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A review by savage_book_review
A Dead and Stormy Night by Steffanie Holmes
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Well this was a little bit kooky and a little bit spooky, but a fun, lighthearted series starter that offers some great visuals, a fair few giggles and just a sprinkling of murder-mystery... so it really has something for everyone! When Mina starts work at her local bookshop, she just thinks her gorgeous-but-surly boss Heathcliff and his equally hunky flatmate, James Moriarty, have unfortunate if oddly fitting names. But as we all know, sometimes the truth can be stranger than fiction...
Now, this was a first for me in that I switched from the audiobook to the ebook about 25% of the way through (yay for SYK days!). While I was really enjoying the story and the scene setting, unfortunately I just could not get on with the narrator. I enjoyed her take on the characters' voices, and when she was playing a role she was wonderful. But when she wasn't doing dialogue, it sounded like someone learning to read aloud. She would stress words in strange places, and every time she said the word 'a' or 'the', it sounded like it was the most important word in the sentence - a stilted pause before, an elongation to 'ayyy' or 'thee' and another stilted pause, like she wasn't quite sure what the next word was. It got to the point that it was detracting from my enjoyment and distracting me from the actual story and writing. But, once I started reading the ebook and was able to use my own internal monologue to follow along, it became far more engaging.
The writing is a little rough and ready, but it's got a feel-good factor to it that just sparks joy. It flowed well and the book zoomed by at pace, giving me everything I needed to enjoy a couple of hours of escapism while setting up the premise of the wider series. Most importantly, it doesn't take itself too seriously! Yes, the plot revolves around a murder, but it really is secondary to getting to know the characters and drawing the reader into their inevitable attraction to Heathcliff, Morrie and Quoth (you'll see 😉), so it doesn't really bother me too much that the culprit is pretty obvious from fairly early on.
Speaking of the boys; well, I'm sold on Morrie from the first second he appears. And yes, I'm seeing Andrew Scott - if you're not then there's something not quite right with you! 🤣 I've never read Wuthering Heights so have no frame of reference for the 'real' Heathcliff, but I'm less convinced by him at the moment. When he is being sweet he's great, but that's not often and he just hasn't 'spoken' to me yet. And I want to know more about Quoth, but I'm picturing a Kingfisher-esque look in my mind for him so he can definitely stay!
I like how the author has populated the village with proper OTT characters too. Because, let's face it, every village has them! Maybe not these characters specifically, but they're there! Even Mina's mother is recognisable - even if you don't know someone like her directly, it's not hard to conjure up an image of someone like her. Despite the madcap plot, somehow these random people with their insane foibles serve to make the setting more believable. Although there were a couple of oddities that didn't sit quite right with me - the village setting with a council estate of the ilk described doesn't quite fit in my head, and the 'market' sounds more like a bigger convenience store. But different strokes for different folks!
I think every bookworm will be able to relate to Mina in some way, but the addition of her declining sight and the acceptance she finds from the boys when not expecting it is lovely. The whole book opens up her character to allow the reader to feel that additional anxiety that discrimination and even basic things like inadequate lighting can cause. It's clear this is an element of the character written from the heart and the experiences of the author herself, and it's beautifully done.
My TBR pile is currently out of control and there is a certain dragon book coming out next week that I have to read quickly so I don't get spoiled, so it may take me a little time to return to this series, but I'm definitely planning on it! Highbrow literature this isn't, but if you're just looking for a good time, it's well worth a try!
Now, this was a first for me in that I switched from the audiobook to the ebook about 25% of the way through (yay for SYK days!). While I was really enjoying the story and the scene setting, unfortunately I just could not get on with the narrator. I enjoyed her take on the characters' voices, and when she was playing a role she was wonderful. But when she wasn't doing dialogue, it sounded like someone learning to read aloud. She would stress words in strange places, and every time she said the word 'a' or 'the', it sounded like it was the most important word in the sentence - a stilted pause before, an elongation to 'ayyy' or 'thee' and another stilted pause, like she wasn't quite sure what the next word was. It got to the point that it was detracting from my enjoyment and distracting me from the actual story and writing. But, once I started reading the ebook and was able to use my own internal monologue to follow along, it became far more engaging.
The writing is a little rough and ready, but it's got a feel-good factor to it that just sparks joy. It flowed well and the book zoomed by at pace, giving me everything I needed to enjoy a couple of hours of escapism while setting up the premise of the wider series. Most importantly, it doesn't take itself too seriously! Yes, the plot revolves around a murder, but it really is secondary to getting to know the characters and drawing the reader into their inevitable attraction to Heathcliff, Morrie and Quoth (you'll see 😉), so it doesn't really bother me too much that the culprit is pretty obvious from fairly early on.
Speaking of the boys; well, I'm sold on Morrie from the first second he appears. And yes, I'm seeing Andrew Scott - if you're not then there's something not quite right with you! 🤣 I've never read Wuthering Heights so have no frame of reference for the 'real' Heathcliff, but I'm less convinced by him at the moment. When he is being sweet he's great, but that's not often and he just hasn't 'spoken' to me yet. And I want to know more about Quoth, but I'm picturing a Kingfisher-esque look in my mind for him so he can definitely stay!
I like how the author has populated the village with proper OTT characters too. Because, let's face it, every village has them! Maybe not these characters specifically, but they're there! Even Mina's mother is recognisable - even if you don't know someone like her directly, it's not hard to conjure up an image of someone like her. Despite the madcap plot, somehow these random people with their insane foibles serve to make the setting more believable. Although there were a couple of oddities that didn't sit quite right with me - the village setting with a council estate of the ilk described doesn't quite fit in my head, and the 'market' sounds more like a bigger convenience store. But different strokes for different folks!
I think every bookworm will be able to relate to Mina in some way, but the addition of her declining sight and the acceptance she finds from the boys when not expecting it is lovely. The whole book opens up her character to allow the reader to feel that additional anxiety that discrimination and even basic things like inadequate lighting can cause. It's clear this is an element of the character written from the heart and the experiences of the author herself, and it's beautifully done.
My TBR pile is currently out of control and there is a certain dragon book coming out next week that I have to read quickly so I don't get spoiled, so it may take me a little time to return to this series, but I'm definitely planning on it! Highbrow literature this isn't, but if you're just looking for a good time, it's well worth a try!