A review by natcat
Murder in the Drawing Room by C.J. Archer
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The mystery wasn't anything to write home about, and Cleo and Harry's involvement got increasingly flimsy, but I admit to being invested in Cleo and Harry and their relationship, and also a lot of the side characters. I paerocularly like the fairly nuanced portrayal of her family, who disagree with Cleo a lot but who aren't portrayed as villains, just as people who have very different goals to Cleo - it's a subtlety that I appreciate, and frankly didn't expect.
I remain baffled by the fact that Cleo continues to not understand why Harry doesn't want her as an official partner, given she got him fired from his last job. How is this a surprise that he doesn't want her as a partner, even aside from his general Victorian maleness and the fact that her uncle is dead set against her interacting with Harry at all! Cleo really is remarkably daft for supposedly being intelligent, and that doesn't feel like a deliberate writin choice.
I remain baffled by the fact that Cleo continues to not understand why Harry doesn't want her as an official partner, given she got him fired from his last job. How is this a surprise that he doesn't want her as a partner, even aside from his general Victorian maleness and the fact that her uncle is dead set against her interacting with Harry at all! Cleo really is remarkably daft for supposedly being intelligent, and that doesn't feel like a deliberate writin choice.