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A review by talesoftheraven
The Stradivarius by Rae Knowles
3.0
A murder mystery in an old Victorian home. A missing rare violin. A woman lost and found.
I was given an advanced reading copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
I have not read this author before, and I'm not familiar with their other works. I opted into the advanced copy because I am always looking for queer horror and mystery writers to read, review, and promote.
This book was an interesting mix of elements. I can see where the author took time and care in showing the mental decline of their protagonist. The expression of her innocence, her need for escape, and her reaching out for something she could call her own was written well, even if some of the transitions were a little jarring.
I enjoyed Ollie - the genderqueer small town weird with a love of animals who is trying to establish themselves as a serious investigator and a friend/love interest to the main character, Mae. Watching them struggle with their own motivations, even as they push for a resolution to a decades old murder and for Mae's health and well being.
Here are the things I didn't like:
Some of the transitions were very jarring - so jarring that they didn't make a whole lot of sense in the flow of the work as a whole.
Some of the character introductions felt a little forced (I think somewhere I missed the reference to the dog, Lady, before she was helping Ollie hunt for clues).
The depth of character got lost with some of those transitions - particularly Mae going from milquetoast to determined to stop what was happening to her.
There were several brushes with other issues queer and other vulnerable people deal with: the homophobia and conspiracy theory mongering Aunt Bel, the healthcare system failing them (the doctor was absolutely NAILED - he was my personal worst nightmare). I felt like these were shoehorned into moving the plot forward.
Overall, I think this was a good debut novel. I would be willing to read more by this author, especially given that they are trying to give voice to queer issues in the context of traditional horror stories.
Thank you for the opportunity to review this work!
I was given an advanced reading copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
I have not read this author before, and I'm not familiar with their other works. I opted into the advanced copy because I am always looking for queer horror and mystery writers to read, review, and promote.
This book was an interesting mix of elements. I can see where the author took time and care in showing the mental decline of their protagonist. The expression of her innocence, her need for escape, and her reaching out for something she could call her own was written well, even if some of the transitions were a little jarring.
I enjoyed Ollie - the genderqueer small town weird with a love of animals who is trying to establish themselves as a serious investigator and a friend/love interest to the main character, Mae. Watching them struggle with their own motivations, even as they push for a resolution to a decades old murder and for Mae's health and well being.
Here are the things I didn't like:
Some of the transitions were very jarring - so jarring that they didn't make a whole lot of sense in the flow of the work as a whole.
Some of the character introductions felt a little forced (I think somewhere I missed the reference to the dog, Lady, before she was helping Ollie hunt for clues).
The depth of character got lost with some of those transitions - particularly Mae going from milquetoast to determined to stop what was happening to her.
There were several brushes with other issues queer and other vulnerable people deal with: the homophobia and conspiracy theory mongering Aunt Bel, the healthcare system failing them (the doctor was absolutely NAILED - he was my personal worst nightmare). I felt like these were shoehorned into moving the plot forward.
Overall, I think this was a good debut novel. I would be willing to read more by this author, especially given that they are trying to give voice to queer issues in the context of traditional horror stories.
Thank you for the opportunity to review this work!