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thestoryowl's review
3.0
I was surprised by how depressed I was after finishing this novel. It was an interesting mystery and had good world building. The ending bummed me out.
Free copy received in exchange for an honest review.
Free copy received in exchange for an honest review.
michellehenriereads's review
4.0
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
I really like a good Sherlockian mystery, and The Curious Affair Of The Witch At Wayside Cross fits the bill. A good mystery is always intriguing because I want to solve the puzzle. I was let down on a couple of points, but there were so many good elements to override the couple of let downs.
First, I enjoyed the two detectives, both individually and how they worked together. Mr. Jesperson is the Sherlock-type character, though his discoveries are not so incredulous, which I find to be refreshing. He is also quirky, a non-conformist and can be secretive in his deductions. Miss Lane is independent, intelligent and a fully trusted partner, unlike Watson who was a foil for Sherlock. The two characters work together while solving the crime, and they are not secretly in love with one another. I also was glad to see that we could work on solving the crime, rather than worry over romantic overtures. A secondary character that I loved was the Reverend Ringer. He was more of a bash you over the head, or a fighter you would find in the boxer's ring with his bible clenched in his teeth. His only soft spot was for allowing his wife to run the house as she saw fit.
Second, there are genuinely funny lines. One of my favorites was when Miss Lane....
To read the full review go to www.talesuntangled.wordpress.com
I really like a good Sherlockian mystery, and The Curious Affair Of The Witch At Wayside Cross fits the bill. A good mystery is always intriguing because I want to solve the puzzle. I was let down on a couple of points, but there were so many good elements to override the couple of let downs.
First, I enjoyed the two detectives, both individually and how they worked together. Mr. Jesperson is the Sherlock-type character, though his discoveries are not so incredulous, which I find to be refreshing. He is also quirky, a non-conformist and can be secretive in his deductions. Miss Lane is independent, intelligent and a fully trusted partner, unlike Watson who was a foil for Sherlock. The two characters work together while solving the crime, and they are not secretly in love with one another. I also was glad to see that we could work on solving the crime, rather than worry over romantic overtures. A secondary character that I loved was the Reverend Ringer. He was more of a bash you over the head, or a fighter you would find in the boxer's ring with his bible clenched in his teeth. His only soft spot was for allowing his wife to run the house as she saw fit.
Second, there are genuinely funny lines. One of my favorites was when Miss Lane....
To read the full review go to www.talesuntangled.wordpress.com
abejadeazucar's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Rape
blodeuedd's review
3.0
Jesperson and Lane have a new case when a man drops dead on their doorstep and screams about witches. Intriguing. So they set out to Norfolk.
Yes this is book 2, but I do feel like it works as a stand alone too. You just read it as a mystery then, and do not know how they come to become detectives together. But then who wants to miss out on that.
It really is Miss Lane doing most of the groundwork and we see things from her POV. Jesperson is out there solving things (and finding some amazing answers, I did NOT expect that.) She is a clever woman. I like them both.
As for the mystery. Yes who killed him. The 3 witches? Or are they witches? The man running the society of magic? Someone else? Oh and then this baby disappears too. Another puzzle to solve and yes I sure did not solve it. I can tell you that.
A nice historical mystery.
Yes this is book 2, but I do feel like it works as a stand alone too. You just read it as a mystery then, and do not know how they come to become detectives together. But then who wants to miss out on that.
It really is Miss Lane doing most of the groundwork and we see things from her POV. Jesperson is out there solving things (and finding some amazing answers, I did NOT expect that.) She is a clever woman. I like them both.
As for the mystery. Yes who killed him. The 3 witches? Or are they witches? The man running the society of magic? Someone else? Oh and then this baby disappears too. Another puzzle to solve and yes I sure did not solve it. I can tell you that.
A nice historical mystery.
annieb123's review
4.0
Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
The second book in the Jesperson & Lane casebooks, The Witch at Wayside Cross nevertheless works well as a standalone. The author, Lisa Tuttle, is a prolific and entertaining writer. The series is marketed as a Victorian paranormal mystery series, but apart from a single strange subplot (basically a few pages), this book at least is very much within the scope of realistic murder mystery.
The book does have a fairly odd 'vibe', and the central plot line concerning the establishment of a school to educate and research pre-Christian belief systems in the British Isles, isn't the usual fare for more traditional Victorian murder mysteries. The oddness persisted for me throughout the book and I found myself wondering about the behavior of several of the characters (Mrs Reverend Ringer for example... odd doesn't begin to cover it).
