A review by bunnieslikediamonds
Rustication by Charles Palliser

4.0

In this sordid Victorian mystery, seventeen year-old Charles returns to his family home after getting kicked out of college, only to find his mother and sister living in a horror movie. Lots of weird noises in the night, meaningful glances and hints at unspeakable deeds, that sort of thing. Richard is a mellow guy, being addicted to opium, and mostly just wants to smoke his pipe and poke every girl in the county with his manhood. Sadly, he is constantly distracted from his simple pleasures by the escalating madness around him. Someone is sending obscene anonymous letters to the ladies and mutilating farm animals, and more than a few fingers are pointed at Richard. Richard, being a little slow on the uptake, blunders into the parlors of the local gentry, and finds that these ladies and gentlemen are anything but. Vicious gossip, social bullying and rumor mongering abound. Victorian mean girls really are the worst.

It's well written, suspenseful and clever, though the ending was a little disappointing after the build-up. If you're tired of filthy, horny, unreliable narrators, you most likely will not enjoy this. I find that filthy, horny, unreliable narrators tickle my funny bone. I had such fun reading this I feel I must be very indecent and unladylike indeed.