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zanybibliophile's reviews
291 reviews
Reigntime: Book One in the Reigntime Series by S. K. Levy
5.0
Reigntime caught my eye for a few reasons:
1. the cover is stunning!
2. it is by an Australian author
3. it is set in Australia
I had high hopes for this book and was not disappointed.
Lexie is a young nursing student on placement who gets stuck with a sucky supervisor and a mysterious patient. That mysterious patient is Myall, a Reigntime creature. Both of these characters were well written and formed.
The plot was interesting, more so towards the end of the book, and the backstories fit in well with the "current" events. I do not often like the sob stories, but this was more a 'something bad happened and it hurts' rather than a 'something bad happened and now I cannot live my life' so I was okay with that.
The language Levy put together for this book was also interesting, though at times it did confuse me a little. Thank goodness for the glossary in the back of the book.
It is clear a lot of time and effort went into the creation of Reigntime and, for me, it paid off. I cannot wait for Slarlit (book 2) and hope to see both Lexie and Myall figure out a brilliant way to deal with what happened at the end of Reigntime... Read the book to find out what I am talking about here.
My little hiccups with Reigntime are due to personal preferences and not the quality of the book, which was amazing, so it definitely deserves 5 stars!
1. the cover is stunning!
2. it is by an Australian author
3. it is set in Australia
I had high hopes for this book and was not disappointed.
Lexie is a young nursing student on placement who gets stuck with a sucky supervisor and a mysterious patient. That mysterious patient is Myall, a Reigntime creature. Both of these characters were well written and formed.
The plot was interesting, more so towards the end of the book, and the backstories fit in well with the "current" events. I do not often like the sob stories, but this was more a 'something bad happened and it hurts' rather than a 'something bad happened and now I cannot live my life' so I was okay with that.
The language Levy put together for this book was also interesting, though at times it did confuse me a little. Thank goodness for the glossary in the back of the book.
It is clear a lot of time and effort went into the creation of Reigntime and, for me, it paid off. I cannot wait for Slarlit (book 2) and hope to see both Lexie and Myall figure out a brilliant way to deal with what happened at the end of Reigntime... Read the book to find out what I am talking about here.
My little hiccups with Reigntime are due to personal preferences and not the quality of the book, which was amazing, so it definitely deserves 5 stars!
Gemina by Jay Kristoff, Amie Kaufman
5.0
I will admit, I was a little sad to see Kady and AIDAN were not the focus of Gemina, but the new trio, Hanna Donnelly, Nik Malikov and Nik's cousin Ella, more than made up for it with their kick-arse sassiness. The detailing of these characters and their development during the story is amazing and so intriguing to read.
Just like the first book, we had digital chat logs, surveillance commentary and official documentation telling us the story, which I have come to love, though I was not so keen on the language used in the chats between the teenagers. Way to abbreviated and containing way too many simple spelling errors for my liking.
The storyline is structured somewhat similar to the first one in terms of crisis and teenagers being the ones to get stuff done. However, there were differences that make Gemina different from Illuminae while still tying in with the story from the first book. One thing both books definitely succeed at is that they both possess the ability to make you crave more.
I could not find a good reason not to give Gemina 5 stars because it is a work of genius, or rather two geniuses. I cannot wait to get my hands on a copy of Obsidio! Only a few more months to wait!
Just like the first book, we had digital chat logs, surveillance commentary and official documentation telling us the story, which I have come to love, though I was not so keen on the language used in the chats between the teenagers. Way to abbreviated and containing way too many simple spelling errors for my liking.
The storyline is structured somewhat similar to the first one in terms of crisis and teenagers being the ones to get stuff done. However, there were differences that make Gemina different from Illuminae while still tying in with the story from the first book. One thing both books definitely succeed at is that they both possess the ability to make you crave more.
I could not find a good reason not to give Gemina 5 stars because it is a work of genius, or rather two geniuses. I cannot wait to get my hands on a copy of Obsidio! Only a few more months to wait!
Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
4.0
It has been years since I have read Peter Pan and, as horrible as it sounds, the book was not as perfect as I remember it being. I still love the story - that has not changed - I just feel a little conflicted about certain elements of the story.
