The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle - Stuart Turton

The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is such a unique concept, and was pulled off superbly too. It's a mystery that must be solved by Aiden, who relives the day of the murder 8 times by waking up each day in the body of a different witness. If he doesn't solve the mystery in 8 days, he'll have his memory wiped and repeat the loop. He has no memory of his own life or why he's there, and he also has rivals who are trying to get the answer first, which adds another layer to the suspense.

The story isn't told in a completely linear fashion, so not only are you piecing together the clues from different perspectives of the day, but you're busy keeping track of the movements of each of Aiden's 8 hosts.

It does feel a lot like Ground Hog Day, but here the previous days are not wiped out. Aiden has to work around his other selves and avoid undoing what he's done in previous hosts or contaminating their timeline. This was so much fun, and happily the potential time travel paradoxes remained consistent.

It may sound complicated, but it was so well written that I was never bored or lost, just completely absorbed by the layers of the puzzle before me. The ending had a great payoff with some turns I didn't expect. Once all was revealed, I was satisfied by the final picture. Wonderful!

Dissolution - C.J. Sansom

Dissolution by C.J. Sansom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I've found that an essential part of mysteries for me is the characters. Can I care about them, like them, see them as having potential for growth? The mystery itself needs to be intriguing, of course, but a clever mystery feels empty to me without depth of character, especially of the main character.

So, how does Shardlake stack up? What we have here is one of the grumpier investigators I've read about. He loses his temper, snaps at people, becomes tired and overwhelmed, and makes errors of judgment. He's not a perfect man, but he's also idealistic and compassionate underneath that gruff exterior.

He has a core of insecurity because of a disability that he believes makes him less than worthy. He also has a wealth of spiritual and political turmoil to grapple with. As the representative of Oliver Cromwell during the dissolution of the monasteries, he has to wrestle with his sense of faith in a time of religious upheaval.

There's lots of room for Shardlake to grow in this series. I think it's worth continuing with the series to see if he finds his way. Oh, and the mystery held my attention too.

Murder at the Brightwell - Ashley Weaver

Murder at the Brightwell by Ashley Weaver
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I found this a wonderful historical mystery that surprised me several times. I love it when I don't guess the murderer, not from lack of clues but from not seeing how they all fit together until the end. It lets my mind stay busy with suspecting everyone, and I don't feel cheated when I'm surprised by the pieces of the puzzle clicking together.

I also very much enjoyed the drama of Amory's marriage troubles, which gave it more emotional depth than is often present in these types of mysteries. Those who prefer their mysteries without any romantic distractions may not enjoy it so much, but I tend to prefer mine with a good dose of character development outside of the mystery itself.

Another positive for me is that although there was romance, it was not about people just meeting and falling in love. Instead it dealt with the much more complex issues of an established relationship on shaky ground. I found Amory's state of mind to be realistic in the circumstances and was completely engrossed in her struggles to find the truth of her own heart. I want to know what happens to her next, and that's what will drive me to pick up the next book.

A Useful Woman - Darcie Wilde

A Useful Woman by Darcie Wilde
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A Useful Woman had a bit of a ponderous start and was in serious danger of getting bogged down in too many details of propriety and drawing room niceties. The Regency era is one of my comfort settings, but something needs to happen within that setting for me to stay interested, and that needs to happen pretty quickly. Here, it did set the stage for the tightrope that Rosalind is walking, but I wish the touch had been a bit lighter and the action had started sooner.

Thankfully, a murder did change all that. Once Rosalind focused on plumbing the depths of the currents around her, watching her try to hold together her own social position as well as that of her friends and charges was much more interesting. Who knew what could be hiding under that veneer of respectability? I found the answer satisfyingly shocking in the end.

I loved the premise of Rosalind as an unprotected woman trying to stay acceptable to the ton after her father's financial disaster years ago. I loved her cleverness at eking out a living from them, and her strength under that intense pressure. I definitely want to see more of the characters who appreciate her intelligence instead of using her while forcing her to hide it. One in particular was very intriguing...

I do have one more minor quibble. I was irritated a couple times when Rosalind realized something about the mystery and it was not shared with the reader. She suddenly knew what had happened, but I had to stay in the dark until the end. I appreciate the suspense that kept me in, but I would rather have followed her thought process more. That's one reason I like to read mysteries, so I can be working it out in my own mind. If I don't have all the same information the sleuth has, I can't do that.

