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lizabethstucker's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to like this book. Hell, I wanted to love it! A gorgeous cover on the second book had me searching out the first in the series. I'm anal about reading series in order, always have been. This had an equally lovely cover. The synopsis was intriguing. It started off well. And yet...
I thought at first that I was just being distracted from the book, but when I read, I usually can do more than one thing at a time during a book's slower parts. When the book grabs me, the world disappears. Not this time.
The premise appealed to all my favorite bits: set after World War II (1951); in England (Brighton); a woman with history (Mirabelle Bevan); a prostitute with an agenda of her own, a POC sidekick (Vesta Churchill ~ no relation). Everything should be perfect. And yet...
The characters are flat, the intelligence is lacking, and the mystery’s is not only telegraphed early, it is shouted over a megaphone. *sigh*
I tried, but I don't think I'll be visiting the next in the series. Thank heavens I didn't buy it when I saw it in the bookstore. Especially as it was hardback and much more money. A bland 3 out of 3.
I thought at first that I was just being distracted from the book, but when I read, I usually can do more than one thing at a time during a book's slower parts. When the book grabs me, the world disappears. Not this time.
The premise appealed to all my favorite bits: set after World War II (1951); in England (Brighton); a woman with history (Mirabelle Bevan); a prostitute with an agenda of her own, a POC sidekick (Vesta Churchill ~ no relation). Everything should be perfect. And yet...
The characters are flat, the intelligence is lacking, and the mystery’s is not only telegraphed early, it is shouted over a megaphone. *sigh*
I tried, but I don't think I'll be visiting the next in the series. Thank heavens I didn't buy it when I saw it in the bookstore. Especially as it was hardback and much more money. A bland 3 out of 3.
slc333's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars. I enjoyed the setting of post WW2 Brighton and I liked how Mirabelle's curiosity gradually draws her out to the depression she was in after her lover's death. It was on track for a 3 star rating when two things happened near the end
Spoiler
Sandor dies. It was completely unnecessary to the progression of the story, and so random with nothing to do with the actual mystery that is the subject of the book. The second thing was the very odd final villain reveal/capture. We spend the whole book with Lisabetta & her gang as the villains only to have most of them dead with no confrontation and Mirabelle's dramatic capture of the bad guy being of someone who had not been in the story AT ALL until this point and who only came to murder the original villain for killing her husband.Spoiler
schomj's review against another edition
3.0
The idea of this was cool--interesting plot and character sketches--but the execution could have used improvement. I am always amazed that head-hopping POV jumps from one paragraph to the next don't get fixed in editing. I find them so disorienting when they're not done well, and these were not done well. I will give the author kudos for the surprise ending. I thought I'd had the entire whodunnit figured, but nope! I also liked that she included a woman of color as a major secondary character--so often this sort of historical story is unrealistically white. I may read more in this series if I can get them through the library or on sale. No way is this worth $10+.
jessreadthis's review against another edition
2.0
Full transparency... I got all three in the series from the library. I read this one and sent the other two back. I found this book to be a little too outrageous and loosely fitting of a plot to even be remotely believable. The main character has an alcohol dependency to cope with the loss of her lover and her experiences from the war. This could be a really pivotal character development aspect, yet it's dropped after telling the reader she trades in her food ration cards so she can get Glenlivet whiskey with a few vague references to her flask use. We quickly jump to her getting involved in a murder that appears to be a part of a prostitution ring.. wait no... Nazi war criminal smuggling ring... wait no... money laundering ring tied into shady horse racing. Do you see my issue with this? Too much going on that makes it seem like a Vaudeville act. Not my cup of tea.
lauren_sleight's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
angrygreycatreads's review against another edition
3.0
This is definitely on the side of a lighter historical mystery, I would even say perhaps a cozy (except a death does occur on screen). The lead character is engaging and certainly made me want to know some more about her, but I actually enjoyed her sidekick more in some ways, so it is good to know that the two women seem to be partnered up for future books. I didn't get the sense of being immersed in the historical setting that other historicals manage to achieve, but on the other hand the pace moved faster than in very detailed period mysteries. THis actually gave me a very Phrynee Fisher vibe and I think that it would make a very entertaining TV show, much like Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries.
longtimereader's review against another edition
2.0
I wanted to like this book, but I couldn't. It seems incomplete in some ways, and flat in others, and on the edges there were the promises of a good read. Mirabelle, while classy or smart, isn't very smart. She was in an affair and now the guy is dead.
This left me thinking- Really? You really were that "in love" with a married man with children who would never have left his wife and children for you. You are the "other woman" in this picture. Jack has a wife and it's not you! This made me really dislike her a great deal, but it only got worse. Being a home-wrecker isn't enough, now she has to show out in a horrible way at Jack's funeral.
The "twist" wasn't a twist. The people who died, senseless. I feel like this book had good marketing but needed some serious help. I'm sorry to leave such a harsh sounding review, but this book was a disappointment for me on many levels. Everything I was hoping it would be it fell far short of being.
My copy came from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review and nothing more.
This left me thinking- Really? You really were that "in love" with a married man with children who would never have left his wife and children for you. You are the "other woman" in this picture. Jack has a wife and it's not you! This made me really dislike her a great deal, but it only got worse. Being a home-wrecker isn't enough, now she has to show out in a horrible way at Jack's funeral.
The "twist" wasn't a twist. The people who died, senseless. I feel like this book had good marketing but needed some serious help. I'm sorry to leave such a harsh sounding review, but this book was a disappointment for me on many levels. Everything I was hoping it would be it fell far short of being.
My copy came from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review and nothing more.
krisrid's review against another edition
2.0
Full disclosure: I did not get very far into this book before I knew I wasn't going to finish it.
First off the pace is very slow. Things happen, but they feel dull, and none of it really held my attention.
Then, there is Mirabelle. The second we are introduced to her, she comes across as sort of sad and pathetic so that wasn't a great start for me, as I am drawn to strong female characters typically. Then we find out that she was knowingly in a relationship with a married man. Now, I try not to judge, but I do not find that situation at all sympathetic, and discovering that about Mirabelle just added to my not connecting to her on any level. It bugged me so much that it distracted me from all the things that came after it.
Ultimately, this just isn't the right book for me, so I am moving on to the next title on my list.
First off the pace is very slow. Things happen, but they feel dull, and none of it really held my attention.
Then, there is Mirabelle. The second we are introduced to her, she comes across as sort of sad and pathetic so that wasn't a great start for me, as I am drawn to strong female characters typically. Then we find out that she was knowingly in a relationship with a married man. Now, I try not to judge, but I do not find that situation at all sympathetic, and discovering that about Mirabelle just added to my not connecting to her on any level. It bugged me so much that it distracted me from all the things that came after it.
Ultimately, this just isn't the right book for me, so I am moving on to the next title on my list.
td3's review against another edition
3.0
Mirabelle Bevan is a woman with an interesting past, due to her work during World War II. After the war, she is settled working in a debt collection office, when some things start happening that prompt her to make use of her wartime skills.
Mirabelle ends up getting some help from a quirky sidekick named Vesta, and together they figure out the mystery and help the police find the criminals.
This is the first in a planned series and I would definitely read another. It was nothing too deep, but a fun, quick read with a few twists along the way.
Thank you to NetGally and Polygon for allowing me to read this ebook in exchange for an honest review.
Mirabelle ends up getting some help from a quirky sidekick named Vesta, and together they figure out the mystery and help the police find the criminals.
This is the first in a planned series and I would definitely read another. It was nothing too deep, but a fun, quick read with a few twists along the way.
Thank you to NetGally and Polygon for allowing me to read this ebook in exchange for an honest review.