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A review by tani
The Jacq of Spades: Part 1 of the Red Dog Conspiracy by Patricia Loofbourrow
3.0
Set in a steampunk world, this story follows Jacqui Spadros, wife of the heir to the Spadros family. The city is ruled by four families that are reminiscent of the mafia. Jacqui grew up poor, but is now one of the most powerful women in the city. However, she is uncomfortable in her position, so as an insurance policy for herself, she has taken up the habit of picking up minor investigative cases. However, when she is summoned regarding the kidnapping of a child, she knows that she's in over her head. The mother of the child is a face from her past, and despite herself, she gets drawn into the case.
I had mixed feelings on this book. The writing style is quite smooth, which I liked. Jacqui is a character who is far from perfect, but is very easy to empathize with. I also quite enjoyed the side character of Jacqui's husband, who felt quite developed, despite being very self-contained. Though there are a lot of flashbacks, I felt like they actually fit into the story pretty well. The mystery is actually handled pretty well too. Things feel like they develop fairly organically, without too much coincidence driving the plot.
However, I felt like the plot had a bit of a disconnect. Events happen, but they don't always feel like a unified part of the story, or like they're connected to each other. It's something I often see with writers who are lacking in experience.
There are also some gaps in the storytelling that really bothered me. For example, it's never really addressed why Jacqui was chosen to be the wife of this powerful man in the first place. I think the intention is to imply that she doesn't know, but I found that deeply unsatisfying. Similarly, there are a number of people who were raised in the same place as Jacqui who are floating around high society, and no explanation is given as to how or why. I also did not feel like the 'villain' of the story was very good. I didn't find him threatening, to be honest, and I didn't comprehend why Jacqui was so very frightened of him, which took some urgency from the story for me. .
However, I did feel like this was a good book, over all. There were some areas that could use some improvement, but the author definitely has the potential to become a strong voice as she continues to practice her craft.
I received a review copy of this for free. My opinions remain my own.
I had mixed feelings on this book. The writing style is quite smooth, which I liked. Jacqui is a character who is far from perfect, but is very easy to empathize with. I also quite enjoyed the side character of Jacqui's husband, who felt quite developed, despite being very self-contained. Though there are a lot of flashbacks, I felt like they actually fit into the story pretty well. The mystery is actually handled pretty well too. Things feel like they develop fairly organically, without too much coincidence driving the plot.
However, I felt like the plot had a bit of a disconnect. Events happen, but they don't always feel like a unified part of the story, or like they're connected to each other. It's something I often see with writers who are lacking in experience.
There are also some gaps in the storytelling that really bothered me. For example, it's never really addressed why Jacqui was chosen to be the wife of this powerful man in the first place. I think the intention is to imply that she doesn't know, but I found that deeply unsatisfying. Similarly, there are a number of people who were raised in the same place as Jacqui who are floating around high society, and no explanation is given as to how or why. I also did not feel like the 'villain' of the story was very good. I didn't find him threatening, to be honest, and I didn't comprehend why Jacqui was so very frightened of him, which took some urgency from the story for me. .
However, I did feel like this was a good book, over all. There were some areas that could use some improvement, but the author definitely has the potential to become a strong voice as she continues to practice her craft.
I received a review copy of this for free. My opinions remain my own.