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A review by opheliasviolence
The Framed Women of Ardemore House by Brandy Schillace
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
4.0
(3.8 rounded up)
I'm very conflicted when it comes to this book.
The premise: An autistic woman named Jo Jones learns that she's inherited an English estate after the death of her mother. She moves to England for a fresh start after her divorce, only to discover a dead body on the property. The premise makes it seem as though this is going to be a cozy mystery or even a thriller. It feels as though it's trying to be a cozy mystery and a thriller with a dash of police procedural.
I really liked Jo and the side characters. The issue is that Jo becomes a side character in her own story. This book has dual POVs, the other one being one of the investigators. It might have been best to focus on just Jo. She isn't that involved in the the murder investigation. Jo spends her time doing research about her family. The story felt a bit uneven as we switch from cozy mystery to police procedural.
By the end, I felt that the story was incomplete. Maybe the author intends to write a sequel. In that case it would account for things being left open ended. I would personally like to see what happens with the characters. This felt like an introduction to some of the storylines.
Overall, still an enjoyable read despite the uneven tone. I'm hoping there's a sequel. I'm also interested in reading the authors' other work.
I'm very conflicted when it comes to this book.
The premise: An autistic woman named Jo Jones learns that she's inherited an English estate after the death of her mother. She moves to England for a fresh start after her divorce, only to discover a dead body on the property. The premise makes it seem as though this is going to be a cozy mystery or even a thriller. It feels as though it's trying to be a cozy mystery and a thriller with a dash of police procedural.
I really liked Jo and the side characters. The issue is that Jo becomes a side character in her own story. This book has dual POVs, the other one being one of the investigators. It might have been best to focus on just Jo. She isn't that involved in the the murder investigation. Jo spends her time doing research about her family. The story felt a bit uneven as we switch from cozy mystery to police procedural.
By the end, I felt that the story was incomplete. Maybe the author intends to write a sequel. In that case it would account for things being left open ended. I would personally like to see what happens with the characters. This felt like an introduction to some of the storylines.
Overall, still an enjoyable read despite the uneven tone. I'm hoping there's a sequel. I'm also interested in reading the authors' other work.