A review by poetsofsweetpea
A Dreadful Splendor by B.R. Myers

dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I was looking for a book for spooky season. A Dreadful Splendor sounded like it would suffice.  It had a medium in a haunted house, a dead ingenue, an inheritance on the line, and the tides coming in at the seaside home and practically lapping at the walls of the estate.

It would have made an excellent black and white movie, barely lit by lamplight and covered in seaweed. It was very moody, and the vibes were there.

The plot was predictable.  The characters were archetypes. The pacing was uneven. But my biggest issue was the transitions between the diary entries and the MC POV.  They were too similar, and I would often forget which one I was in.  I relied heavily on context clues to figure out who was speaking.  But by then, I was pulled out of the story. 

I listened to the audio book, and perhaps on the  page, it's clearer. Overall, this was a nice atmospheric read and not a bad edition to my fall reading.