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A review by stefievee
The Lady Julia Grey Bundle by Deanna Raybourn
4.0
I normally don't go for novels that seem like they have a strong romantic component but I was intrigued by the historical context and the detective mystery aspect in the small passage I read at the bookstore. I have since purchased all of the books (5 to date I believe) and have never been disappointed.
The romance is certainly present, but it is not overpowering, and the mystery style is far more prominent. I like the main character because she is multi-dimensional and adapts to the other characters (I have seen a lot of protagonists in books remain rigidly the same the entire length of the novel). She is at times afraid, at times fearless, at times unsure and at times very confident. She has realistic human flaws and ambitions. She could also be considered a feminist character, which is a nice little clash with the fact that the stories are set in the (I estimate) Victorian era.
Most importantly, I have never found myself discovering the solution to the mystery before the protagonist does (which has happened on occasion while reading or watching other detective books/tv shows), so I find the intrigue to be quite well-crafted.
The author also likes to work in some topics that are not typical in this type of fiction; notably homosexual relationships (that are not demonized - very refreshing), medicinal drug use, Romani culture etc.
The romance is certainly present, but it is not overpowering, and the mystery style is far more prominent. I like the main character because she is multi-dimensional and adapts to the other characters (I have seen a lot of protagonists in books remain rigidly the same the entire length of the novel). She is at times afraid, at times fearless, at times unsure and at times very confident. She has realistic human flaws and ambitions. She could also be considered a feminist character, which is a nice little clash with the fact that the stories are set in the (I estimate) Victorian era.
Most importantly, I have never found myself discovering the solution to the mystery before the protagonist does (which has happened on occasion while reading or watching other detective books/tv shows), so I find the intrigue to be quite well-crafted.
The author also likes to work in some topics that are not typical in this type of fiction; notably homosexual relationships (that are not demonized - very refreshing), medicinal drug use, Romani culture etc.