thunguyen's review against another edition
4.0
The 2nd instalment in Julian Kestrel series, there is a pattern here: an unknown girl found dead in a locked up house. So, again, almost all of the book was about following the loosest leads to find out who the girl was, and of course, some of the leads led to an entirely unrelated mystery, it is our amateur sleuths' job to sieve through all the information and follow the right lead.
Unlike the 1st book, this one doesn't have the same feel of "police procedure" about the murder, there is no extensive discussion of post-mortem report as the dead was cause by poison, there is no establishing alibis for suspects as the dead was deemed a suicide and there was no suspect. Half of the book was told from Sally's, a new character, point of view, it took the time away from Julian but I didn't mind the change as long as the story makes sense. Dipper again played a role in the investigation, and I like the way that his character has a lot of independence in skills and personalities. He has his own wit and adventure, not simply to carry out Julian's order and be in a position to talk to servants (as usually seen in other ladies & gentlemen sleuths books).
Many reviews seem to strongly disagree with the fling between Julian and Sally, but I think it makes sense. In a book heavy with prostitution topics, from the girls' perilous lives, to despicable reforming preachers and charity matrons, to straight out human trafficking, Sally's character adds a drop of sunlight to the story. Her deliberate choice of spending one night with Julian without expecting anything is her own way to express her fierce independence. For Julian's part, this act added another layer of humanity underneath his dandy exterior. If he could send an illustration book to a little lady girl who was a friend from the 1st story "Cut to the quick", and spent time away from his investigation to help a poor peasant girl, and carried his own luggage in the rain while walking with his manservant, why couldn't he fall a little bit in love with a very clever and playful prostitute?
In the end, the mysteries were somewhat predictable, I have an inkling of what they are before the penny dropped for Julian, purely because of the drama effect such answers would bring. All loose ends were explained, and didn't leave us with the feeling of "too many coincidences" like in book 1.
Gonna keep reading the series, after all, there are only 4 books. I hope the 3rd one will be different once again.
Unlike the 1st book, this one doesn't have the same feel of "police procedure" about the murder, there is no extensive discussion of post-mortem report as the dead was cause by poison, there is no establishing alibis for suspects as the dead was deemed a suicide and there was no suspect. Half of the book was told from Sally's, a new character, point of view, it took the time away from Julian but I didn't mind the change as long as the story makes sense. Dipper again played a role in the investigation, and I like the way that his character has a lot of independence in skills and personalities. He has his own wit and adventure, not simply to carry out Julian's order and be in a position to talk to servants (as usually seen in other ladies & gentlemen sleuths books).
Many reviews seem to strongly disagree with the fling between Julian and Sally, but I think it makes sense. In a book heavy with prostitution topics, from the girls' perilous lives, to despicable reforming preachers and charity matrons, to straight out human trafficking, Sally's character adds a drop of sunlight to the story. Her deliberate choice of spending one night with Julian without expecting anything is her own way to express her fierce independence. For Julian's part, this act added another layer of humanity underneath his dandy exterior. If he could send an illustration book to a little lady girl who was a friend from the 1st story "Cut to the quick", and spent time away from his investigation to help a poor peasant girl, and carried his own luggage in the rain while walking with his manservant, why couldn't he fall a little bit in love with a very clever and playful prostitute?
In the end, the mysteries were somewhat predictable, I have an inkling of what they are before the penny dropped for Julian, purely because of the drama effect such answers would bring. All loose ends were explained, and didn't leave us with the feeling of "too many coincidences" like in book 1.
Gonna keep reading the series, after all, there are only 4 books. I hope the 3rd one will be different once again.
ladyhighwayman's review against another edition
4.0
Another gem; I loved it almost as much as Cut to the Quick.
One night, a prostitute name Sally Stokes picks up three separate men. She swipes a handkerchief from each of their pockets in the hope of selling them later. After a bad run-in with John #3, whom she refers to as 'Blinkers', she runs into her brother, who just happens to be manservant to one Mr. Julian Kestrel.
Kestrel discovers a letter hidden in one of the handkerchiefs. Problem is, he's not sure which handkerchief it came from and, of course, there is no name on the letter (that would be just a little too easy, wouldn't it?). The letter is a desperate plead from what is clearly a woman in trouble. The woman is soon tracked down, but there's another problem: she's dead. Her death is written off a suicide, but Kestrel thinks otherwise. With the help of Sally and his manservant Dipper, Kestrel tries to discover who had the letter and what their connection was to the mysterious woman, and more importantly, who was the killer?.