The writing on the whole is adept and the plotting works pretty well. There are quite a number of interwoven subplots which are resolved satisfactorily by the end of the book. I do have some caveats, however. The two titular characters (Jesperson & Lane) are refreshingly free from romantic entanglement with one another (and I hope the author continues that way), but I found myself being very slightly annoyed that he (Jesperson) treats her (Lane) as a glorified secretary or appendage or finder-out-of-things and certainly not as an equal. I'm sure it's intended as a nod to Holmes and Watson (or Poirot and Hastings), but since they are male and female, the power disparity was quite noticeable for me. Not quite annoying, but slightly distracting. Also, the aforementioned odd behavior of some of the characters made me feel off-balance when reading the book. It didn't quite break my suspension of disbelief when reading, but it was something of which I was often aware.
At 261 pages (Kindle version), there's enough room for the plot to be fairly detailed and the it moves along at a good clip; I didn't find my interest waning or the narrative dragging. For the denouement, I didn't really buy the motivations of some of the characters which also lent an odd feeling to the ending. It almost felt as if the author had five or six different plots in mind at the halfway point and picked a likely winner and finished writing that one. (I'm not a writer, perhaps ALL writers do that to a greater or lesser degree).
It's a tricky thing, writing period dialogue for modern audiences which doesn't break character and also appeals to the modern reader. The author manages it quite well, and the dialogue, if odd in places, maintains character and form throughout the book. I enjoyed it. For readers of modern Victoriana who don't mind giving the romance angle a miss, it's a nice series to seek out.
Three and a half stars
Published November 28th 2017 by Random House - Hydra
261 pages, ebook format
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher.
The second book in the Jesperson & Lane casebooks, The Witch at Wayside Cross nevertheless works well as a standalone. The author, Lisa Tuttle, is a prolific and entertaining writer. The series is marketed as a Victorian paranormal mystery series, but apart from a single strange subplot (basically a few pages), this book at least is very much within the scope of realistic murder mystery.
The book does have a fairly odd 'vibe', and the central plot line concerning the establishment of a school to educate and research pre-Christian belief systems in the British Isles, isn't the usual fare for more traditional Victorian murder mysteries. The oddness persisted for me throughout the book and I found myself wondering about the behavior of several of the characters (Mrs Reverend Ringer for example... odd doesn't begin to cover it).
The writing on the whole is adept and the plotting works pretty well. There are quite a number of interwoven subplots which are resolved satisfactorily by the end of the book. I do have some caveats, however. The two titular characters (Jesperson & Lane) are refreshingly free from romantic entanglement with one another (and I hope the author continues that way), but I found myself being very slightly annoyed that he (Jesperson) treats her (Lane) as a glorified secretary or appendage or finder-out-of-things and certainly not as an equal. I'm sure it's intended as a nod to Holmes and Watson (or Poirot and Hastings), but since they are male and female, the power disparity was quite noticeable for me. Not quite annoying, but slightly distracting. Also, the aforementioned odd behavior of some of the characters made me feel off-balance when reading the book. It didn't quite break my suspension of disbelief when reading, but it was something of which I was often aware.
At 261 pages (Kindle version), there's enough room for the plot to be fairly detailed and the it moves along at a good clip; I didn't find my interest waning or the narrative dragging. For the denouement, I didn't really buy the motivations of some of the characters which also lent an odd feeling to the ending. It almost felt as if the author had five or six different plots in mind at the halfway point and picked a likely winner and finished writing that one. (I'm not a writer, perhaps ALL writers do that to a greater or lesser degree).
It's a tricky thing, writing period dialogue for modern audiences which doesn't break character and also appeals to the modern reader. The author manages it quite well, and the dialogue, if odd in places, maintains character and form throughout the book. I enjoyed it. For readers of modern Victoriana who don't mind giving the romance angle a miss, it's a nice series to seek out.
Three and a half stars
Published November 28th 2017 by Random House - Hydra
261 pages, ebook format
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher.
critterbee's review
3.0
This is the second in The Curious Affair Of series, self-touted as "The paranormal answer to Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson..." It can be read without having read the first, or at least I did so with no issues. I am still not sure whether it fully qualifies as 'paranormal,'
Spoiler
because there really was just one tiny little aspect of 'paranormalness' towards the end which, because of the singularity of it, really jarredI found it to be similar to Sherlock Holmes in that the setting is Victorian London, and there are two main characters who are detectives. Jasper Jesperson has some power of deduction, I would assign him the roll of Sherlock. And Diana Lane is Dr. Watson, although she is not a doctor, she does have Dr. Watson's fierce loyalty. However, I found them both a bit boring and a tad unlikable. To be sure, Sherlock Holmes has many admirable and also many unlikable traits, but Watson has always been consistently sympathetic.
