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thedambookshelf 's review for:
Escaping from Houdini
by Kerri Maniscalco
First and foremost I just want to give Kerri Maniscalco a round of applause because she does a tremendous job keeping the mystery and mayhem clear and relevant in every book she writes in this series which I will point out is very hard to do especially when one is writing a historical fiction.
This may contain slight spoilers but nothing too relevant!
Escaping From Houdini was my most anticipated book for this year other than a few others, since reading the dark and twisting tale of Stalking Jack the Ripper I was completely head over heels for this series. For not only the writing style or setting but the characters, Audrey Rose Wadsworth has to be one of my favorite heroines so reading Escaping From Houdini made me question a lot about her which was something I had never done before.
Audrey's choices and decisions were a bit messy for me to understand at first , but I had never found Audrey more realistic than the way Kerri wrote her in this book. Yes she deceived her loved ones and it caused great turmoil with her partner but she needed to be able to do these things to understand herself more. Audrey is 17 and that is so easy to forget due to her intellect and the mature behavior that she carries herself with. The girl has been through more than most young adults during this time period, she has suffered terrible losses , she has been viewed as odd for her choice in career, and she has never been properly courted until she met Thomas in which they are still not properly courting one another yet. With that being said we all know Audrey is a free spirited young woman , she has this urge to seek adventure and make her own decisions. In my opinion her being taken with the excitement of the carnival and its ring leader is completely logical and even though the wedge placed in cressworth during this was upsetting, it did move the plot and it allowed both not just Audrey but also Thomas to be positive of both their intentions which also led to a very large growth in both characters.
Thomas was absolutely wonderful , from the minute he appeared onto the page to the minute he left it. He has come so far from the young man people thought of as an automaton who teased and flirtatiously pushed Audrey's buttons. You could see this growth somewhat in Hunting Dracula but Thomas blew me away entirely in this book. He was still his usual witty and calculating self. He was still able to separate himself from his work when needed and even place himself into the mind of a murderer as he always has. Even though that remained the same his heart had softened tremendously and he was able to confess his feelings clearly to Audrey and even comfort others. This was something entirely new for his character because in the past his cold demeanor was always in place even when addressing his new fond feelings for his partner. There was something entirely raw with his character in this installment that clearly stated that Thomas Cresswell was human. He was man with intentions, despite his dark career path he clearly imagined a bright future with his partner Audrey Rose and even if loving her ripped him into shreds he would go down adoring her, not for her pretty looks but for mind. For her love of freedom that he never ever tried to take from her even if it meant letting her go. Thomas Cresswell is my favorite YA love interest in current on going series so I am so pleased to see his character blossom.
The setting for this installment was deliciously beautiful. From the way the nightly performances by the moonlight carnival were described from Audrey's perspective, to the various areas where the murderer could be planning their next theatrics, and even the various chambers Audrey visits. One thing Kerri does even better than interesting plots that leave you completely breathless and on the edge of your seat is the description of everything. She even goes into fine details of each characters clothing , the masks the carnival workers wear, and even the designs of tarot cards. It is so easy to clearly picture the story in your mind , to smell the herbs and smelling salts.. even the meals or the stench of rotting flesh. Thomas Cresswells cologne
This may contain slight spoilers but nothing too relevant!
Escaping From Houdini was my most anticipated book for this year other than a few others, since reading the dark and twisting tale of Stalking Jack the Ripper I was completely head over heels for this series. For not only the writing style or setting but the characters, Audrey Rose Wadsworth has to be one of my favorite heroines so reading Escaping From Houdini made me question a lot about her which was something I had never done before.
Audrey's choices and decisions were a bit messy for me to understand at first , but I had never found Audrey more realistic than the way Kerri wrote her in this book. Yes she deceived her loved ones and it caused great turmoil with her partner but she needed to be able to do these things to understand herself more. Audrey is 17 and that is so easy to forget due to her intellect and the mature behavior that she carries herself with. The girl has been through more than most young adults during this time period, she has suffered terrible losses , she has been viewed as odd for her choice in career, and she has never been properly courted until she met Thomas in which they are still not properly courting one another yet. With that being said we all know Audrey is a free spirited young woman , she has this urge to seek adventure and make her own decisions. In my opinion her being taken with the excitement of the carnival and its ring leader is completely logical and even though the wedge placed in cressworth during this was upsetting, it did move the plot and it allowed both not just Audrey but also Thomas to be positive of both their intentions which also led to a very large growth in both characters.
Thomas was absolutely wonderful , from the minute he appeared onto the page to the minute he left it. He has come so far from the young man people thought of as an automaton who teased and flirtatiously pushed Audrey's buttons. You could see this growth somewhat in Hunting Dracula but Thomas blew me away entirely in this book. He was still his usual witty and calculating self. He was still able to separate himself from his work when needed and even place himself into the mind of a murderer as he always has. Even though that remained the same his heart had softened tremendously and he was able to confess his feelings clearly to Audrey and even comfort others. This was something entirely new for his character because in the past his cold demeanor was always in place even when addressing his new fond feelings for his partner. There was something entirely raw with his character in this installment that clearly stated that Thomas Cresswell was human. He was man with intentions, despite his dark career path he clearly imagined a bright future with his partner Audrey Rose and even if loving her ripped him into shreds he would go down adoring her, not for her pretty looks but for mind. For her love of freedom that he never ever tried to take from her even if it meant letting her go. Thomas Cresswell is my favorite YA love interest in current on going series so I am so pleased to see his character blossom.
The setting for this installment was deliciously beautiful. From the way the nightly performances by the moonlight carnival were described from Audrey's perspective, to the various areas where the murderer could be planning their next theatrics, and even the various chambers Audrey visits. One thing Kerri does even better than interesting plots that leave you completely breathless and on the edge of your seat is the description of everything. She even goes into fine details of each characters clothing , the masks the carnival workers wear, and even the designs of tarot cards. It is so easy to clearly picture the story in your mind , to smell the herbs and smelling salts.. even the meals or the stench of rotting flesh. Thomas Cresswells cologne