rankkaapina's review
2.0
Well... I liked this at first. The first half was interesting and I actually wanted to keep on reading. But then... When they actually started to go into their investigation who Lady Law was, I stopped liking it altogether. So, in the end, it was just too misogynistic to my taste. I debated on 1 or 2 stars, so I'm giving 2 for the beginning, which really showed promise. But I think it's more like 1.5. It was quick rad which made me finish it, otherwise I think I would not have bothered.
Spoiler
It was too much of an attitude, that you can see especially in older book: how if you're woman who's well off and clever, you must be somehow bad. And the group sex thing: really? Just to show how she's just no good... And how Julia is endeared about Holly when he's worried what she as a lady should've seen or heard.witandsin's review
3.0
My review posted on Joyfully Reviewed: http://www.joyfullyreviewed.com/new-reviews/the-mysterious-lady-law-by-robert-appleton
Whispers abound about Harriet Law. Her one hundred percent success rate at solving crimes – even those Scotland Yard cannot find the shred of a clue on – has earned her fame, fortune, and a title. None of those matter to waitress Julia Bairstow. All she knows is that the infamous Lady Law has offered to solve the case of her sister’s murder for free. It’s an opportunity Julia can’t turn down, even though Constable Al Grant warns her that there’s something shady about Lady Law’s methods. As Lady Law delves into the case, Julia begins to suspect that Al might have been right to warn her away from the woman. Can the two of them unearth the mysterious Lady Law’s secrets? And what will happen if they do?
Journey into a steampunk reimagining of Victorian London in The Mysterious Lady Law. Robert Appleton has penned an entertaining mystery that starts off with a bang and ends in a mostly satisfying way. I liked Julia, Al, and Holly, the tale’s protagonists. They’re interesting characters with unique voices and their energy buoyed the story. The Mysterious Lady Law’s titular character overtakes the second half of the story, as befitting her character. This was only an issue because she didn’t come to life for me the way the other characters did. The climax of The Mysterious Lady Law is somewhat frenzied and tangled, so while I made sense of the ending, I wasn’t as satisfied with it as I would have liked. Still, the murder mystery and the touch of romance in The Mysterious Lady Law kept me engaged and overall I liked the story.
Whispers abound about Harriet Law. Her one hundred percent success rate at solving crimes – even those Scotland Yard cannot find the shred of a clue on – has earned her fame, fortune, and a title. None of those matter to waitress Julia Bairstow. All she knows is that the infamous Lady Law has offered to solve the case of her sister’s murder for free. It’s an opportunity Julia can’t turn down, even though Constable Al Grant warns her that there’s something shady about Lady Law’s methods. As Lady Law delves into the case, Julia begins to suspect that Al might have been right to warn her away from the woman. Can the two of them unearth the mysterious Lady Law’s secrets? And what will happen if they do?
Journey into a steampunk reimagining of Victorian London in The Mysterious Lady Law. Robert Appleton has penned an entertaining mystery that starts off with a bang and ends in a mostly satisfying way. I liked Julia, Al, and Holly, the tale’s protagonists. They’re interesting characters with unique voices and their energy buoyed the story. The Mysterious Lady Law’s titular character overtakes the second half of the story, as befitting her character. This was only an issue because she didn’t come to life for me the way the other characters did. The climax of The Mysterious Lady Law is somewhat frenzied and tangled, so while I made sense of the ending, I wasn’t as satisfied with it as I would have liked. Still, the murder mystery and the touch of romance in The Mysterious Lady Law kept me engaged and overall I liked the story.
mjspice's review
2.0
The title is misleading as Lady Law isn't the main character at all. Also you know this book was written by a man because of the sexualized way he kept describing the women lmao.
amberinpieces's review
2.0
Horace Holly initially meets Lady Law at a special ceremony in which various people are honored, including himself. Most find Lady Law mysterious and aloof. They also doubt her credibility. Her reputation in the community is not exactly pristine, but she has solved every single criminal case that has stumped the police of Scotland Yard. But after meeting her personally, albeit briefly, Holly chalks up the public’s conclusions to jealousy and misunderstanding. Julia Bairstow works as an airship waitress by day and a dancer by night. After a night of dancing, Julia arrives home to find her sister dead on the kitchen floor. The police, including Al Grant, have no leads after the abrupt murder of Georgina and Lady Law unexpectedly steps in to offer her services.
At a time when Julia could have fallen apart, she instead finds hope and potential love despite her ripe grief thanks to her sister’s sunny memory. Horace Holly loses his good friend and protégé and has to overcome his own insecurities in the aftermath. Al Grant, a senior detective, must cope with the ghost of his past in order to face his future. Because of Lady Law, they all end up crossing paths.
Read the full review here.
At a time when Julia could have fallen apart, she instead finds hope and potential love despite her ripe grief thanks to her sister’s sunny memory. Horace Holly loses his good friend and protégé and has to overcome his own insecurities in the aftermath. Al Grant, a senior detective, must cope with the ghost of his past in order to face his future. Because of Lady Law, they all end up crossing paths.
Read the full review here.
carolsnotebook's review
3.0
Enjoyable, quick read. Julia, determined to find out the truth behind her sister's murder, accepts the help of Lady Law, but doesn't trust her. It's a fun romp through an alternative Victorian London, with lot sof steampunk details. Mystery with a touch of romance.
smashattackash's review
I’m loving the steampunk genre so when I saw this one on NetGalley, I jumped at the chance to read it. I hung in until I was 50% through, and decided to move on. I was not engaged in the story and did not care about the fate of the characters. There were a few cool scenes (when Julia was running from unknown killer) but otherwise, I was not entertained. Honestly, after reading The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook and The Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare, the author’s interpretation of the steampunk genre did not captivate me.
hollyn_middle's review
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
kurenai's review
2.0
A novel crammed into a novella. The premise was good, the writing was quite decent, and I generally liked this story. I only wish it were longer. The pace just killed it. If only this were twice the size I think I would have rather enjoyed it even more. A quick and fanciful read but ultimately one that is not particularly memorable.
books_and_a_blanket's review
2.0
I'll give this book two stars for starting off pretty well, but there was simply too much happening in too few pages. I found the story disjointed rather than clever. Also, this book reminded me of multiple Sci-Fi movies/TV shows all muddled together and there was a lot of Mystery Dinner type explanation. The mystery that pertains to the 1st MC got very little face time in favor of a clunky plot twist. Then you got another clunky plot twist towards the end. This story had an interesting premise and would have been much better if a few plot lines had been dropped and the remaining plot lines (and characters) had been developed.
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