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pukinguprainbows's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
sarah_moynihan's review against another edition
4.0
'While in Bath preparing for her upcoming marriage to Lord Darkefell, Lady Anne learns of a profoundly accurate mystic working in town whose uncanny predictions have stunned the gullible and the skeptical alike. Certain there’s a harmless rational explanation for the medium’s supposed otherworldly abilities, Anne’s tolerance turns to defiance when the seer’s dark pronouncements begin having a decidedly harmful affect on her friends—and a troubled local vicar takes his own life.
Convinced that the woman is orchestrating a devious scheme, Anne begins to suspect that she’s working in league with a shrewd newcomer who’s attached himself to many of the town’s wealthy widowers. As she navigates the swirling rumors of Bath society to confirm her suspicions and unmask the charlatans for what they are, she discovers that the treacherous conspirators are plotting to make her own future very dark—and very short-lived . . .'
_______________________________
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 stars.
Lady Anne and the Menacing Mystic is the fourth book in Victoria Hamilton's Lady Anne Addison Mysteries series and is a historical gothic mystery set in Georgian England.
I read the first three books in this series early last year and fell in love with this series which always deliver on having some form of paranormal scheme in the plot. I had NO idea that the author was continuing this series and had assumed it was only intended to be trilogy, therefore I was over the moon when I saw Lady Anne and the Menacing Mystic while browsing through titles on NetGalley. I will also be purchasing my own physical copy of the book to reread the series at some point.
There was a simmering tension throughout the book as Anne gradually works to unravel the mystery, but there was a bit of a lag in the middle. A good portion of the book is Anne accumulating information through simply gossiping and conversing with a great many people, which is what dragged on for me a bit. Everything really starts to come together very close to the end of the book, t which everything falls into place quite rapidly. The shot of danger really seemed to bring the book together for me and increased my enjoyment of the plot.
Anne and Darkefell were quite the team in the previous books and so I wish we had been able to see more of Darkefell, although his entrance to the book was quite amusing. Lady Anne and the Menacing Mystic has not been my favorite from the series, as I found that it was clear where things were headed for much of the book, but getting there was quite drawn out. So I knew quite early on who our villians were, but still quite enjoyed reading it and look forward to reading more mysteries with Lady Anne, hopefully soon.
I recommend Lady Anne and the Menacing Mystic and the series as a whole to anyone who enjoys historical mysteries. I would recommend reading the books in this series in order as many characters from this book were introduced in previous books, although it isn't strictly necessary to do so if you're simply looking for a mystery to read.
_____
I would like to thank NetGalley and Beyond the Page Publishing for sharing an eARC of Lady Anne and the Menacing Mystic by Victoria Hamilton with me. This is my honest review.
Convinced that the woman is orchestrating a devious scheme, Anne begins to suspect that she’s working in league with a shrewd newcomer who’s attached himself to many of the town’s wealthy widowers. As she navigates the swirling rumors of Bath society to confirm her suspicions and unmask the charlatans for what they are, she discovers that the treacherous conspirators are plotting to make her own future very dark—and very short-lived . . .'
_______________________________
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 stars.
Lady Anne and the Menacing Mystic is the fourth book in Victoria Hamilton's Lady Anne Addison Mysteries series and is a historical gothic mystery set in Georgian England.
I read the first three books in this series early last year and fell in love with this series which always deliver on having some form of paranormal scheme in the plot. I had NO idea that the author was continuing this series and had assumed it was only intended to be trilogy, therefore I was over the moon when I saw Lady Anne and the Menacing Mystic while browsing through titles on NetGalley. I will also be purchasing my own physical copy of the book to reread the series at some point.
There was a simmering tension throughout the book as Anne gradually works to unravel the mystery, but there was a bit of a lag in the middle. A good portion of the book is Anne accumulating information through simply gossiping and conversing with a great many people, which is what dragged on for me a bit. Everything really starts to come together very close to the end of the book, t which everything falls into place quite rapidly. The shot of danger really seemed to bring the book together for me and increased my enjoyment of the plot.
