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maedchen
Posted May 16, 2011
A well-written and entertaining Victorian Who-dun-it. Drucilla is a engaging character with enough wit and charm to hold her own in a time that too often thought of women as disposable.
I would have liked to have seen the aunt have more of a role, she seemed to be a character that was thrown in at the last moment as Drucilla needed a chaperone for traveling.
Like other reviewers, I would agree that there is plenty of plot and characters to support a much longer book. The author has a wonderful writing style that draws the reader in and holds their attention throughout the story. Very well-written and entertaining!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted May 11, 2011
Loved Drucilla, her spunk and back and forth with Aunt Bridget were very engaging. Would have loved this book to have been 200 pages longer and hope that the author will continue writing with this character.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted September 6, 2011
I want to start by saying this had a lot of potential but I think because of the length of the book (125 pgs) it was a bit rushed. The novel began at a normal pace building up the characters, providing a bit of a back story, and a good intro but it felt like the author got to half way and decided she just wanted to jump to the end and so she did.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.READER1LS
Posted May 9, 2011
Love it, very well written and worth your time to read.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.LMcCullough
Posted March 29, 2011
Drucilla Winterbourne (love that name) knows something is off with her newly married friend Celeste. Her friend's letters have become increasingly strange and Drucilla is determined to travel to Cornwall to the little village of Morcastle to find out what's going on. She has to drag her crazy old cat-obsessed auntie with her as a companion but she makes the trip only to find out that her friend has been murdered.
I love the lush descriptions of the setting which gave the story an almost gothic tone. The people Drucilla meets are all suspicious in their own way so I wasn't sure who to suspect as the killer. From Celeste's not-even-pretending-to-be-grieving husband, Lord Absalom, to his strangely cheerful brother Southorn (he was creepily interested in befriending Drucilla), to the super b*tchy housekeeper Mrs. Portillo.
There are some serious family undercurrent swirling around Blackridge House and the ending was NOT what I was expecting, that's for sure. This is a novella so things are wrapped up pretty quickly but it was the perfect length for me to read before bed.
I hope there's a second installment because I really liked Drucilla. She was plucky enough to be fun but not in a way that's unrealistic for the time period. Hopefully she'll solve some crimes when she gets back home to London too!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.A hybrid of Victorian Romance and a cozy murder mystery series - I hesitate to dub this neo-Gothic romance because of the lack of foreshadowing. The writing itself is fine but the story lacks substance. Clues are thinly veiled and I'd like to know more about the characters, especially the main character Drucilla.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review.
LostLenoreLL
Posted December 27, 2012
I loved it!
Brilliant plot, very clever writing and a perfect replica of a victorian novel. The aura of darkness that surround the characters as well as the construction of the story leads us to a perfect ending.
Anonymous
Posted May 13, 2011
I have mixed feelings about this little historical mystery novella. I didn't dislike it, but it didn't grab me either, so I'm sticking to a firm "It was OK." I don't want my time back, but I don't know if I would read more in this series.
What I liked:
I thought Drucilla had potential, even though due to the length of the book we don't really get to know too much about her. I liked her enough that I wanted to know more.
I loved the idea of it - Victorian heroines solving mysteries. Very fun!
It was technically well-written.
What didn't quite work for me:
I'm not much of a mystery reader, and yet I guessed the villain from the moment he was introduced.
Although the villain's motive is explained at the end, it didn't make sense to me. Unfortunately the only way to explain what didn't make sense to me is a bit spoilery, so I won't go into details here.
It was too short to do the story justice in mind. Had the backgrounds of all the characters and the events leading up to the murder been more fleshed out, I think the story overall might have made more sense and been a more satisfying read.
Conclusion:
Although this book wasn't really my cup of tea, if you're looking for a quick, light historical mystery read of an hour or two, you may just enjoy this novella.
Note: I received this as a free review copy from the author
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted May 10, 2011
There is more than enough concepts, ideas and characters to make this novella length book into a full-length novel. The characters and plot are weak but could be strengthened with more vigorous writing and depth. Writer has promise though, there are sections that are very nicely done. Overall, this was predictable.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted April 28, 2011
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Posted May 29, 2012
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Posted January 14, 2012
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Posted January 17, 2012
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Posted January 24, 2012
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Posted November 7, 2011
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Posted April 24, 2011
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Posted November 25, 2011
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Overview
When her holiday on the coast of Cornwall takes a deadly turn, it is up to Drucilla Winterbourne to uncover the dangerous secrets the inhabitants of Blackridge House will do anything to conceal. But can a ...