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calypte's review
3.0
The second installment in the Casebooks of Jesperson and Lane - a supernatural slant to a Sherlock/Watson-type pairing - take the duo out of London and out into a countryside full of folklore and myth: witches and screaming pits and fairies, oh my!
After finding the narrator's voice a little grating at times in the first book, I was very pleased to see an improvement here. Still, the balance needed to have a female lead in a Victorian-era novel without her being either out-of-time modern or in-time weak is a tough one to find - and I'd say we're maybe 90% successful here.
I'll be looking out for the third in the series, as minor flaws aside, these are fun reads.
Full review available on my blog.
After finding the narrator's voice a little grating at times in the first book, I was very pleased to see an improvement here. Still, the balance needed to have a female lead in a Victorian-era novel without her being either out-of-time modern or in-time weak is a tough one to find - and I'd say we're maybe 90% successful here.
I'll be looking out for the third in the series, as minor flaws aside, these are fun reads.
Full review available on my blog.
longtimereader's review
4.0
The headstone with the blue and green cover pulled me in. (Not the cover shown here, I would have skipped it with this cover.) Thus, I've dropped into a series again, without knowing. This is the second book in that series, but it stood alone very well. Victorian and Sherlock Holmes-ish, this book was enjoyable for me. I didn't mind the light paranormal part, it wasn't the full focus of the book, so if you're wanting that, you might be disappointed. It's a clean book, with a solid mystery.
My copy came from Net Galley. My thoughts and opinions are my own. This review is left of my own free volition.
My copy came from Net Galley. My thoughts and opinions are my own. This review is left of my own free volition.
krisandburn's review
3.0
I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery novel, right up until the last few chapters, which fell a bit flat for me.
Lisa Tuttle has a wonderful way of portraying her characters in this novel set in Victorian England. I enjoyed Miss Lane’s voice and the way the characters interacted. I did not feel that I had needed to read the first book in this serious to enjoy this one. In fact, it works very well as a standalone, as mysteries often do.
The resolution of the various mysteries left me feeling a little unsatisfied. One mystery’s resolution especially left me feeling somewhat deflated. You know when you shout indignantly at a book’s plot twist you are clearly not feeling it. I just wanted a bit more from it.
However, I really enjoyed the author’s writing style and I would like to read some more by her.
Lisa Tuttle has a wonderful way of portraying her characters in this novel set in Victorian England. I enjoyed Miss Lane’s voice and the way the characters interacted. I did not feel that I had needed to read the first book in this serious to enjoy this one. In fact, it works very well as a standalone, as mysteries often do.
The resolution of the various mysteries left me feeling a little unsatisfied. One mystery’s resolution especially left me feeling somewhat deflated. You know when you shout indignantly at a book’s plot twist you are clearly not feeling it. I just wanted a bit more from it.
However, I really enjoyed the author’s writing style and I would like to read some more by her.
krisrid's review
4.0
I loved the first book in this series, and it's always a worry wondering if the second book will be as good. Fortunately, this book was as enjoyable as the first was!
I loved the non-romantic relationship between Miss Lane and Jesperson. They make a terrific detective duo and each have skills that balance out well in their investigations. There is no need for them to get together romantically, and it would ruin this world for me if they did.
The plot of this book was less supernatural than the first book, but was still a very well-crafted and interestingly written storyline which I was fully engrossed with the entire way.
I love homage to Holmes and Watson that the characters of Lane and Jesperson provide. They are absolutely unique and have their own personalities, but the similarities in the two sets of characters are fun for Holmes fans who are willing to consider things in the same vein but with unique characters.
This was a fast-paced, easy-to-read book, and I really enjoyed it. I will definitely be watching for more books in this series!
I loved the non-romantic relationship between Miss Lane and Jesperson. They make a terrific detective duo and each have skills that balance out well in their investigations. There is no need for them to get together romantically, and it would ruin this world for me if they did.
The plot of this book was less supernatural than the first book, but was still a very well-crafted and interestingly written storyline which I was fully engrossed with the entire way.
I love homage to Holmes and Watson that the characters of Lane and Jesperson provide. They are absolutely unique and have their own personalities, but the similarities in the two sets of characters are fun for Holmes fans who are willing to consider things in the same vein but with unique characters.