Perhaps because of her loyalty and willingness to do what Jesperson asks, she repeatedly did things that I thought were very rude. For example, after being invited to stay as a guest, she searches all the bedrooms in the house immediately.
The book started in high gear, with the appearance of a man late at night, who promptly dies. That gets your attention. After that, the story meandered around London and Norfolk, not really inciting any emotion. The mystery aspect was interesting, and the Victorian flavor was done well. Overall, it was a satisfactory read, but I am not sure that I would read another in the series.
*eARC Netgalley*
bookishgurl's review
4.0
This is the second entry in the “Jesperson and Lane Casebook/Curious Affair of ” series by Lisa Tuttle. Although I haven’t read the first book, this book works well as a stand-alone and I have added the first, The Somnambulist and the Psychic Thief (The Curious Affair Of #1) to my TBR pile. Personally, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it was a fast-paced, and fun Victorian mystery, reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes but with a touch of the paranormal.
The book opens with Charles Manning, a disciple of Felix Ott’s British School of Wisdom collapsing and dying in the London home of colleagues and private detectives, Jesperson and Lane. Manning arrives at the house just after 1am in a state and before his death declared that he was being hunted by witches which with his last breath he accuses Miss Lane of being. His death at first appears to be of natural causes but as with most good mysteries, that of course, is not the case. Jesperson and Lane convince Mr. Manning’s brother that not all is as it seems, and they are hired to find out who or what truly killed his brother. Manning’s research of the “Shriek pits, a phenomenon prevalent in folklore had him staying in Aylmerton, Norfolk. The Author Lisa Tuttle manages to create interesting well-developed characters who drive the plot forward and keep you entertained. Following Manning’s timeline before his death, Jesperson and Lane travel to Norfolk to retrace his steps in the process meet some interesting characters, including the Ringer family and the infamous Buslstrode sisters at Wayside Cross. The three unmarried sisters are wise-women or healers, but some are convinced they are witches. The story is full of twists and turns, from uncovering previous murders to a stolen baby and the curious disappearance of the distraught mother. There are clever red herrings and plotlines that whisper of magic, fairies, poison rings and an undecipherable grimoire all of which culminate in a fantastic twist at the end.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a well-written, cleverly crafted, quirky and fun mystery. If you enjoy Sir Conan Arthur Doyle or Agatha Christie I would recommend giving this a try.
The book opens with Charles Manning, a disciple of Felix Ott’s British School of Wisdom collapsing and dying in the London home of colleagues and private detectives, Jesperson and Lane. Manning arrives at the house just after 1am in a state and before his death declared that he was being hunted by witches which with his last breath he accuses Miss Lane of being. His death at first appears to be of natural causes but as with most good mysteries, that of course, is not the case. Jesperson and Lane convince Mr. Manning’s brother that not all is as it seems, and they are hired to find out who or what truly killed his brother. Manning’s research of the “Shriek pits, a phenomenon prevalent in folklore had him staying in Aylmerton, Norfolk. The Author Lisa Tuttle manages to create interesting well-developed characters who drive the plot forward and keep you entertained. Following Manning’s timeline before his death, Jesperson and Lane travel to Norfolk to retrace his steps in the process meet some interesting characters, including the Ringer family and the infamous Buslstrode sisters at Wayside Cross. The three unmarried sisters are wise-women or healers, but some are convinced they are witches. The story is full of twists and turns, from uncovering previous murders to a stolen baby and the curious disappearance of the distraught mother. There are clever red herrings and plotlines that whisper of magic, fairies, poison rings and an undecipherable grimoire all of which culminate in a fantastic twist at the end.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a well-written, cleverly crafted, quirky and fun mystery. If you enjoy Sir Conan Arthur Doyle or Agatha Christie I would recommend giving this a try.
endlessmidnight's review
5.0
Now this was a mystery which was so well plotted and even well written to the point that I was able to enjoy it so fully, and when I thought I have everything figured out, the author surprised me.
I was so surprised at how everything turned out, the ending being perfect in a way I never expected it will be. And that this mystery is a lot more than it seems, going from the death of a single man, to the disappearance of a baby. And a lot of reveals towards the end where I am so surprised by how it turned out.
