sashadane's review
4.0
Beautifully structured murder mystery, full of tension and clues. There were moments when the translation felt a little clunky but there were also moments where it felt joyously imaginative.
claudia_is_reading's review
4.0
I really enjoyed this story set in Cannes in 1884. The story is narrated by Gabriella Fletcher, a down-in-her-luck English aristocrat who, after being dismissed from her previous employment to avoid scandal when suspicion fell on hers and her mistress' behaviour, finds herself applying for a position at Lola Deslys' house. She couldn't imagine the turn that this would give to her life.
Because Lola is a 'woman of ill-repute' she's not worried by Gabriella's lack of references and both women decide to take a chance with each other. But soon, Lola finds herself in danger of being evicted from her house, Guy de Maupassant shows up, and Lola and Guy find the body of an old friend of Lola, a chambermaid from Lola's hometown.
From then on, Lola and Guy embark on a quest to uncover what really happened to the girl.
The story is playful and deals with the awful situation of women at that times, and it's an interesting first book. The ending was a bit... theatrical? with very black-and-white villains but I nevertheless enjoyed it and will be reading the next story ASAP.
Because Lola is a 'woman of ill-repute' she's not worried by Gabriella's lack of references and both women decide to take a chance with each other. But soon, Lola finds herself in danger of being evicted from her house, Guy de Maupassant shows up, and Lola and Guy find the body of an old friend of Lola, a chambermaid from Lola's hometown.
From then on, Lola and Guy embark on a quest to uncover what really happened to the girl.
The story is playful and deals with the awful situation of women at that times, and it's an interesting first book. The ending was a bit... theatrical? with very black-and-white villains but I nevertheless enjoyed it and will be reading the next story ASAP.
mechbutterfly's review against another edition
2.0
I received an ARC via NetGalley, thank you! All opinions are my own.
The Crumpled Letter is a historical mystery, set in Cannes 1884 - where a chambermaid of a hotel is murdered and discovered by a courtesan, Lola. Lola seeks help to solve this murder from Miss Gabrielle Fletcher, a currently disgraced governess.
I like historical fiction mixed with mystery, especially if the characters are from "downstairs". The setting was rather lovely, but sadly I couldn't make myself care for the characters. Overall, an "okay" read.
The Crumpled Letter is a historical mystery, set in Cannes 1884 - where a chambermaid of a hotel is murdered and discovered by a courtesan, Lola. Lola seeks help to solve this murder from Miss Gabrielle Fletcher, a currently disgraced governess.
I like historical fiction mixed with mystery, especially if the characters are from "downstairs". The setting was rather lovely, but sadly I couldn't make myself care for the characters. Overall, an "okay" read.
vsbedford's review against another edition
2.0
This cover really writes a check that the book struggles to cash - it feels stiff and a bit jerky, but that may be a function of the translation?, and I definitely had to pull myself along to reach the end. Perhaps the series improves, but as an introduction this doesn't do as much as it could to hook the reader.
vsbedford's review
2.0
This cover really writes a check that the book struggles to cash - it feels stiff and a bit jerky, but that may be a function of the translation?, and I definitely had to pull myself along to reach the end. Perhaps the series improves, but as an introduction this doesn't do as much as it could to hook the reader.
I received an ecopy from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received an ecopy from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
kristenwestfall's review
2.0
Hard to tell if the issues I had with this book are due to the writing, the narration, or the translation. I was into the concept, but the execution never gelled for me.
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