This was a fast-paced, easy-to-read book, and I really enjoyed it. I will definitely be watching for more books in this series!
annarella's review
3.0
Got this book from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review
I have mixed feelings about this book.
On one side it is historically accurate, well written and the plot is interesting and full of twists and red herrings to keep entertained. On the other side the two main characters seems a bit flat, sometimes out of context.
I will surely read the next novels in this series
I have mixed feelings about this book.
On one side it is historically accurate, well written and the plot is interesting and full of twists and red herrings to keep entertained. On the other side the two main characters seems a bit flat, sometimes out of context.
I will surely read the next novels in this series
eloiseinparis's review
2.0
A great start, but unfortunately the book wasn't able to remain great the entire way through. The story was also more mundane and less magical than I expected it to be.
veereading's review
2.0
I was hoping that I would maybe like this novel better than its predecessor but I still felt like this novel was just not the right fit for me. Jesperson continues to be the embodiment of Sherlock Holmes, while Lane strives to be his Watson. I wish they were more unique in their personalities instead of emulating this well-known duo, as it would have set them apart. I also found that while the story started with a bang, it quickly slowed down and it was hard for me to stay interested in the story. The actual mystery was okay but I felt a bit misled by the title; I thought there would be more witchcraft and spells involved but it didn't really play much of a part. Since this novel didn't work for me, I'm giving this a 2.5/5 stars. However, many people on Goodreads enjoyed this novel so I would still recommend this to anyone who is a fan of Sherlock Holmes and Victorian mystery novels.
I received this novel as an advance copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received this novel as an advance copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
pers's review
3.0
This book's slower paced than the first one, with less of a sense of urgency about solving the crime, which makes it feel less intense.
However, I did enjoy it.
However, I did enjoy it.
lordofthemoon's review
3.0
Picking up where the first book left off, this novel sees our intrepid detectives with a dead man in their hall. The police chalk it down to natural causes, but they aren't so sure. The trail leads them to a small village in Norfolk and more mysteries sprout up as they investigate.
I didn't really enjoy this one as much as its predecessor. There was no single villain with the presence or charisma of Mr Chase and the three mysteries never really gelled that well for me. I'm also surprised that the discussion of Lane's abilities were never mentioned at all, given their importance in the first. In fact, there was very little here to count as supernatural.Yes, there was talk of witches and magic killings, but who needs magic when you've got a knowledge of botanicals? And the whole subplot of the fair folk kidnapping Maria's child just seemed to fizzle out.
I found Di Lane less engaging as a protagonist in this one too. She seemed to miss obvious clues and was generally a bit slower on the uptake than I would have expected of her. I also found Jesperson slightly more annoying as well.
Despite being negative in this review, I still read the book avidly and, for the most part, enjoyed it. I'll look out for the next book in the series, but won't jump at it.
I didn't really enjoy this one as much as its predecessor. There was no single villain with the presence or charisma of Mr Chase and the three mysteries never really gelled that well for me. I'm also surprised that the discussion of Lane's abilities were never mentioned at all, given their importance in the first. In fact, there was very little here to count as supernatural.
I found Di Lane less engaging as a protagonist in this one too. She seemed to miss obvious clues and was generally a bit slower on the uptake than I would have expected of her. I also found Jesperson slightly more annoying as well.
Despite being negative in this review, I still read the book avidly and, for the most part, enjoyed it. I'll look out for the next book in the series, but won't jump at it.
chymerra's review
3.0
The Curious Affair of the Witch at Wayside Cross is the 2nd book in the Curious Affair of series. If you have read this blog long enough, you know my thoughts on picking up books out-of-order in a series. I won’t go into it but I do get aggravated because I am missing out by not reading the first book. The Curious Affair of the WItch at Wayside Cross can be read as a stand-alone. Which made me happy.
The book starts off in a very interesting way. A man turns up at Jesperson and Lane’s office/house, accuses Lane of being a witch and then drops dead. This starts off a case that was very weird, to say the least. They are soon asked by the deceased man’s brother to look into his death. The brother wants to know why a healthy man would die of a heart attack. Through some detective work, they end up in Norfolk. It is there that the mystery deepens. While investigating the death, Lane and Jesperson get involved in a kidnapping of a newborn. How are the two tied together, if they are at all? Will Jesperson and Lane solve Mr. Mannings death? Or are they in over their head?