The main character is Miss Lane, although I will have preferred to known her full name. But she is the one doing most of the investigation even when very little leads turn up and she is turned away again and again, she doesn’t ever give up.
I do really enjoy and admire her as she tries to put this case together with the help of her partner, although not as involved as she is. The interrogation and trying to get information are all done by her, and she puts in the brunt of the effort. And I really enjoyed as she slowly found clues and leads, all the while talking to people and learning more about them.
The entire plot is entirely what I will expect of the story, not easy to see and needing a lot of time just to really come to fruition. But once it does, everything comes together nicely, the mystery solved in the end. But the entire mystery is more than just one, it stretches and gets bigger. As the people involved are all not what they seemed.
And I guess, there was where I was completely sucked in.
I was so surprised at how everything turned out, the ending being perfect in a way I never expected it will be. And that this mystery is a lot more than it seems, going from the death of a single man, to the disappearance of a baby. And a lot of reveals towards the end where I am so surprised by how it turned out.
The main character is Miss Lane, although I will have preferred to known her full name. But she is the one doing most of the investigation even when very little leads turn up and she is turned away again and again, she doesn’t ever give up.
I do really enjoy and admire her as she tries to put this case together with the help of her partner, although not as involved as she is. The interrogation and trying to get information are all done by her, and she puts in the brunt of the effort. And I really enjoyed as she slowly found clues and leads, all the while talking to people and learning more about them.
The entire plot is entirely what I will expect of the story, not easy to see and needing a lot of time just to really come to fruition. But once it does, everything comes together nicely, the mystery solved in the end. But the entire mystery is more than just one, it stretches and gets bigger. As the people involved are all not what they seemed.
And I guess, there was where I was completely sucked in.
scostner's review
4.0
Fans of historical fiction/urban fantasy, rejoice - Jesperson and Lane are on the case. In this second outing of the private detectives, they find themselves outside London in the quiet of the countryside. Having seen a man die on their front steps, the detectives have gone to look into his last days and try to find out what could have caused his demise. Was it heart failure as the police surgeon ruled, an overdose, or perhaps witchcraft? They must speak with the local vicar and his family, the three sisters residing at Wayside Cross, Felix Ott and his followers in the School of British Wisdom, and various servants and local residents.
The characters of Jesperson and Lane are entertaining and remind me of those in the Jackaby novels. There is the slightly eccentric Jasper Jesperson, who has an encyclopedic knowledge of many subjects including poisons and occult practices. And Miss Lane with her background in the world of psychics and her logical good sense. Together they can look into mysterious deaths in London and around Wayside Cross, research the local shrieking pits, hunt for an abducted baby, and look for clues about the actions of the deceased and those closest to him.
I like the way Jesperson sees Lane as a partner, and not an assistant or underling. He realizes that she has her own strengths and abilities and has no qualms about letting her pursue leads on her own. At the same time, they are both aware of society's views on unmarried men and women working together and make sure to keep the gossips from having any ammunition. Both of them seem much more open-minded than most of the people they encounter.
Anyone who enjoys mystery, and perhaps some magic, mixed in with historical fiction will probably have a grand time with the Jesperson & Lane series. I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
The characters of Jesperson and Lane are entertaining and remind me of those in the Jackaby novels. There is the slightly eccentric Jasper Jesperson, who has an encyclopedic knowledge of many subjects including poisons and occult practices. And Miss Lane with her background in the world of psychics and her logical good sense. Together they can look into mysterious deaths in London and around Wayside Cross, research the local shrieking pits, hunt for an abducted baby, and look for clues about the actions of the deceased and those closest to him.
I like the way Jesperson sees Lane as a partner, and not an assistant or underling. He realizes that she has her own strengths and abilities and has no qualms about letting her pursue leads on her own. At the same time, they are both aware of society's views on unmarried men and women working together and make sure to keep the gossips from having any ammunition. Both of them seem much more open-minded than most of the people they encounter.
Anyone who enjoys mystery, and perhaps some magic, mixed in with historical fiction will probably have a grand time with the Jesperson & Lane series. I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
quirkycatsfatstacks's review
4.0
3 1/2 Stars.