Still, I felt this was a strong start to a new historical mystery series, especially as it's the first mystery by this author. I'm definitely looking forward to the next installment. I just hope we don't dwell on the correct order of paying compliments for too long before the next murder breaks.

Murder on Bank Street - Victoria Thompson

Murder on Bank Street by Victoria Thompson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In Murder on Bank Street, we finally find out who killed Sarah's husband. These are not the most complex mysteries, but are perfect for a quick weekend read after a hectic and draining week, and do offer some surprises. The familiarity is comforting, and I like to see how the relationships develop, and I like that there are different types of relationships that are explored. Although, this is possibly the slowest developing romance I've ever read, and I'm really impatient for that to finally happen! At least there was just a fraction more between Sarah and Malloy than in the last couple of books or I might have thrown something in frustration. I almost did after the final scene, which was not at all satisfying enough. :)

I like how the side characters are getting more involved, but missed Sarah's strength and involvement in this one. Instead, Maeve becomes a more important character and really takes center stage, and I like the direction it seems to be taking with her. The Pinkerton detectives are another interesting development that I hope the series continues to explore. I've been wondering how this series could stretch on as long as it has, and maybe it has to do with expanding to other characters. I'm still perfectly happy to keep going and find out.

But once Sarah and Malloy get together, it had better be worth the wait - and on the page - or I really will throw something.

The Zig Zag Girl - Elly Griffiths

The Zig Zag Girl by Elly Griffiths
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed the setting of this historical mystery. It's set in the British seaside town of Brighton in post World War II, and the main characters are a policeman and his wartime friend, a performing magician. We get a fascinating glimpse of the variety show world in the times when TV was just about to take over entertainment. That's what really helped to set this apart from other historical mysteries.

I did have my suspicions about the murderer quite early on, but there was plenty of doubt to keep me questioning, so the mystery was satisfying enough.

I always find that it's being able to invest in the characters that really makes a mystery for me, and that was definitely the case here. I found myself growing quite attached to the policeman and his magician friend. Ultimately, I cared what was going to happen to them, and that's what will bring me back to the series again in the future.

Rivals in the City - Y.S. Lee

Rivals in the City by Y.S. Lee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was another enjoyable installment in the series, bringing back some loose ends from the mystery in the first book, and answering some lingering questions about the fate of Mary's father. I'm sad that this is the last one in the series. Why can't we have more of Easton & Quinn? The Agency can still be there, right? I love the dynamic between James and Mary, and would love to read more about their partnership as it evolves.

Sweet Revenge - Andrea Penrose

Sweet Revenge by Andrea Penrose
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a fun Regency historical mystery. Fairly predictable, I still really enjoyed it, and it was a quick read. This is one that I think Regency fans would enjoy, and it's a shame more of them don't know about it. There's not much romance so far, but it looks like that might change in the next book. The Regency flavor is there, though.

I have to say all of the chocolate descriptions and recipes made my mouth water, and may have influenced my rating. Yum. I'm off to eat some truffles.

The Curse of the Pharaohs - Elizabeth Peters

The Curse of the Pharaohs by Elizabeth Peters
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this less than the first book in the series, partly because a lot of it was so similar to that book. An archaeological dig is in peril due to local superstitions about a curse, exacerbated by disappearances, ghostly sightings and deaths. If I hadn't just read the first book last month, I might have liked it better.

I also missed some of the cast from the first book. Walter and Evelyn were absent, and there were no new characters who balanced the intensity of Amelia and Emerson (which is needed, I think) or that I really cared about. There was lots of shouting and arguing, all very humorously, but I wished there was more about the excavation and less of the people. I was actually thankful when Amelia used her parasol on one of the characters!

Now to the mystery. Amelia is sure she knows who is behind all the dead bodies, but we don't get many clues along the way, and don't know what she's thinking until all is revealed. There were enough possible culprits that I really had no idea who it was until the end, but I didn't feel like I had enough information to figure it out, so the mystery was a bit lacking. It was more like a suspense novel with an abundance of 'calm in the face of calamity' and witty conversation along the way.

All that said, I still found Amelia and Emerson entertaining, even if they are a bit over the top. And the 19th Century Egyptian archaeology setting is fun. I think I just need to wait longer between installments so that I don't mind the recycled elements. That, and expect the mystery to be solved for me by mysterious logic and intuition behind the scenes because it's more about Amelia being right than the mystery itself.