A Broken Vessel was a great fast-paced historical mystery novel. There were so many twists and turns that you're not sure which way is up until the very end. Just when I think I have down the culprit, my mind is soon changed, and I'm suspecting someone else.
So far, this is a strong series and hopefully it'll just get better.
One night, a prostitute name Sally Stokes picks up three separate men. She swipes a handkerchief from each of their pockets in the hope of selling them later. After a bad run-in with John #3, whom she refers to as 'Blinkers', she runs into her brother, who just happens to be manservant to one Mr. Julian Kestrel.
Kestrel discovers a letter hidden in one of the handkerchiefs. Problem is, he's not sure which handkerchief it came from and, of course, there is no name on the letter (that would be just a little too easy, wouldn't it?). The letter is a desperate plead from what is clearly a woman in trouble. The woman is soon tracked down, but there's another problem: she's dead. Her death is written off a suicide, but Kestrel thinks otherwise. With the help of Sally and his manservant Dipper, Kestrel tries to discover who had the letter and what their connection was to the mysterious woman, and more importantly, who was the killer?.
A Broken Vessel was a great fast-paced historical mystery novel. There were so many twists and turns that you're not sure which way is up until the very end. Just when I think I have down the culprit, my mind is soon changed, and I'm suspecting someone else.
So far, this is a strong series and hopefully it'll just get better.
comeintothegraveyardmary's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
jessalynn_librarian's review against another edition
4.0
A fantastic follow-up to [b:Cut to the Quick|351385|Cut to the Quick (Julian Kestrel Mysteries, #1)|Kate Ross|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223675280s/351385.jpg|742856], with a very different mystery and setting, but even more of the inimitable Julian Kestrel. Julian's getting more into the swing of things, as a detective, and now he's on his own turf in Regency London. He is thrown out of his element a bit by the introduction of Dipper's sister, Sally, who brings a crime his way and provides him with an often hilarious counterpart. I'm curious to see how Sally figures into the later books, but I'm trying not to gobble them down too quickly because there are only four. Definitely read Cut to the Quick first, if this blend of historical fiction, mystery, and sharp-witted characters sounds appealing.
faintingviolet's review against another edition
3.0
While not as intriguing as the first Julian Kestrel novel this one was worth the time.
http://faintingviolet.wordpress.com/2012/10/11/a-broken-vessel-cbr4-40/
http://faintingviolet.wordpress.com/2012/10/11/a-broken-vessel-cbr4-40/
cmcahill's review against another edition
4.0
Reread in May 2014
After Sherlock Holmes (Conan Doyle) and Laurie King, these books are my favorite comfort read.
After Sherlock Holmes (Conan Doyle) and Laurie King, these books are my favorite comfort read.
bev_reads_mysteries's review against another edition
4.0
Regency dandy Julian Kestrel is brought into a second mystery--this time by the sister of his valet, Thomas "Dipper" Stokes. Sally Stokes is a girl on the game, has been ever since their parents died and she and Dipper got separated. Dipper (his name from his pickpocketing ways) was rescued from a life of thieving when he lifted Kestrel's "ticker" and rather than prosecute the lad for taking his watch the gentry-cove decided to hire him as a servant.
When Sally has a busy night with three gents she names "Blinkers," "Bristles," and "Blue Eyes," she does what she always does--lifts a handkerchief as a bit of remembrance (the money the hankies bring in is even better for remembering...). Blinkers turns out to be a bit rough and leaves Sally bruised and battered after their encounter. Fortunately, she runs into her brother when she's back out on the street and he takes her home so he can have a doctor check her over. He doesn't expect his master to be at home, but Julian surprises them both and takes an interest in Sally's welfare. He also returns her property to her...the hankies and the money she had stored in her petticoat pocket had managed to fall out. But when he also hands her a letter found among the handkerchiefs, she claims no knowledge of it. It must have been caught up in the hankie when she lifted it.
But which one? That becomes an important question because when the letter is read it's obvious that there's an urgent mystery to be solved. The letter is unsigned but clearly the woman who wrote it is in great distress. Sally tells Julian everything she can remember about the three men and he soon identifies one of them. Other clues lead him to the Rev. Gideon Harcourt's Reclamation Society--a "shelter" for fallen women. Sally volunteers to go undercover as a fallen woman looking to be saved, but they are too late. The author of the letter is found dead the very morning Sally presents herself to be reclaimed. What was to be a rescue mission is now a murder inquiry, but there are other mysteries surrounding the three men and the Society and Julian will need to sift the clues carefully to find killer.