I received an advanced copy of The Curious Affair of the Witch at Wayside Cross from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
The Curious Affair of the Witch at Wayside Cross is the second in the series, following The Somnambulist and the Psychic Thief. It’s very difficult to pass up reading books with titles like those! As an added bonus, the cover is absolutely beautiful (what can I say, I’m a sucker for blue and green toned covers). While it is not the first book in the series, the Curious Affair of the Witch at Wayside Cross can be read as a standalone book, if you so desire. If you’re looking for a female Sherlock Holmes or a mystery with a fantasy twist, then this is the book for you.
As mentioned above, the main perspective is a woman, and her name is Miss Lane. Her investigation partner is Mr. Jesperson (trust me – the controversy of having an unmarried man and woman working together during that time period is in fact covered). Together they’re trying to unravel the mystery that was dropped at their feet – quite literally in this case.
Following a rather sudden death at their doorstep, Miss Lane and Mr. Jesperson find themselves whisked off to Norfolk, where another death and a kidnapping fully entrench them in the problems at hand.
The Curious Affair of the Witch at Wayside Cross is a Victorian suspense with a Sherlock feel added to the mix. As with Sherlock, one investigator is by far the leading one, while the other tends to more serenely follow along and appreciate the other’s observations.
At first I assumed that Mr. Jesperson was going to be modeled after Holmes – but I’m less convinced of that now. While they certainly share the same interest, as well as both being very bright (I’d argue Holmes more so however), that’s about all they have in common. In truth I found Mr. Jesperson to be a bit of a flat character on the whole (perhaps it was just the Victorian politeness? But I don’t think so).
Miss Lane is supposedly Mr. Jesperson’s partner in the investigation business they run, but he certainly doesn’t treat her as such. He withholds information and opinions from her, but expects her to share any and all news she receives. I’ll confess that Miss Lane’s passive tone of voice was a bit irritating to me – but perhaps I’m being harsh. It does feel as though her main purpose in the novel was to tell us the story, rather than resolve the mystery herself.
On the whole I think the Curious Affair of the Witch at Wayside Cross had a lot of potential. The start to the novel was perfect – it immediately drew me in, the plot was interesting, as were some of the secondary characters. I think with some work I could really have grown to like Miss Lane, and perhaps even Mr. Jesperson. I’ll be curious to see what adventures they get mixed up in next.
For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
I received an advanced copy of The Curious Affair of the Witch at Wayside Cross from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
The Curious Affair of the Witch at Wayside Cross is the second in the series, following The Somnambulist and the Psychic Thief. It’s very difficult to pass up reading books with titles like those! As an added bonus, the cover is absolutely beautiful (what can I say, I’m a sucker for blue and green toned covers). While it is not the first book in the series, the Curious Affair of the Witch at Wayside Cross can be read as a standalone book, if you so desire. If you’re looking for a female Sherlock Holmes or a mystery with a fantasy twist, then this is the book for you.
As mentioned above, the main perspective is a woman, and her name is Miss Lane. Her investigation partner is Mr. Jesperson (trust me – the controversy of having an unmarried man and woman working together during that time period is in fact covered). Together they’re trying to unravel the mystery that was dropped at their feet – quite literally in this case.
Following a rather sudden death at their doorstep, Miss Lane and Mr. Jesperson find themselves whisked off to Norfolk, where another death and a kidnapping fully entrench them in the problems at hand.
The Curious Affair of the Witch at Wayside Cross is a Victorian suspense with a Sherlock feel added to the mix. As with Sherlock, one investigator is by far the leading one, while the other tends to more serenely follow along and appreciate the other’s observations.
At first I assumed that Mr. Jesperson was going to be modeled after Holmes – but I’m less convinced of that now. While they certainly share the same interest, as well as both being very bright (I’d argue Holmes more so however), that’s about all they have in common. In truth I found Mr. Jesperson to be a bit of a flat character on the whole (perhaps it was just the Victorian politeness? But I don’t think so).
Miss Lane is supposedly Mr. Jesperson’s partner in the investigation business they run, but he certainly doesn’t treat her as such. He withholds information and opinions from her, but expects her to share any and all news she receives. I’ll confess that Miss Lane’s passive tone of voice was a bit irritating to me – but perhaps I’m being harsh. It does feel as though her main purpose in the novel was to tell us the story, rather than resolve the mystery herself.
On the whole I think the Curious Affair of the Witch at Wayside Cross had a lot of potential. The start to the novel was perfect – it immediately drew me in, the plot was interesting, as were some of the secondary characters. I think with some work I could really have grown to like Miss Lane, and perhaps even Mr. Jesperson. I’ll be curious to see what adventures they get mixed up in next.
For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks