Reviews

Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn

bbckprpl's review

4.0

Rereading this series, because I finally got the last two books. Like it more on the reread: Lady Julia Grey is pretty kick-ass.

cold_cupcake's review against another edition

mysterious

4.0

ms_morri1's review

3.0

I think for me, the book felt a little too much like a romance novel than a mystery series with a romance in it. I think at the heart of my reason for not being as into this series as I am with the Veronica Speedwell series is that I’m not particularly fond of the main characters. For me, it was the side character that kept me going through this series, Julia’s sister, father, and brother. But, at the heart of it, I just don’t really like Brisbane. I just don’t know if I feel like his lifestyle really justifies the way he acts towards Julia. I understand that she’s very naive, but even so I find it a bit hard to excuse his treatment of her.
Also, the mystery wasn’t as compelling for me as some of Raybourns other stories. Not bad, it was just fairly easy for me to guess the outcome.

wyvernfriend's review

4.0

The opening lines amused me, "To say that I met Micholas Brisbane over my husband's dead body is not entirely accurate. Edward, it should be noted, was still twitching on the floor." and drew me in. Lady Julia Grey loses her husband at the beginning of the book and disbelieves Nicholas Brisbane when he suggests that in fact the death wasn't natural. It isn't until a year later that she finds clues to suggest that maybe things aren't as they seem and she joins forces with Brisbane to hunt for clues.

I found it quite an interesting read, enjoyed the characters and the interaction, while there were some slightly "modern" moments it really didn't jar too much for me.

I also loved the Lady Julia Drop Caps designed by Juliana Kolesova.

jba0930's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Not the ending I thought it would be, but so amazing.

winemakerssister's review against another edition

4.0

A charming Victorian mystery with interesting, complicated MCs and a wealth of quirky secondary family members. Moving on to volume 2 right away!

Cover: Lovely!
Narrator: I really like her
Hogwarts Sorting Hat: Nicholas is a Slytherin with strong Ravenclaw tendencies. I'm going to withhold sorting Julia until I've read more. She grew and changed so much in this book, that I'm just not sure if she's completely come into her own personality yet. She was definitely a Hufflepuff while married, but that was more about being under her husband's thumb than actually being a Hufflepuff.

Themes: late Victorian era, quirky family, syphillis, Roma, murder

jesscerre's review

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

callins23's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious

4.5

pho_en1x's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

celiapowell's review

3.0

I really enjoyed this Victorian mystery - I realised part way through, when Lady Julia's heart started pounding whenever the mysterious Nicholas Brisbane turns up, that it has a bit of a romance flavour as well. After Lady Julia's husband dies, she begins to investigate the circumstances of his death. She moves a little too quickly from conventional mousy wife to brazen widow with no concern for her reputation (and I don't think she's a particularly realistic Victorian woman, really) - but I liked the characters, and the quick witty writing style. There's no resolution to our romantic subplot, so I'll definitely be reading the next books in the series to see what Lady Julia gets up to next. Oh, and the author's blog is here.