mystery set in late 18th-century England and our sleuth is, as the series name suggests, a woman librarian.
Little did I know that this would involve disguises and misidentification the likes of Shakespeare (in the best way). Miss Tiffany Woodall lives a solitary life under the roof of her half-brother, Uriah. She is relies upon him financially, and her social standing as a single woman in her thirties marks her as an "undesirable" dependent. Uriah works as a librarian for the Duke of Beaufort, and he is a brute to his half-sister. One day, Tiffany discovers Uriah dead in his bed. Thinking he died in his sleep, she immediately fears for her future security. So, she elects to dress as Uriah and pretend to be the Duke's librarian in order to keep her home. She realizes her half-brother's death is far more suspicious that first-assumed, and now she must find the killer before they strike again...killing her this time.
I thoroughly enjoyed my listening experience, and I already plan on reading book 2, Once Upon a Murder. The ease in which Samantha Larsen provides diversity, and the amount of research she proves to have performed by her notes in the back of the book, demonstrate the historical fiction narratives do not need to be restricted to an all-white cast of characters. I loved it!
Thank you Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the e-ARC in exchange for this honest review!
Such a fun historical mystery in a brand new series!
I paired the e-book with the audiobook for an immersive experience, often times neglecting the e-book and listening along as I completed a puzzle. I entered A Novel Disguise knowing nothing about the plot beyond the fact that it is a historical mystery set in late 18th-century England and our sleuth is, as the series name suggests, a woman librarian.
Little did I know that this would involve disguises and misidentification the likes of Shakespeare (in the best way). Miss Tiffany Woodall lives a solitary life under the roof of her half-brother, Uriah. She is relies upon him financially, and her social standing as a single woman in her thirties marks her as an "undesirable" dependent. Uriah works as a librarian for the Duke of Beaufort, and he is a brute to his half-sister. One day, Tiffany discovers Uriah dead in his bed. Thinking he died in his sleep, she immediately fears for her future security. So, she elects to dress as Uriah and pretend to be the Duke's librarian in order to keep her home. She realizes her half-brother's death is far more suspicious that first-assumed, and now she must find the killer before they strike again...killing her this time.
I thoroughly enjoyed my listening experience, and I already plan on reading book 2, Once Upon a Murder. The ease in which Samantha Larsen provides diversity, and the amount of research she proves to have performed by her notes in the back of the book, demonstrate the historical fiction narratives do not need to be restricted to an all-white cast of characters. I loved it!
Thank you Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the e-ARC in exchange for this honest review!