I first read the Kate Ross books back in the 90s when they first came out and enjoyed them thoroughly. It has been very nice to revisit these books to see if they still stand up after about thirty years. And they do. The research is impeccable and Ross uses the lingo of the Regency period with ease. She also uses the phrases in such a way that the reader can easily determine what is meant from context and can be very comfortable with the language.
This outing gave us a fiercely independent young woman in Sally who helps the investigation in very definite ways that neither Julian nor Dipper could accomplish. She makes an excellent addition to the team of detectives and it isn't just Julian and Dipper who are sad to see her go at the end of the story. But she's used to being on her own and doing as she pleases and it's obvious she can't be tied down in one place for long.
The mystery itself is interesting and complex with a couple of side issues to muddy the waters nicely. One has to figure out which of the threads lead to the main issue (the woman who wrote the letter and later died) and which don't. Nicely done.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting portions of review. Thanks.
When Sally has a busy night with three gents she names "Blinkers," "Bristles," and "Blue Eyes," she does what she always does--lifts a handkerchief as a bit of remembrance (the money the hankies bring in is even better for remembering...). Blinkers turns out to be a bit rough and leaves Sally bruised and battered after their encounter. Fortunately, she runs into her brother when she's back out on the street and he takes her home so he can have a doctor check her over. He doesn't expect his master to be at home, but Julian surprises them both and takes an interest in Sally's welfare. He also returns her property to her...the hankies and the money she had stored in her petticoat pocket had managed to fall out. But when he also hands her a letter found among the handkerchiefs, she claims no knowledge of it. It must have been caught up in the hankie when she lifted it.
But which one? That becomes an important question because when the letter is read it's obvious that there's an urgent mystery to be solved. The letter is unsigned but clearly the woman who wrote it is in great distress. Sally tells Julian everything she can remember about the three men and he soon identifies one of them. Other clues lead him to the Rev. Gideon Harcourt's Reclamation Society--a "shelter" for fallen women. Sally volunteers to go undercover as a fallen woman looking to be saved, but they are too late. The author of the letter is found dead the very morning Sally presents herself to be reclaimed. What was to be a rescue mission is now a murder inquiry, but there are other mysteries surrounding the three men and the Society and Julian will need to sift the clues carefully to find killer.
I first read the Kate Ross books back in the 90s when they first came out and enjoyed them thoroughly. It has been very nice to revisit these books to see if they still stand up after about thirty years. And they do. The research is impeccable and Ross uses the lingo of the Regency period with ease. She also uses the phrases in such a way that the reader can easily determine what is meant from context and can be very comfortable with the language.
This outing gave us a fiercely independent young woman in Sally who helps the investigation in very definite ways that neither Julian nor Dipper could accomplish. She makes an excellent addition to the team of detectives and it isn't just Julian and Dipper who are sad to see her go at the end of the story. But she's used to being on her own and doing as she pleases and it's obvious she can't be tied down in one place for long.
The mystery itself is interesting and complex with a couple of side issues to muddy the waters nicely. One has to figure out which of the threads lead to the main issue (the woman who wrote the letter and later died) and which don't. Nicely done.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting portions of review. Thanks.
teaandbooklover's review
2.0
I read this after I read the third in the series, and after reading reviews, I find that the third is thought of as Ms. Ross' best book.
Here the main character was not Julian but Sally, his man-servants prostitute sister. I cannot stand her accent with SO many phrases and words that I eventually tired of looking them all up! I always read with a dictionary by my side but I've never read a book with this stunted dialogue all the way through. It was very annoying and not necessary! How long did the author spend looking up all these phrases and words that no one has heard of nowadays?
This was just too far different from the best book in the series that it was highly disappointing. I also did not see why she put Julian with Sally. Ridiculous.
Here the main character was not Julian but Sally, his man-servants prostitute sister. I cannot stand her accent with SO many phrases and words that I eventually tired of looking them all up! I always read with a dictionary by my side but I've never read a book with this stunted dialogue all the way through. It was very annoying and not necessary! How long did the author spend looking up all these phrases and words that no one has heard of nowadays?
This was just too far different from the best book in the series that it was highly disappointing. I also did not see why she put Julian with Sally. Ridiculous.
tlsouthard's review against another edition
4.0
Just as good as the first. Sally, Dipper's sister,is a wonderful character. I hope she appears again later.
jmeston's review against another edition
2.0
I dearly needed a novel and this filled the bill. But lordy, what an anachronistic bundle of romance among the Dickensian grime. The dialogue is handled well. But the characters in this strictly proscribed historical social setting seem to have very little awareness of class or morality.