Crocodile on the Sandbank

Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Very enjoyable. There's no murder in this historical mystery, just a mummy terrorizing an archaeological site, and Amelia terrorizing everyone else with her parasol in a much more violent fashion than genteel or flirtatious. Feisty isn't quite a strong enough word for Amelia. I thought she was a bit too much at first, but decided I liked her once Evelyn began to have an effect on her. And Emerson - he was just right for a hot-headed archaeologist and as an opponent for Amelia, and I liked how their relationship played out.

There was also more to the mystery than I thought at first, which made this more than just a pleasant bit of fun in Egypt with artifacts laying around everywhere. Although, if you're looking for the kind of mystery that actually gets investigated and solved with clues, this is not that kind of mystery. It's more of a (polite, Victorian-style) adventure with some suspense and then all is revealed. The setting is a big part of the fun, and what makes it different from other Victorian cozy mysteries. Very enjoyable.

Silent in the Grave - Deanna Raybourn

Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Lady Julia Grey series is one of my favorites series ever. It's one of those that jumped out with the first line and grabbed me in: "To say that I met Nicholas Brisbane over my husband’s dead body is not entirely accurate. Edward, it should be noted, was still twitching upon the floor." From that line onward, I was completely besotted with it. I was a bit nervous for this re-read in case it didn't match up. Thankfully, I loved it almost as much the second time around. Knowing the culprit took some of the tension out this time, but being able to revisit the characters more than made up for it.

I've read other books in the Historical Mystery genre since this, which was my "discovery book" for the genre, so I now have a more judgmental eye. I still think the mystery is decent, although the actual investigation is much less of a focus than Julia and her journey from a mouse of a widow into a woman finding out who she is. I am also less tolerant of romance these days, and this was a lot more romance than I remember it being! But as far as romances go, this is a good one, and one I enjoyed re-reading. Seriously, Brisbane is one of my favorite male leads ever.

I'm keeping my rating at 5 stars, in part because this was my first discovery of a genre that now (almost) rivals Fantasy in my affections. It brought me back my love of Victorian times after I had (mostly) exhausted the classics and become tired of re-reading my favorites. The added suspense, romance and wit made it irresistible to me. I've since found a huge cache of books earmarked for my future, all thanks to this one little library find. It goes on the shelf of life-changers in that respect.

I've found that the witty humor is unique to Deanna Raybourn in this genre. I actually chuckled out loud a couple of times before I caught myself. I have read other historical mysteries that feel dry and dark in comparison, even if they are more focused on the mystery than the adventurous spirit of the heroine.

The characters are where Raybourn really shines. I remember all of them as if they are friends, and fully realized people. Even the minor characters. This series has some of my favorites of all time - the mysterious and tempestuous Brisbane, full of barely restrained energy. The intelligent, unconventional, and sometimes idiotic and impulsive Julia. (Sometimes I want to shake her as much as Brisbane must!) Fleur, Portia, Julia's brothers, the gypsies, the raven, the former prostitute turned lady's maid. All add something fresh to the story.

The Victorian setting is lush and filled with atmosphere, and the mystery and suspense, and even the romance, just add more depth and purpose to the story. The small touch of paranormal also sets this apart from many other Victorian mysteries. It's a great combination. I fell for it completely. Twice.

Raybourn earned a place on my favorite authors list through this series the first time around. She maintained her spot as a favorite with the 1920s standalones that she wrote afterwards - she is capable of diversity! And now re-reading this just confirms it. I love her. I can't wait for her new series coming out in the Fall. I'm going to lap it up.


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Original Review 4/23/2012:

I've discovered a new favorite genre! I love the mix of historical fiction, mystery, and little bit of love story. The characters are full, intriguing, mysterious, and witty. The setting is fully realized, the atmosphere intoxicating. The mystery is twisting, convoluted, and absolutely satisfying. Fantastic!

Paragon Walk - Anne Perry

Paragon Walk by Anne Perry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was another good historical mystery from Anne Perry. There was plenty of dirt to uncover in the lives of all the characters, and it kept me guessing all the way through. I was convinced I had it right up until the very end, and I didn't! But everything fit once I knew all the pieces. The ending was just a little abrupt - I could have done with even just a paragraph or two more to wind it down.

