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A review by sandeevalley
A Lady in the Smoke: A Victorian Mystery by Karen Odden
4.0
Thank you to the publisher for giving me this copy through Netgalley to review.
First things first, I had little-to-no expectations for this book; it was well out of my comfort zone. I rarely read mysteries for one, and the ones I do read are exclusively Nancy Drew. That being said, I had no idea how this book would turn out. It seemed like an adult book and though the synopsis gave me some idea of what the plot was - and who the main love interest would be -, I still couldn't prepare myself for how much I came to enjoy this book. When I first started it, I wasn't quite enthralled with it and honestly, it took me maybe 50 pages to actually be interested and excited for how the book would turn out. I quite liked how the main character was more invested in the mystery than the charismatic and charming surgeon, but still followed through with her heart and feelings during the entirety of the novel.
The only qualm I had with the book was the mystery. It wasn't exactly suspenseful nor did it cause me to wonder "what's going to happen?" and it relied too heavily on the characters to drive the plot forward than being a standalone thing on its own. Which really is questionable since it is titled a "Victorian Mystery." However, the characters themselves are the best part of the book and I wouldn't mind reading what became of James and Anthony later on.
First things first, I had little-to-no expectations for this book; it was well out of my comfort zone. I rarely read mysteries for one, and the ones I do read are exclusively Nancy Drew. That being said, I had no idea how this book would turn out. It seemed like an adult book and though the synopsis gave me some idea of what the plot was - and who the main love interest would be -, I still couldn't prepare myself for how much I came to enjoy this book. When I first started it, I wasn't quite enthralled with it and honestly, it took me maybe 50 pages to actually be interested and excited for how the book would turn out. I quite liked how the main character was more invested in the mystery than the charismatic and charming surgeon, but still followed through with her heart and feelings during the entirety of the novel.
The only qualm I had with the book was the mystery. It wasn't exactly suspenseful nor did it cause me to wonder "what's going to happen?" and it relied too heavily on the characters to drive the plot forward than being a standalone thing on its own. Which really is questionable since it is titled a "Victorian Mystery." However, the characters themselves are the best part of the book and I wouldn't mind reading what became of James and Anthony later on.