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A review by sarah_taleweaver
The Death of Clara Willenheim by Charlotte Lesemann, Charlotte Lesemann
3.0
This will be a five-star book for some people. The fact that it is not one for me is entirely due to my own preferences, and that's actually the reason I procrastinated so long on writing this review.
The Death of Clara Willenheim is a dramatic, suspenseful, thrilling Gothic mystery, full of secrets, hidden passages, and people who aren't who or what they seem. It's beautifully written; the settings seemed to come to life (or unlife, depending on your perspective), and the characters are masterfully drawn. The mystery itself slowly unwinds, teasing you with red herrings and hints, all while building up to the truth. The ghost aspect was interesting; not my favorite part, but the author used it well. If you're a fan of historical thrillers or suspense stories, you will quite possibly find this worth picking up, as in all technical aspects, it's a five-star story.
So why is it only three stars from me? I rate stories not just on technical quality but on how much I enjoy them, and this book got much darker than I usually want to read. Without giving away spoilers, the villains in this story are involved in some truly awful things, and while the author handles these matters tastefully, she also doesn't hold back on how bad they are. That, plus the mindsets of many of the characters (with the exception of the two detectives) and the fact that, for a solid chunk of the book, I thought I'd stumbled into an "everybody dies" story, make this a very heavy read, not necessarily a fun one (at least for me).
The Death of Clara Willenheim is a well-written historic Gothic mystery-thriller full of twists, turns, and secrets. It's not precisely my cup of tea, but I suspect it would be just right for someone else.
The Death of Clara Willenheim is a dramatic, suspenseful, thrilling Gothic mystery, full of secrets, hidden passages, and people who aren't who or what they seem. It's beautifully written; the settings seemed to come to life (or unlife, depending on your perspective), and the characters are masterfully drawn. The mystery itself slowly unwinds, teasing you with red herrings and hints, all while building up to the truth. The ghost aspect was interesting; not my favorite part, but the author used it well. If you're a fan of historical thrillers or suspense stories, you will quite possibly find this worth picking up, as in all technical aspects, it's a five-star story.
So why is it only three stars from me? I rate stories not just on technical quality but on how much I enjoy them, and this book got much darker than I usually want to read. Without giving away spoilers, the villains in this story are involved in some truly awful things, and while the author handles these matters tastefully, she also doesn't hold back on how bad they are. That, plus the mindsets of many of the characters (with the exception of the two detectives) and the fact that, for a solid chunk of the book, I thought I'd stumbled into an "everybody dies" story, make this a very heavy read, not necessarily a fun one (at least for me).
The Death of Clara Willenheim is a well-written historic Gothic mystery-thriller full of twists, turns, and secrets. It's not precisely my cup of tea, but I suspect it would be just right for someone else.