Anne and Darkefell were quite the team in the previous books and so I wish we had been able to see more of Darkefell, although his entrance to the book was quite amusing. Lady Anne and the Menacing Mystic has not been my favorite from the series, as I found that it was clear where things were headed for much of the book, but getting there was quite drawn out. So I knew quite early on who our villians were, but still quite enjoyed reading it and look forward to reading more mysteries with Lady Anne, hopefully soon.
I recommend Lady Anne and the Menacing Mystic and the series as a whole to anyone who enjoys historical mysteries. I would recommend reading the books in this series in order as many characters from this book were introduced in previous books, although it isn't strictly necessary to do so if you're simply looking for a mystery to read.
_____
I would like to thank NetGalley and Beyond the Page Publishing for sharing an eARC of Lady Anne and the Menacing Mystic by Victoria Hamilton with me. This is my honest review.
bookfortbuilder's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
shai3d's review
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
arthistorygirl's review against another edition
5.0
This is the fourth book in this fun series. Lady Anne is in her element visiting family and staying up with the local social activities. What could the menacing mystic be up to in this small town? Again I enjoyed this book in the series and look forward to more books featuring Lady Anne.
annarella's review against another edition
3.0
Even if I love this series I found this instalment too slow and it didn't keep my attention.
Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
vesper1931's review against another edition
3.0
1786 Lady Anne Addison is staying in Bath where she is staying with her mother. She becomes aware of a medium who is the talk of Bath and visits her with a couple of friends. Not believing in the mystical she is suspicious of the woman. Then unfortunately a death occurs.
I have enjoyed the previous books in the series, but I found Lady Anne this time to be too unfeeling, and irritating. A very slow paced story and not enough of a mystery for me.
ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I have enjoyed the previous books in the series, but I found Lady Anne this time to be too unfeeling, and irritating. A very slow paced story and not enough of a mystery for me.
ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
nicfigmentfan8's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
3.5
jillmlong's review against another edition
2.0
This is my first book in the Lady Anne Addison Mysteries and I enjoyed it. I was quickly able to get into it without reading the previous books. I loved that the setting was Bath. The author does a great job describing it. I didn't like how outspoken Lady Anne was. I felt this was not historical accurate.
foxwoodpress's review against another edition
3.0
This is my first foray into the Lady Anne Addison Mysteries, and as the fourth installment, Lady Anne and the Menacing Mystic was still easy to get into without having read the previous three books. There was a little bit of a learning curve as I was introduced to a whole cast of new (to me) characters that I assume make their first appearances in earlier books, but I was able to catch on pretty quickly thanks to the repetition of character description (fairly common in mystery series, as readers are often waiting a year or so between books and usually we need a reminder unless we have the chance to binge read an older series).
This is a Georgian era mystery novel that appears to be set around the 1790s (based on historical details of the “rebellion in the colonies” and other dress descriptions, I can’t recall seeing a date anywhere but that may because of the formatting of the eARC). Lady Anne is in Bath with her mother and grandmother, preparing for the announcement of her engagement to Lord Darkefell. Anne is an independent woman ahead of her time, and she hesitates to announce her engagement and to officially consign herself as wife and property to her husband.
As she irritates her family with her hesitancy to formally announce her engagement, she spends her time meeting with old friends in Bath, including her fiance’s brother and his wife. The town is buzzing with talk of a talented psychic making startling accurate predictions. Skeptical, but curious, Anne goes to see her with some friends and is quickly irritated when the psychic’s words hit a little too close to home. Things soon turn ominous when the mystic turns her attention to Anne’s friend, and predicts a dire outcome for a mutual friend that unfortunately comes to pass. Anne has to uncover many secrets, some that involve her close friends, in order to solve the death of a young man. Yet Anne may have finally gotten in over her head as she uncovers a scheme that throws her in the path of conspirators and a murderer...