The book itself is a wonderful read, though it does focus a lot more on Wendy being a girl and Peter being a selfish control freak way too much. I also feel the need to bring up Tinkerbell. I think I have watched too many Disney Tinkerbell movies because I forgot she was a little meanie in Peter Pan. Another meanie was Hook, though this one was much more expected and actually appreciated. I love that this revenge-hungry pirate is scared of ticking. Every time I hear the tick-tock of a clock I chuckle to myself thinking of Hook.
I like the lost boys. They are so innocent and trusting of Peter and later Wendy. They add more depth to the story and help show exactly how Peter thinks and feels. The only sad part about the lost boys is that they have no memory of their real-world families. I also found it sad when John and Michael's memories of their parents and home life began to fade.
Overall, the writing, the world and the story were all enchanting and the characters were all adorable in their own ways.
The book itself is a wonderful read, though it does focus a lot more on Wendy being a girl and Peter being a selfish control freak way too much. I also feel the need to bring up Tinkerbell. I think I have watched too many Disney Tinkerbell movies because I forgot she was a little meanie in Peter Pan. Another meanie was Hook, though this one was much more expected and actually appreciated. I love that this revenge-hungry pirate is scared of ticking. Every time I hear the tick-tock of a clock I chuckle to myself thinking of Hook.
I like the lost boys. They are so innocent and trusting of Peter and later Wendy. They add more depth to the story and help show exactly how Peter thinks and feels. The only sad part about the lost boys is that they have no memory of their real-world families. I also found it sad when John and Michael's memories of their parents and home life began to fade.
Overall, the writing, the world and the story were all enchanting and the characters were all adorable in their own ways.
Winter Wonderland by Belinda Jones
3.0
Winter Wonderland is a cute little novel and, while I do have my issues with the story, I liked reading it. The writing was good and the plot decent enough, but it is not a book I will read again anytime soon. It was a wintery romance I can envision being read by a fireplace with a hot cuppa and snow lightly falling outside.
Krista is in Quebec to write a holiday destination piece for a travel website, but the trip is more a therapy trip filled with more drama than the original problems she wants to get away from.
Krista and Jacques, her love interest by the end of chapter 6, are both suffering from life events that occurred prior to the novel. Krista feels the need to fix everything and Jacques is hot and cold so they are both somewhat annoying to read about. The supporting characters all have their own platter of issues that Krista interferes with while also dealing with a crazy troublemaker in town.
As I said, I was not overly keen on this book but it is a quick, fluffy read if that is what you are looking for.
Krista is in Quebec to write a holiday destination piece for a travel website, but the trip is more a therapy trip filled with more drama than the original problems she wants to get away from.
Krista and Jacques, her love interest by the end of chapter 6, are both suffering from life events that occurred prior to the novel. Krista feels the need to fix everything and Jacques is hot and cold so they are both somewhat annoying to read about. The supporting characters all have their own platter of issues that Krista interferes with while also dealing with a crazy troublemaker in town.
As I said, I was not overly keen on this book but it is a quick, fluffy read if that is what you are looking for.
Unearthed by Meagan Spooner, Amie Kaufman
5.0
WOW! It is the first word that comes to mind after reading this book but it doesn't even come close to describing the brilliance of Unearthed! This is the first book I have read by the duo that is Kaufman and Spooner but I am a fan!
The chapters had alternating POVs which helped us to know how both Amelia and Jules were thinking and feeling during the many twists, turns and mysteries of this novel. Both characters were well formed making them relatable and easy to picture. I also liked that while from very different backgrounds, the two find common ground and work together. Our world needs more of that!
The action-packed journey these two take through the Undying temple on Gaia is full of puzzels and mathematics that I can only imagine to be fascinating. I am most definitely like Jules in that I would want to spend hours, days, weeks, etc., studying it all!
Basically, the plot of Unearthed was incredibly well thought out and an absolute pleasure to read. I was consistently enthralled with the story and found myself thinking about what would happen next when I unfortunately had to put the book down.
It has also been brilliantly set up for the second novel - it can go many different ways so it will be interesting to see which way Kaufman and Spooner choose!
The writing style was consistent and flowed really well, something I actually was not expecting from a book of this format by two authors. In fact, if there were not two names on the cover, I would have assumed it was all written by the same person.
