vivid_emma's review
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
book_dragon88's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
josalynmcallister's review
3.0
I always enjoy Bebris' Darcy mysteries. She does a great job staying to true to the characters that Austen wrote. However in this one I was disappointed that Frank Churchill did not end up being the murder. That would have been epic. lol.
murderbydeath's review
4.0
I actually think of this as a 3.5 star read, but I'm giving it 4 stars here because I'm not sure it's the books, or the author's fault.
This book's plot centers around Highbury and the characters from Jane Austen's Emma, one of the few remaining Austen books I haven't yet read. I think this hindered me with this story, as I had a terrible time keeping the characters and which estates they belonged to, straight in my mind while reading. More than once I had to go back to previous chapters to remind myself "who was this person??". This was more pronounced due to the author's choice of opening the book from the perspective of Emma, before the Darcy's arrive on scene.
Once I finally got most of the characters straight in my mind, I really enjoyed the mystery - it was delightfully convoluted with more than a few likely suspects. Unfortunately the murderer stuck out a bit like a sore thumb for me, but it in no way detracted from my enjoyment of the unfolding mystery and clues. I really enjoyed the incorporation of word puzzles too, as I felt like I could "play along" more actively in solving the clues.
An enjoyable series and The Intrigue at Highbury isn't the worst or the best book of the bunch, but one I'd probably read again - after I read Emma.
This book's plot centers around Highbury and the characters from Jane Austen's Emma, one of the few remaining Austen books I haven't yet read. I think this hindered me with this story, as I had a terrible time keeping the characters and which estates they belonged to, straight in my mind while reading. More than once I had to go back to previous chapters to remind myself "who was this person??". This was more pronounced due to the author's choice of opening the book from the perspective of Emma, before the Darcy's arrive on scene.
Once I finally got most of the characters straight in my mind, I really enjoyed the mystery - it was delightfully convoluted with more than a few likely suspects. Unfortunately the murderer stuck out a bit like a sore thumb for me, but it in no way detracted from my enjoyment of the unfolding mystery and clues. I really enjoyed the incorporation of word puzzles too, as I felt like I could "play along" more actively in solving the clues.
An enjoyable series and The Intrigue at Highbury isn't the worst or the best book of the bunch, but one I'd probably read again - after I read Emma.
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