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A review by romanaromana
Intrigue by Patricia Finney, Grace Cavendish, Jan Burchett, Sara Vogler
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
3.5 stars.
I used to absolutely love this series when I was younger, so much so that I used to imitate Grace's own language in my diaries (cringe doesn't even cover it). Unfortunately, some of that magic has been lost with time, but I still found this book enjoyable, and can see why I liked Grace's adventures so much.
This mystery takes the Queen, Grace and other members of the Court to see a new play. 'Intrigue' promises its audience a thrilling murder mystery, with a prize to whoever can guess the identity of the true murderer! But things soon take a turn, and to everyone's surprise, the Court is faced with a real murder. Grace must work quickly if she's to protect innocent suspects from being punished, and catch the true criminal.
My main issue with Intrigue was in its narrative style. Grace writes in first person, past tense that looks retrospectively on clues and investigation as they progress. When combined with the self-aware nature of the diary form, readers are constantly reminded that they are behind on the action. This left me feeling somewhat dislocated from the characters and the mystery. I was reading to find out who the criminal was, but I didn't feel as though I could participate in the investigation because Grace simply relays the details after they've been revealed or discovered by herself.
However, as I said, I can understand why I liked this series when I was younger. It is easy to read and provides a relatively complex plot for children, with sufficient red herrings and clues to build up what appears to be a realistic criminal investigation.
I used to absolutely love this series when I was younger, so much so that I used to imitate Grace's own language in my diaries (cringe doesn't even cover it). Unfortunately, some of that magic has been lost with time, but I still found this book enjoyable, and can see why I liked Grace's adventures so much.
This mystery takes the Queen, Grace and other members of the Court to see a new play. 'Intrigue' promises its audience a thrilling murder mystery, with a prize to whoever can guess the identity of the true murderer! But things soon take a turn, and to everyone's surprise, the Court is faced with a real murder. Grace must work quickly if she's to protect innocent suspects from being punished, and catch the true criminal.
My main issue with Intrigue was in its narrative style. Grace writes in first person, past tense that looks retrospectively on clues and investigation as they progress. When combined with the self-aware nature of the diary form, readers are constantly reminded that they are behind on the action. This left me feeling somewhat dislocated from the characters and the mystery. I was reading to find out who the criminal was, but I didn't feel as though I could participate in the investigation because Grace simply relays the details after they've been revealed or discovered by herself.
However, as I said, I can understand why I liked this series when I was younger. It is easy to read and provides a relatively complex plot for children, with sufficient red herrings and clues to build up what appears to be a realistic criminal investigation.