Easily a 5 star book for me and I cannot wait to see where Kaufman and Spooner take Unearthed 2!
The chapters had alternating POVs which helped us to know how both Amelia and Jules were thinking and feeling during the many twists, turns and mysteries of this novel. Both characters were well formed making them relatable and easy to picture. I also liked that while from very different backgrounds, the two find common ground and work together. Our world needs more of that!
The action-packed journey these two take through the Undying temple on Gaia is full of puzzels and mathematics that I can only imagine to be fascinating. I am most definitely like Jules in that I would want to spend hours, days, weeks, etc., studying it all!
Basically, the plot of Unearthed was incredibly well thought out and an absolute pleasure to read. I was consistently enthralled with the story and found myself thinking about what would happen next when I unfortunately had to put the book down.
It has also been brilliantly set up for the second novel - it can go many different ways so it will be interesting to see which way Kaufman and Spooner choose!
The writing style was consistent and flowed really well, something I actually was not expecting from a book of this format by two authors. In fact, if there were not two names on the cover, I would have assumed it was all written by the same person.
Easily a 5 star book for me and I cannot wait to see where Kaufman and Spooner take Unearthed 2!
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
4.0
If you are craving magical adventures, The Hobbit is a book you should consider reading!
The plot was incredible! A journey made by a hobbit accompanying a group of dwarves across Middle-Earth with occasional assistance from a wizard to reclaim a mountain that was invaded by a dragon 150 years ago. Tolkien did an amazing job of creating a world full of beauty, magic and adventure. There are so many different species and personalities that all have their place and it all sounds amazing.
Our main character is the hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, and he spends the majority of the novel torn between enjoying his adventure and missing the comforts of home. I love how Bilbo's character grows through the novel to reflect what has learned on his adventure but his original values are still there.
Gandalf is the only partially helpful wizard that seems to only show up when it suits him. He pops up at some key moments, but there are other times I questioned Gandalf's purpose to the story.
Thorin is the main dwarf, for want of a better term, and is the rightful King under the mountain. He is the one who wants this adventure to be successful most, but not just for himself. Although he is sometimes harsh and borderline cruel, deep down he cares about his fellow dwarves and their home.
Their journey followed a realistic timeline, with the characters going through a few seasons and mention of lengths of time when things go wrong.
The storytelling is probably the only thing I had an issue with it, unfortunately, bothered me a lot. It was like listening to an elderly man tell you about his time in the war - interesting to begin with but the story trails off to many other little stories so you have to really focus on what is the main story and what is a little extra. Maybe I just was not in the mood for this type of narration but, by the halfway point of the book, I wished I could just read the cliff notes and move on.
The plot was incredible! A journey made by a hobbit accompanying a group of dwarves across Middle-Earth with occasional assistance from a wizard to reclaim a mountain that was invaded by a dragon 150 years ago. Tolkien did an amazing job of creating a world full of beauty, magic and adventure. There are so many different species and personalities that all have their place and it all sounds amazing.
Our main character is the hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, and he spends the majority of the novel torn between enjoying his adventure and missing the comforts of home. I love how Bilbo's character grows through the novel to reflect what has learned on his adventure but his original values are still there.
Gandalf is the only partially helpful wizard that seems to only show up when it suits him. He pops up at some key moments, but there are other times I questioned Gandalf's purpose to the story.
Thorin is the main dwarf, for want of a better term, and is the rightful King under the mountain. He is the one who wants this adventure to be successful most, but not just for himself. Although he is sometimes harsh and borderline cruel, deep down he cares about his fellow dwarves and their home.
Their journey followed a realistic timeline, with the characters going through a few seasons and mention of lengths of time when things go wrong.
The storytelling is probably the only thing I had an issue with it, unfortunately, bothered me a lot. It was like listening to an elderly man tell you about his time in the war - interesting to begin with but the story trails off to many other little stories so you have to really focus on what is the main story and what is a little extra. Maybe I just was not in the mood for this type of narration but, by the halfway point of the book, I wished I could just read the cliff notes and move on.
Murder on the Lake of Fire by Mikel J. Wilson
4.0
The story begins by explaining the title - the body of Britt Algarotti, a teenage ice skater, has been found in a frozen lake in Barter Ridge but the cause of her death was fire. Special Agent Emory Rome is sent by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations (TBI) to investigate the crime in his hometown and is met with many obstacles including Jeff Woodard - a private investigator hired by Britt's father. What makes things worse is that during the investigation Britt's trainer is also murdered making the case even more puzzling.
Emory Rome is a by-the-book kind of guy and is very dedicated to his job, though he is not without flaws as he has his own bucket of issues and secrets he has kept hidden that he is forced to face during this investigation. When he begins the investigation with his very unhelpful partner Wayne they discover Jeff is working the same case. Emory tries to push him to the side believing he will only hinder the investigation but once it becomes clear that Jeff is not going to back off the two eventually join forces to work out this crazy web of a case. Trying not to spoil a major plot point here, but I love the development of Emory during the book and how Jeff contributes to this development.
Jeff Woodard, the PI, is a lively character and not what you would expect from a PI. He and his business partner, Virginia, are not into following the rules the same way Emory is. This is problematic in many ways during the novel but does serve its purpose to the storyline. Jeff is a mysterious character in that I could never quite figure out if he is to be trusted or not.
Another character worth mentioning is Sherrif Rome, Emory's father, who has his own idea of the law which leads to quite a few hiccups in the investigation. He may not be able to solve a murder, but he is a kind-hearted man who really just wants do the right thing by everyone and I believe that is wonderful.
It was well written and very well thought out mystery, though I was not overly keen on the occasional swapping of point-of-view. I feel they mystery element would have been more thrilling had we only had the one character to experience it through. While the timing of the story was pretty good it does suggest the case was open and closed within a week and I wonder if this is a realistic timeline for the personal developments.
Being a murder mystery means I was looking for a difficult case with clues that did not seem to add up until the end and I got it. Problem is, I had three suspects in mind for who was guilty and, well, I was not surprised. I was, however, surprised by how it all came to be and what prompted the murders. I was also slightly disturbed by some of the secrets uncovered during the investigation - that character needs serious therapy - but it did help to make the story all the more chilling.
Overall, very good book and I hope to read more about Emory and Jeff in a second book.
Emory Rome is a by-the-book kind of guy and is very dedicated to his job, though he is not without flaws as he has his own bucket of issues and secrets he has kept hidden that he is forced to face during this investigation. When he begins the investigation with his very unhelpful partner Wayne they discover Jeff is working the same case. Emory tries to push him to the side believing he will only hinder the investigation but once it becomes clear that Jeff is not going to back off the two eventually join forces to work out this crazy web of a case. Trying not to spoil a major plot point here, but I love the development of Emory during the book and how Jeff contributes to this development.
Jeff Woodard, the PI, is a lively character and not what you would expect from a PI. He and his business partner, Virginia, are not into following the rules the same way Emory is. This is problematic in many ways during the novel but does serve its purpose to the storyline. Jeff is a mysterious character in that I could never quite figure out if he is to be trusted or not.
Another character worth mentioning is Sherrif Rome, Emory's father, who has his own idea of the law which leads to quite a few hiccups in the investigation. He may not be able to solve a murder, but he is a kind-hearted man who really just wants do the right thing by everyone and I believe that is wonderful.
It was well written and very well thought out mystery, though I was not overly keen on the occasional swapping of point-of-view. I feel they mystery element would have been more thrilling had we only had the one character to experience it through. While the timing of the story was pretty good it does suggest the case was open and closed within a week and I wonder if this is a realistic timeline for the personal developments.
Being a murder mystery means I was looking for a difficult case with clues that did not seem to add up until the end and I got it. Problem is, I had three suspects in mind for who was guilty and, well, I was not surprised. I was, however, surprised by how it all came to be and what prompted the murders. I was also slightly disturbed by some of the secrets uncovered during the investigation - that character needs serious therapy - but it did help to make the story all the more chilling.
Overall, very good book and I hope to read more about Emory and Jeff in a second book.
If Souls Can Sleep by David Michael Williams
4.0
"First he lost his daughter. His mind may be next."
It sounded like a tragically intriguing story so I simply had to read it.
Vincent a seemingly decent guy who has self-destructed since the death of his daughter and all but cut contact with his mother over their different opinions on whether to turn off his criminal half-brother's life support. A reoccurring dream of the day his daughter died has been haunting Vincent for years but those dreams stop just as a new dream begins and this dream is very different to most. The dream is in an unfamiliar fantasy setting, everyone in the dream world calls him Valenthor of the Three Rivers and this dream has the ability to draw Vincent in even when he is awake. After the new dream leads to him losing his job, Vincent looks for help only to discover there is much more to the dream than he could have possibly imagined.
Jerry is Vincent's housemate and the first person to try helping Vincent figure out what the crazy dream by instant messaging the "Master of All Fantasy". The next person Vincent turns to Leah, a sleep therapist with her own interesting sleep disorder. She does her own tests and investigations which leads to some very surprising discoveries. The other character worth mentioning is a rather peculiar man by the name of Milton. He is on the run, but cannot remember who is running from or why and the fact that he cannot remember scares him. They are all interesting characters and the main characters well formed.
The way the book is set up was confusing at first - flicking between dreams and awake without clear indication but also between different points of view. I believe that was the intention as if it had been explained earlier on it would have taken away from the overall story. Once I got halfway through the book I began to pick up on the differences and it is also when the story began to explain itself only heightening my interest in the story. With the exception of that temporary confusion, it was an interesting concept worked into a well thought out story that flowed rather well.
At the end, there was an excerpt from book two. It seems just as intriguing and I look forward to reading more about these dream worlds in Williams next book.
It sounded like a tragically intriguing story so I simply had to read it.
Vincent a seemingly decent guy who has self-destructed since the death of his daughter and all but cut contact with his mother over their different opinions on whether to turn off his criminal half-brother's life support. A reoccurring dream of the day his daughter died has been haunting Vincent for years but those dreams stop just as a new dream begins and this dream is very different to most. The dream is in an unfamiliar fantasy setting, everyone in the dream world calls him Valenthor of the Three Rivers and this dream has the ability to draw Vincent in even when he is awake. After the new dream leads to him losing his job, Vincent looks for help only to discover there is much more to the dream than he could have possibly imagined.
Jerry is Vincent's housemate and the first person to try helping Vincent figure out what the crazy dream by instant messaging the "Master of All Fantasy". The next person Vincent turns to Leah, a sleep therapist with her own interesting sleep disorder. She does her own tests and investigations which leads to some very surprising discoveries. The other character worth mentioning is a rather peculiar man by the name of Milton. He is on the run, but cannot remember who is running from or why and the fact that he cannot remember scares him. They are all interesting characters and the main characters well formed.
The way the book is set up was confusing at first - flicking between dreams and awake without clear indication but also between different points of view. I believe that was the intention as if it had been explained earlier on it would have taken away from the overall story. Once I got halfway through the book I began to pick up on the differences and it is also when the story began to explain itself only heightening my interest in the story. With the exception of that temporary confusion, it was an interesting concept worked into a well thought out story that flowed rather well.
At the end, there was an excerpt from book two. It seems just as intriguing and I look forward to reading more about these dream worlds in Williams next book.
A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab
3.0
A Gathering of Shadows is set four months after A Darker Shade of Magic. It begins with Rhy and Kell bored and not wanting to hurt one another (read book one to find out why) and Lila off being selfish and reckless. It is interesting that my opinion of Lila changed so dramatically from the first book where I liked her strength and fighting spirit. She still has those qualities, she just did not care about anyone else for 98% of this book. Speaking of changed opinions, I was disappointed in both Kell and Rhy too. They had become sulky and were not fun characters to read like they were in book one. It is understandable that the events of book one would leave people changed, but it was sad to see them broken by it.
Enough about my disappointment in the main characters, let's focus on the plot.
The book description made it sound like another action-packed story that I would not want to put down. That was not the case for me. I found it really slow, especially in comparison to A Darker Shade of Magic, and wondered if the book really needed to be that long. The Element Games mentioned in the description started on page 350 and even then it only had moments of the excitement book one had. In my opinion, this was a filler book - a book to explain how the events of book one lead to book three. In all honesty, I feel a few specific chapters from this book could have been included at the end of A Darker Shade of Magic which could have easily lead to what I hope will happen in A Conjuring of Light (book three) and the last 150 pages of A Gathering of Shadows when the Element Games occur could have been a short story listed as book 1.5 or something along those lines.
While there was a page here and there in the last 150 pages that made me think maybe the book was redeemable only to be let down by the following page, my favourite part of the book was actually the last seven pages. Those last seven pages are the reason I will read A Conjuring of Light and it is because they reminded me of A Darker Shade of Magic. It had that action-packed feel I was missing from the other 500 pages and it had me wishing that the next book was on my shelves so I could find out what happened next. If I had enjoyed the rest of the book anywhere near as much as I did those last pages, I would have happily given this a 5-star rating.
To be fair, the writing style and the worlds Schwab created were still amazing, I just was not keen on the story or the characters in this particular book in the series.
I was originally going to give it 2-stars because the book was a let down for me and I had to force myself to keep reading, but I did love the ending enough to raise that to 3-stars.
Enough about my disappointment in the main characters, let's focus on the plot.
The book description made it sound like another action-packed story that I would not want to put down. That was not the case for me. I found it really slow, especially in comparison to A Darker Shade of Magic, and wondered if the book really needed to be that long. The Element Games mentioned in the description started on page 350 and even then it only had moments of the excitement book one had. In my opinion, this was a filler book - a book to explain how the events of book one lead to book three. In all honesty, I feel a few specific chapters from this book could have been included at the end of A Darker Shade of Magic which could have easily lead to what I hope will happen in A Conjuring of Light (book three) and the last 150 pages of A Gathering of Shadows when the Element Games occur could have been a short story listed as book 1.5 or something along those lines.
While there was a page here and there in the last 150 pages that made me think maybe the book was redeemable only to be let down by the following page, my favourite part of the book was actually the last seven pages. Those last seven pages are the reason I will read A Conjuring of Light and it is because they reminded me of A Darker Shade of Magic. It had that action-packed feel I was missing from the other 500 pages and it had me wishing that the next book was on my shelves so I could find out what happened next. If I had enjoyed the rest of the book anywhere near as much as I did those last pages, I would have happily given this a 5-star rating.
To be fair, the writing style and the worlds Schwab created were still amazing, I just was not keen on the story or the characters in this particular book in the series.
I was originally going to give it 2-stars because the book was a let down for me and I had to force myself to keep reading, but I did love the ending enough to raise that to 3-stars.
Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco
5.0
The title of Stalking Jack the Ripper is pretty self-explanatory - the main characters are doing a non-police investigation to discover who Jack the Ripper is. Audrey Rose Wadsworth is a seventeen-year-old interested in forensic medicine and interning at her uncle's laboratory. It is there she meets Thomas Cresswell, a cocky young man with the same interests as Audrey Rose and a keen eye for detail. These two combine their talents and knowledge as they "stalk" Jack the Ripper.
Audrey Rose is kindhearted and headstrong. She loves dressing in the fancy clothes her life of wealth and privilege provides, but she also desires to do autopsies and figure out who killed them - tasks typically seen as male jobs. The entire novel has Audrey Rose going against her father's wishes and putting herself in difficult situations all while dealing with grief, guilt, prejudice and a serial killer.
Lord Edmund Wadsworth, Audrey Rose's father, is a paranoid man believing the only way to keep Audrey Rose safe is to keep her away from anything that may make her sick. His heart is in the right place and it is understandable given Audrey Rose's mother died after falling ill. Just as protective of Audrey Rose is Nathaniel, her brother, a young man dabbling in different studies to pass the time until he takes his father's place as Lord.
The Lord's brother and Audrey Rose's Uncle, Jonathan Wadsworth, is a doctor. His job allows him to conduct the autopsies on the victims of the Leather Apron, later known as Jack the Ripper, and he does become quite caught up in the case, but he is a decent man and has somewhat modern for the times views about what girls, such as his niece, can and cannot do. He is reluctant to allow Audrey Rose to work with him because of what society and her father will think, but he cannot deny her talent and persistence to study the medical profession and so he allows her to intern.
Also interning for Audrey Rose's Uncle is Thomas Cresswell who, as stated above, is a cocky young man with an eye for detail and impressive medical knowledge. His talents are useful when trying to solve the murders of the women, though his past makes him and some of his actions questionable. Regardless, he and Audrey Rose combine their efforts to uncover just who is Jack the Ripper. Thomas is also described as incredibly handsome early on, so there is an indication that these two will be more than just sleuthing buddies. I am not usually a fan of romance in books with a non-romantic focus, such as hunting down a serial killer, but maybe my stone cold heart is melting or it was just worked into the story well because I really enjoyed the banter between the two amateur sleuths.
If you are familiar with the history of Jack the Ripper, you may know that story is set in the late 1800's in London, specifically the Whitechapel district. The locations in the book were often well described, at least enough for me to get a rough image in my head. It was obvious that a lot of research had been done and that it had been creatively worked into a fictional story giving "Jack" an identity.
The story itself was pretty good for a mystery novel - there were moments of acceleration in the plot where it became exciting to read and a few parts that were rather slow. I guessed who the killer was fairly early in the story and was positive by the information provided by later on in the novel, but Audrey Rose and Thomas's investigations along with evidence and information shared by Superintendent William Blackburn had me wondering if my 'who-done-it' skills were broken. However, I did not predict the entire reason of why "Jack" became the Ripper and the reason itself deserves considerable mention. I was impressed.
While somewhat predictable, I personally love the storytelling and how real the story felt. I also love the little twist at the end and how well it is set up for Audrey Rose's story to continue.
Audrey Rose is kindhearted and headstrong. She loves dressing in the fancy clothes her life of wealth and privilege provides, but she also desires to do autopsies and figure out who killed them - tasks typically seen as male jobs. The entire novel has Audrey Rose going against her father's wishes and putting herself in difficult situations all while dealing with grief, guilt, prejudice and a serial killer.
Lord Edmund Wadsworth, Audrey Rose's father, is a paranoid man believing the only way to keep Audrey Rose safe is to keep her away from anything that may make her sick. His heart is in the right place and it is understandable given Audrey Rose's mother died after falling ill. Just as protective of Audrey Rose is Nathaniel, her brother, a young man dabbling in different studies to pass the time until he takes his father's place as Lord.
The Lord's brother and Audrey Rose's Uncle, Jonathan Wadsworth, is a doctor. His job allows him to conduct the autopsies on the victims of the Leather Apron, later known as Jack the Ripper, and he does become quite caught up in the case, but he is a decent man and has somewhat modern for the times views about what girls, such as his niece, can and cannot do. He is reluctant to allow Audrey Rose to work with him because of what society and her father will think, but he cannot deny her talent and persistence to study the medical profession and so he allows her to intern.
Also interning for Audrey Rose's Uncle is Thomas Cresswell who, as stated above, is a cocky young man with an eye for detail and impressive medical knowledge. His talents are useful when trying to solve the murders of the women, though his past makes him and some of his actions questionable. Regardless, he and Audrey Rose combine their efforts to uncover just who is Jack the Ripper. Thomas is also described as incredibly handsome early on, so there is an indication that these two will be more than just sleuthing buddies. I am not usually a fan of romance in books with a non-romantic focus, such as hunting down a serial killer, but maybe my stone cold heart is melting or it was just worked into the story well because I really enjoyed the banter between the two amateur sleuths.
If you are familiar with the history of Jack the Ripper, you may know that story is set in the late 1800's in London, specifically the Whitechapel district. The locations in the book were often well described, at least enough for me to get a rough image in my head. It was obvious that a lot of research had been done and that it had been creatively worked into a fictional story giving "Jack" an identity.
The story itself was pretty good for a mystery novel - there were moments of acceleration in the plot where it became exciting to read and a few parts that were rather slow. I guessed who the killer was fairly early in the story and was positive by the information provided by later on in the novel, but Audrey Rose and Thomas's investigations along with evidence and information shared by Superintendent William Blackburn had me wondering if my 'who-done-it' skills were broken. However, I did not predict the entire reason of why "Jack" became the Ripper and the reason itself deserves considerable mention. I was impressed.
While somewhat predictable, I personally love the storytelling and how real the story felt. I also love the little twist at the end and how well it is set up for Audrey Rose's story to continue.