Anne is the daughter of an Earl and a woman of means, which allows her to get away with some behavior that is a bit scandalous. Anne is a woman ahead of her times and sometimes her effort to treat members of the household staff and working class people as her peers can come off as patronizing. I’m not concerned with historical accuracy so much, however, I find it extremely unlikely that a lady would gossip about her own mother to a seamstress regardless of how close their relationship is. There are times when Anne demands that her rank and the social customs that come with it be observed, and then other times when she flouts these conventions as suits. Overall this doesn’t hinder the story, but occasionally it’s grating for the lover of historical fiction.
Anne is maybe not as likeable as Rhys Bowen’s Molly Murphy, however, I do think that she is a more fleshed out, realistic character. She certainly has flaws, and even though her friends occasionally point them out, she has a hard time accepting it. You can’t have a woman growing up to wealth and privilege without her being a little bit of a pill. She’s not my favorite sleuth, but I am looking forward to going back to the previous books and reading them to learn more about her character and her earlier entanglements with the tall, dark, and handsome Lord Darkefell. Overall the sleuthing was really interesting and Hamilton gives you enough details to keep you guessing about what you think is going on without necessarily giving away the whole plot (not that I’m really one to talk, because I am terrible at guessing “whodunnit” in general).
Lady Anne and the Menacing Mystic by Victoria Hamilton, published July 7, 2020 by Beyond the Page Publishing. My copy was given to me as an eARC through NetGalley and Beyond the Page Publishing.
This is a Georgian era mystery novel that appears to be set around the 1790s (based on historical details of the “rebellion in the colonies” and other dress descriptions, I can’t recall seeing a date anywhere but that may because of the formatting of the eARC). Lady Anne is in Bath with her mother and grandmother, preparing for the announcement of her engagement to Lord Darkefell. Anne is an independent woman ahead of her time, and she hesitates to announce her engagement and to officially consign herself as wife and property to her husband.
As she irritates her family with her hesitancy to formally announce her engagement, she spends her time meeting with old friends in Bath, including her fiance’s brother and his wife. The town is buzzing with talk of a talented psychic making startling accurate predictions. Skeptical, but curious, Anne goes to see her with some friends and is quickly irritated when the psychic’s words hit a little too close to home. Things soon turn ominous when the mystic turns her attention to Anne’s friend, and predicts a dire outcome for a mutual friend that unfortunately comes to pass. Anne has to uncover many secrets, some that involve her close friends, in order to solve the death of a young man. Yet Anne may have finally gotten in over her head as she uncovers a scheme that throws her in the path of conspirators and a murderer...
Anne is the daughter of an Earl and a woman of means, which allows her to get away with some behavior that is a bit scandalous. Anne is a woman ahead of her times and sometimes her effort to treat members of the household staff and working class people as her peers can come off as patronizing. I’m not concerned with historical accuracy so much, however, I find it extremely unlikely that a lady would gossip about her own mother to a seamstress regardless of how close their relationship is. There are times when Anne demands that her rank and the social customs that come with it be observed, and then other times when she flouts these conventions as suits. Overall this doesn’t hinder the story, but occasionally it’s grating for the lover of historical fiction.
Anne is maybe not as likeable as Rhys Bowen’s Molly Murphy, however, I do think that she is a more fleshed out, realistic character. She certainly has flaws, and even though her friends occasionally point them out, she has a hard time accepting it. You can’t have a woman growing up to wealth and privilege without her being a little bit of a pill. She’s not my favorite sleuth, but I am looking forward to going back to the previous books and reading them to learn more about her character and her earlier entanglements with the tall, dark, and handsome Lord Darkefell. Overall the sleuthing was really interesting and Hamilton gives you enough details to keep you guessing about what you think is going on without necessarily giving away the whole plot (not that I’m really one to talk, because I am terrible at guessing “whodunnit” in general).
Lady Anne and the Menacing Mystic by Victoria Hamilton, published July 7, 2020 by Beyond the Page Publishing. My copy was given to me as an eARC through NetGalley and Beyond the Page Publishing.