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A review by pavedwithbookss
A Purely Private Matter by Darcie Wilde
5.0
With A Useful Woman, Rosalind Thorne became one of my favourite lady detectives in literature. So when A Purely Private Matter came out, my expectations for it were off the chart. Thankfully, it rose to the challenge. The mystery was delightful in its twists and turns, but it was the characters that, once again, won me over.
The best thing about the cast of A Purely Private Matter is how alive they all are. Pretty much all of the characters seem to have a history and motivation, even if they only show up for a handful of pages and we never know what their full story is. This is also true for the ones we're meant to care about. We learn a little more about Rosalind's history in this book, particularly the sister who disappeared in the series of events that had Rosalind going from a lady of sufficient means and respectable family to where she is now - carefully budgeting and living on the fringes of the haute ton. I liked knowing more about a character's family, and in this case, I felt that meeting her sister sheds some more light on Rosalind's character.
The mystery admittedly at times felt like a soap opera. (Murder, secret pasts, and love affairs, oh my!) Given that the murder victim is an actor, however, it all felt fitting. The title is also perfect considering the nature of the mystery. Many aspects of the mystery should be a purely private matter, but they can't remain so in light of the murder. Plus, I enjoyed how it read like celebrity scandals (where private matters are often forced to become public), but in a historical setting.
I enjoyed that Adam Harkness had a more active role both in the story and the investigation. Rosalind is clever and resourceful, but unfortunately there are places that a lady can't go in that time period. I liked their interactions together, and would love to see them collaborate some more. In fact, I almost think they'd be a more interesting pair if there wasn't any hint of possible romance between them. Almost. Her attraction to him and her old suitor does add to that sense that Rosalind is caught in the middle - not between two suitors, but rather two worlds - but I'm still not sold on the love triangle.
Overall, this is still a series that I would recommend to fans of historical cosy mysteries. I'm looking forward to the next installment already!
(I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This has not influenced my opinions of the book.)
The best thing about the cast of A Purely Private Matter is how alive they all are. Pretty much all of the characters seem to have a history and motivation, even if they only show up for a handful of pages and we never know what their full story is. This is also true for the ones we're meant to care about. We learn a little more about Rosalind's history in this book, particularly the sister who disappeared in the series of events that had Rosalind going from a lady of sufficient means and respectable family to where she is now - carefully budgeting and living on the fringes of the haute ton. I liked knowing more about a character's family, and in this case, I felt that meeting her sister sheds some more light on Rosalind's character.
The mystery admittedly at times felt like a soap opera. (Murder, secret pasts, and love affairs, oh my!) Given that the murder victim is an actor, however, it all felt fitting. The title is also perfect considering the nature of the mystery. Many aspects of the mystery should be a purely private matter, but they can't remain so in light of the murder. Plus, I enjoyed how it read like celebrity scandals (where private matters are often forced to become public), but in a historical setting.
I enjoyed that Adam Harkness had a more active role both in the story and the investigation. Rosalind is clever and resourceful, but unfortunately there are places that a lady can't go in that time period. I liked their interactions together, and would love to see them collaborate some more. In fact, I almost think they'd be a more interesting pair if there wasn't any hint of possible romance between them. Almost. Her attraction to him and her old suitor does add to that sense that Rosalind is caught in the middle - not between two suitors, but rather two worlds - but I'm still not sold on the love triangle.
Overall, this is still a series that I would recommend to fans of historical cosy mysteries. I'm looking forward to the next installment already!
(I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This has not influenced my opinions of the book.)