I couldn’t get a feel for Lane. She seemed nice enough. I couldn’t connect with her. Not enough background was given for me to see if I liked her or not (see, this is where reading book 1 comes in handy). She did seem like she was a good detective. She also bucked the norm for Victorian England. She cohabited with an unmarried man. That was a serious no-no back then and I loved it!!!
Jesperson reminded me of Sherlock Holmes. He was quirky and went to great lengths to solve the case. I mean, he showed up at the sisters’ house dressed as a hunchback to read a book that they kept in their library. That is genius. I would have liked to see some of the book from his viewpoint. I was happy with what the author showed us. He is the reason this book didn’t get a lower rating.
If I had to have a complaint about the book, it would be that there weren’t enough paranormal elements in the book. I understand that the shrieking pits along with the story of the kidnapped baby was supposed to be on the paranormal side but I wanted more.
I will say that the author did a great job at keeping who the killer was under wraps. She threw out a few red herrings too. I was pretty shocked when it was revealed to be who it was. I was not expecting it.
The end of the book was very good. Everything came together. Like I said above, I was shocked at who the killer was and the motives behind the killings.
The Curious Affair of the Witch at Wayside Cross was a good read but I couldn’t get into it. I couldn’t connect with the female lead main character. I felt that the paranormal elements were very sparse. But, I did like the male lead. I also felt that the mystery part of the book was excellently written. It was those two reasons why I gave the book a 3-star rating.
Will I reread: Maybe
Will I recommend to family and friends: Maybe
Age range: Older Teen
Why: mild violence. Other than that, it was a very clean book.
I would like to thank Lisa Tuttle, Random House Publishing Group, Hydra and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review The Curious Affair of the Witch at Wayside Cross
All opinions stated in this review of The Curious Affair of the Witch at Wayside Cross are mine.
**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy*
The book starts off in a very interesting way. A man turns up at Jesperson and Lane’s office/house, accuses Lane of being a witch and then drops dead. This starts off a case that was very weird, to say the least. They are soon asked by the deceased man’s brother to look into his death. The brother wants to know why a healthy man would die of a heart attack. Through some detective work, they end up in Norfolk. It is there that the mystery deepens. While investigating the death, Lane and Jesperson get involved in a kidnapping of a newborn. How are the two tied together, if they are at all? Will Jesperson and Lane solve Mr. Mannings death? Or are they in over their head?
I couldn’t get a feel for Lane. She seemed nice enough. I couldn’t connect with her. Not enough background was given for me to see if I liked her or not (see, this is where reading book 1 comes in handy). She did seem like she was a good detective. She also bucked the norm for Victorian England. She cohabited with an unmarried man. That was a serious no-no back then and I loved it!!!
Jesperson reminded me of Sherlock Holmes. He was quirky and went to great lengths to solve the case. I mean, he showed up at the sisters’ house dressed as a hunchback to read a book that they kept in their library. That is genius. I would have liked to see some of the book from his viewpoint. I was happy with what the author showed us. He is the reason this book didn’t get a lower rating.
If I had to have a complaint about the book, it would be that there weren’t enough paranormal elements in the book. I understand that the shrieking pits along with the story of the kidnapped baby was supposed to be on the paranormal side but I wanted more.
I will say that the author did a great job at keeping who the killer was under wraps. She threw out a few red herrings too. I was pretty shocked when it was revealed to be who it was. I was not expecting it.
The end of the book was very good. Everything came together. Like I said above, I was shocked at who the killer was and the motives behind the killings.
The Curious Affair of the Witch at Wayside Cross was a good read but I couldn’t get into it. I couldn’t connect with the female lead main character. I felt that the paranormal elements were very sparse. But, I did like the male lead. I also felt that the mystery part of the book was excellently written. It was those two reasons why I gave the book a 3-star rating.
Will I reread: Maybe
Will I recommend to family and friends: Maybe
Age range: Older Teen
Why: mild violence. Other than that, it was a very clean book.
I would like to thank Lisa Tuttle, Random House Publishing Group, Hydra and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review The Curious Affair of the Witch at Wayside Cross
All opinions stated in this review of The Curious Affair of the Witch at Wayside Cross are mine.
**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy*
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