The Haunting of Maddy Clare - Simone St. James

The Haunting of Maddy Clare by Simone St. James

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

 

 Once again, a Simone St. James book read in one sitting. My eyes are now blurry (did I forget to blink?), and I am surprised and disappointed to realize that I am back in the real world. A full review may follow at some point, but I loved this, ghost, romance, mystery and all.

Maisie Dobbs - Jacqueline Winspear

Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Maisie Dobbs starts out in the late 1920s, with Maisie just setting up her investigation business. It gets into the first real case, then takes a significant detour into the past to give Maisie’s backstory - I’d say probably half the book shows her childhood up through WWI nursing experiences. So although there’s a mystery, it really felt like a WWI historical novel much of the time, along with the horrors and sadness it left behind. Once Maisie’s character is fully established, it comes back to the original mystery and wraps it up quickly. The story of the past does end up being related to the mystery, so it all ties together in the end.

I found the story absorbing. I really liked Maisie - she’s smart and manages to work her way out of servitude using her brains and her connections. But once WWI comes into her life, the story takes a tragic turn. For some time after finishing it, I felt haunted by it. It was so sad! Usually, this would have stopped me from enjoying it, but the surrounding narrative of Maisie’s life in the 1920s made me feel that this is just the beginning of Maisie’s story. I have hope that she will find her way out of the grief and pain of what’s behind her and be able to forge a new life. I’m guessing that future installments will also focus less on her personal story and more on whatever mysteries she’s investigating.

One thing I found kind of weird is the way that Maisie conducts her investigations. I would have thought her brains would come into it more, but she relies on some sort of sixth sense. For example, she puts herself in the physical position of the person she’s studying, and that allows her to feel what they are feeling. She uses that intuition to help her solve her cases. She also has premonitions and there’s more emphasis on general intuition than facts and clues. I don’t know if this will bother me going forward or not. Her mind is sharp, so I’d like to see her use it as well as her hunches.

For now, I know that her story affected me, and I want to see what’s in store for her.


Original Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this, even though it was really sad in places. Review to come...

Night of a Thousand Stars - Deanna Raybourn

Night of a Thousand Stars by Deanna Raybourn

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Ah, Deanna Raybourn, I love you. Please don't stop writing. And please find a way to come back and write more about Julia and Brisbane. This book made me miss them so much! I want to know more about the Vespiary! There's so much more there, I know it.

Night of a Thousand Stars was yet another enjoyable, light, romantic historical adventure. I enjoyed seeing how Poppy ties in with Julia, and how the mad March legacy continues. But it also made me homesick for the old friends. I still don't want to say goodbye to them for good. And I want more 1920s Middle-Eastern treasure hunts now, too. Everything I read just makes me want more.

So, this one is 4.5 Stars because it didn't quite manage to match up to City of Jasmine. I loved the wedding escape at the beginning - that was hilarious. And Sebastian won me over pretty much instantly before he disappeared. I thought Poppy was really blind and stupid about him at times, but she was also impulsive, smart and stubborn, and I liked her spirit.

The adventure wasn't as adventurous as the one in City of Jasmine, but Poppy isn't an intrepid pilot, and this is her first adventure. So I'm cutting her some slack for not always knowing how to handle it and not always seeing what's going on. And honestly, more treasure would have been nice, too.

It was fun, and I loved it. I want more. Raybourn remains on my list of authors whose books I will actually pre-order - a very short list indeed. I have yet to read a book by her that I didn't love, and I only have one left that I haven't read so far. I'm eagerly anticipating her new Victorian mystery series starting this Fall with A Curious Beginning. I'm sure that I'll end up loving that series too, once I can get my hands on it.

A Study in Scarlet - Arthur Conan Doyle

A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



So I was really liking this, and thinking how well the BBC Sherlock is done, and then right after the reveal we didn't get Holmes' explanation for how he got there. Instead it went off on a huge flashback to America, showing what led up to the crime. I kept wondering if someone had pasted the wrong book into my public domain download! I didn't really care for the detour. Which is probably why I've never seen it in any adaptations.

Review: Sojourn (Updated)

Sojourn by Jana Oliver

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Alternate Victorian historical mystery with time travel and shape shifters, and Jack the Ripper on top. This was exactly my cup of tea. It did start out feeling like a bit of a mish-mash at some points, but I ended up really enjoying it and the whole series. All of these elements came together better and better as the overall story developed, although it might not be apparent yet by the end of the first book.

