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rwbrock 's review for:
Murder By Candlelight
by Faith Martin
This was such a fun read, and I’m happy to have discovered this new-to-me author! Dare I say, I hope this is the start of a new series?!
There were three elements that I enjoyed most about this historical mystery…writing, characters, and plot. The writing itself was lovely with lots of wonderful detail, accurate historical tidbits, and humorous sly wit. The characters, especially the protagonists, Arbuthnot (Arbie) Lancelot Swift and Valentina (Val) Olivia Charlotte Coulton-James, were well and delightfully drawn, quirky and with just the right amount of muddling to keep them lovable but not annoying. I liked that they shared a history of growing up together and how they knew each other so well under the surface. The plot was engaging, from the ghostly doings to the secrets discovered and the final denouement...it was entertaining and mostly believable. My favorite takeaway however were Arbie’s and Val’s personalities. Arbie’s put-upon reactions to his accidental fame were a riot, and Val’s strong, no-nonsense demeanor (especially in dealing with Arbie) was both refreshing and endearing.
I do plan to check out this author's backlist as I thoroughly enjoyed this light-hearted, locked-door mystery and do hope that this is not the last we’ll see of this dynamic duo.
My thanks to the author, NetGalley and HarperCollins for providing the free early arc of Murder by Candlelight for review. The opinions are strictly my own.
There were three elements that I enjoyed most about this historical mystery…writing, characters, and plot. The writing itself was lovely with lots of wonderful detail, accurate historical tidbits, and humorous sly wit. The characters, especially the protagonists, Arbuthnot (Arbie) Lancelot Swift and Valentina (Val) Olivia Charlotte Coulton-James, were well and delightfully drawn, quirky and with just the right amount of muddling to keep them lovable but not annoying. I liked that they shared a history of growing up together and how they knew each other so well under the surface. The plot was engaging, from the ghostly doings to the secrets discovered and the final denouement...it was entertaining and mostly believable. My favorite takeaway however were Arbie’s and Val’s personalities. Arbie’s put-upon reactions to his accidental fame were a riot, and Val’s strong, no-nonsense demeanor (especially in dealing with Arbie) was both refreshing and endearing.
I do plan to check out this author's backlist as I thoroughly enjoyed this light-hearted, locked-door mystery and do hope that this is not the last we’ll see of this dynamic duo.
My thanks to the author, NetGalley and HarperCollins for providing the free early arc of Murder by Candlelight for review. The opinions are strictly my own.