claudia_is_reading's review against another edition
4.0
A truly great book. The portrait of the era is wonderfully done, the characters are lively and interesting, and the mystery engaging and the end surprised me.
And even if this belongs to a series, it can be perfectly read as a stand-alone. I did, and I didn't feel that there was something amiss or missing.
The narration was superb.
And even if this belongs to a series, it can be perfectly read as a stand-alone. I did, and I didn't feel that there was something amiss or missing.
The narration was superb.
prof_shoff's review against another edition
3.0
This is a somewhat complex story, with lots of little twists and turns leading down nonessential paths. Quietly interesting.
sk888888's review against another edition
2.0
Read for book club. Skimmed a lot (while crime & mysteries are definitely my favorite 'reads' I just could not get into this one. The last two chapters were, finally, interesting.
gawronma's review against another edition
3.0
First I think 3 and a half stars would be a more accurate rating. I truly enjoyed it. The book felt like a nice mix of mystery, horror and suspence. At times it felt like I was reading an old movie serial from the 30's. A really enjoyable read.
aisforargon's review against another edition
4.0
One-sentence synopsis: Becker is a detective that investigates people's mental standing for a lawyer; he is summoned to investigate an author and becomes entrenched in a mystery that involves the murder of two children.
I thought the premise for the book was really well done, it's nice to have a backstory more interesting than a generic 'private detective' take. Becker himself is kind of flat, though. I thought the 'what actually happened in that trek through the jungle' subplot was also interesting, and found myself captivated by both the journal entries and narration by various members of the party.
Towards the end, though, I found myself a little disappointed about the ending. I'm glad it didn't completely boil down to 'Sir Owain was nuts', but the Big Bad seemed to come out of nowhere and it didn't quite sit right with me. However, it was still great to get through.
I thought the premise for the book was really well done, it's nice to have a backstory more interesting than a generic 'private detective' take. Becker himself is kind of flat, though. I thought the 'what actually happened in that trek through the jungle' subplot was also interesting, and found myself captivated by both the journal entries and narration by various members of the party.
Towards the end, though, I found myself a little disappointed about the ending. I'm glad it didn't completely boil down to 'Sir Owain was nuts', but the Big Bad seemed to come out of nowhere and it didn't quite sit right with me. However, it was still great to get through.
beckylej's review against another edition
4.0
Sir Owain Lancaster's account of his expedition to South America has left many questioning the man's sanity. The entire team of explorers and Lancaster's own wife and son were killed. No one is left to back up Lancaster's tale of strange and murderous creatures.
Sebastian Becker's job is to investigate Lancaster's state of mind. But when he arrives in Arnmouth, another crime has just occurred -- two girls have been brutalized and murdered on Lancaster's estate. Could Lancaster be behind the murders?
The premise of this mystery is really unique -- Becker is a former Pinkerton who now works as an investigator for an asylum. The historical setting makes it that much more fantastic.
Sebastian Becker's job is to investigate Lancaster's state of mind. But when he arrives in Arnmouth, another crime has just occurred -- two girls have been brutalized and murdered on Lancaster's estate. Could Lancaster be behind the murders?
The premise of this mystery is really unique -- Becker is a former Pinkerton who now works as an investigator for an asylum. The historical setting makes it that much more fantastic.
aditurbo's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed reading this book and liked the detective character in its center, but it was a little meh. The story was a little too far-fetched, and so were some of the plot twists. Important characters were killed off without anyone else losing step or practically noticing. The psychological side was somewhat superficial, too. Not sure I would make too much effort to read any sequels if they come.
vesper1931's review against another edition
4.0
1912 England and Sebastian Becker is employed by the Lord Chancellor's Visitor in Lunacy as an investigator, to determine the mental state of any wealthly person who might be considered insane. His latest employment takes him to Arnmouth to investigate Sir Owain Lancaster, but events interfere.
An easy-to-read, well-written mystery with some interesting characters.
An easy-to-read, well-written mystery with some interesting characters.
krisrid's review against another edition
1.0
This sounded interesting, but it did not hold my interest at all and I did not finish it.
The story started out fairly well, but it wandered off into disjointed rambling, with side-bits that felt like they had nothing to do with the main plot. Maybe they did, and would have become clear eventually, but it really felt confusing to me, and distracted me, which lost my attention.
I knew by Chapter 10 that this just wasn't going to work for me.
The story started out fairly well, but it wandered off into disjointed rambling, with side-bits that felt like they had nothing to do with the main plot. Maybe they did, and would have become clear eventually, but it really felt confusing to me, and distracted me, which lost my attention.
I knew by Chapter 10 that this just wasn't going to work for me.