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A review by laurenjodi
Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn
4.0
Silent in the Grave
4 Stars
Lady Julia Grey is not surprised when her ailing husband dies until private inquiry agent, Nicholas Brisbane, approaches her with the claim that her husband was murdered. Disbelieving at first, Julia soon comes to realize that there is more to Edward Grey’s death than meets the eye and something sinister is afoot right under her very nose.
A well written historical mystery with an intriguing if rather unoriginal plot, compelling characters and detailed historical background focusing on the social mores and customs of Victorian England.
The whodunit develops slowly, but there are sufficient red-herrings to keep you guessing, and the villain and motivation are quite interesting especially considering the time period.
Like the mystery, Julia and Brisbane's romance is slow to build. Their love/hate relationship has definite potential and their chemistry simmers just beneath the surface, but nothing actually comes of it and this is disappointing.
Julia and Nicolas fare better as individuals. She is sensible and pragmatic albeit a little snooty at times, and he very enigmatic with his dark and brooding mien and secretive nature. A comparison with Sherlock Holmes is inevitable (expert violinist, absinth addiction, chemical experiments and mood swings), but this is not a drawback for me. The one thing that does grate is
Julia’s quirky family is not consistent with the Victorian setting although they are very endearing and add an entertaining comic relief to the story.
Ellen Archer’s narration is good with the appropriate accents and inflection. If there were one thing I would change it would be the first person perspective, which is limiting for a mystery and prevents the reader from accessing Brisbane’s POV.
Overall, an enjoyable story and I'm looking forward to the next installment.
4 Stars
Lady Julia Grey is not surprised when her ailing husband dies until private inquiry agent, Nicholas Brisbane, approaches her with the claim that her husband was murdered. Disbelieving at first, Julia soon comes to realize that there is more to Edward Grey’s death than meets the eye and something sinister is afoot right under her very nose.
A well written historical mystery with an intriguing if rather unoriginal plot, compelling characters and detailed historical background focusing on the social mores and customs of Victorian England.
The whodunit develops slowly, but there are sufficient red-herrings to keep you guessing, and the villain and motivation are quite interesting especially considering the time period.
Like the mystery, Julia and Brisbane's romance is slow to build. Their love/hate relationship has definite potential and their chemistry simmers just beneath the surface, but nothing actually comes of it and this is disappointing.
Julia and Nicolas fare better as individuals. She is sensible and pragmatic albeit a little snooty at times, and he very enigmatic with his dark and brooding mien and secretive nature. A comparison with Sherlock Holmes is inevitable (expert violinist, absinth addiction, chemical experiments and mood swings), but this is not a drawback for me. The one thing that does grate is
Spoiler
the inclusion of his psychic ability, which adds nothing to his characterization.Julia’s quirky family is not consistent with the Victorian setting although they are very endearing and add an entertaining comic relief to the story.
Ellen Archer’s narration is good with the appropriate accents and inflection. If there were one thing I would change it would be the first person perspective, which is limiting for a mystery and prevents the reader from accessing Brisbane’s POV.
Overall, an enjoyable story and I'm looking forward to the next installment.