In this book, there are three mysteries including the Ripper plot. The paranormal and science fiction elements add just a little more flavor to it as well. There's a tiny hint of possible romance to come, but nothing really developed. This is not a historical romance in disguise, for which I was thankful.

I enjoyed the complexity of the plot compared to many time travel novels I've read where the traveler just pops in and out of other times but the main story is in the present. This one really dwells in Victorian London with all its atmosphere and very real danger to a lone woman investigating murders on the streets of London, rousing the suspicion of the law while she's at it. Jacynda can't avoid getting embroiled in events and lives of the time. And she can't be sure if one of her new friends is the killer she's after.

I like how this doesn't avoid the question of how she inevitably changes history just by being there and interacting with people. And then there's the question of who is purposely messing with history from her own time. I also like that the future time period is not our present, but is far in our future as well. It made for two interesting settings, whenever we did see the future.

This was lots of fun - and I liked the sequels even better, as the time travel aspect gets more involved and the implications more complicated later on.



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Review: Rules of Murder

Rules of Murder by Julianna Deering

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



I was able to ignore the gushing faith references and get into sorting out the clues most of the time - until the mystery was solved by prayer. If it wasn't an ebook I would have thrown it.



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Review: Murder on Astor Place

Murder on Astor Place by Victoria Thompson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I've been needing another historical mystery series to add to my bag, and I believe I've found one in the Gaslight Mysteries. Murder on Astor Place is a solid start to a series set in early 20th Century New York. As usual with this type of mystery, getting to know - and liking - the sleuth and their world is the most important part. Here, the amateur sleuth is a midwife, but we discover that Sarah's social background is not cut-and-dry, and the reasons why she became a midwife add a lot of depth to her character. I really liked her. She's tough and stubborn, but is also capable of changing her mind and realizing when she's in the wrong. I'm looking forward to seeing how she progresses in the rest of the series, which by the way is not finished yet.

There's also a grumpy, disillusioned detective that Sarah is forced to work with, and I liked him as a counterpart. Although I didn't actually like him very much to start with, I think he has a lot of potential as another complicated character with room to change. I'm fairly sure he's going to end up being a romantic interest eventually, but it is very subtle so far, and there's a long way to go. There's barely the beginnings of respect without even what could be called friendship at this point. I like that there's room to grow instead of everything being a done deal already.

Although I said the sleuth and the depth of her world is the most important part, obviously the mystery does need to hold together and keep my interest as well. Here, the mystery tied in very closely with getting to know Sarah's background, so the investigation revealed a lot about her while my mind was searching for clues. I ended up being mostly surprised at the solution, and enjoyed discovering all the pieces very much. This is a series I'm definitely looking forward to following.



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Review: A Poisoned Season

A Poisoned Season by Tasha Alexander

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I’ve decided I like Lady Emily after all! Reading the first book, I wasn’t sure - but that was because I couldn’t help comparing her to Lady Julia Grey, my favorite Victorian widow sleuth and my first love of the genre.

But now I’ve had some time without a lot of new Lady Julia material to read, and was able to find some space in my heart for Emily. She’s another heroine who can’t quite live within the strictures of Victorian society, and finds freedom as a widow that she never could have had as a wife - although her scandalous habit of drinking port still makes her rather suspect to many, not to mention her newly discovered love of Ancient Greek and antiquities, and her reluctance to re-marry.

In this second installment of the series, Emily discovers that being a widow is not a complete protection for her reputation now that she's out of mourning. She gets herself into some serious trouble with her social carelessness while investigating a murder. I have to say she won me over by the end, and I enjoyed the mystery as well - I didn't figure out what was going on right away.

As far as the complementary leading male is concerned, I suppose I do like Colin too, even though so far he seems a bit too… good and honorable. Not even a whiff of the rogue on this one, and the only mysterious thing about him is the question of what exactly he does for the government. The fact that he’s most likely a spy does make him a bit interesting, but Lady Julia's Brisbane wins this contest for sure as one of my favorite male leads of all time.

I enjoyed this for the many reasons that I love mysteries set in this time period - the social comedy, the relationships, the mishaps and scandals (or bluestocking tendencies) that shock high society, all mixed in with a bit of a mystery to make it more interesting and add a flare of danger and intrigue. The Lady Julia series is my first love of this genre, but that doesn't mean I can't learn to love others as well. Let's have some more Emily.



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