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jrmarr's review against another edition
3.0
Slow to start. It had enough in it to keep me going until the end but was tedious in places. A low3, possibly 2.5 star book for me.
maxinevsg's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
jbliv's review against another edition
4.0
Had this book been 200 to 300 pages shorter, it would likely deserve the full 5 stars, but alas, its length drags it down a star. It's a class act of a Victorian thriller, with our unreliable and very criminal protagonist on the hunt for the inheritance stolen from him long ago. Much of the book concerns the history of how all of this came to be, starting from when he was a mere infant through present day, a tour that takes us through magnificent estates, law offices, houses of prostitution, the London underbelly, and a host of great and unsavory characters. Much of the tale is told through Edward's interaction with others as he unravels his mystery, and this is where the novel shines, as every character he meets is well-drawn and interesting and full with his or her own history and ambitions. Well done, old chap, well done.
avidreadr's review against another edition
5.0
So many years later, and I still find myself missing this series
posies23's review against another edition
4.0
Complicated, engaging, and an unreliable narrator! What's not to love?
apol27's review against another edition
4.0
slow start, but i was hooked at the end. very interesting writing style. will be looking forward to our bookclub discussion
duparker's review against another edition
3.0
Three and a half stars. I liked this book, and felt the aura it was intending to present. The Victorian era is well played and it has a certain vibe to it, that moves from thriller to fiction to mystery to thought provoking. What it doesn't do well is be concise. You really get into the nitty gritty in this book and have to sit back and enjoy it.
I can see how someone might get bogged down in the details, but that is some of what made the story work for me. You have to want to close your eyes and be in Victorian England and have the nuances and the obstacles of that era. You also have to like the story within a story within a retelling way of reading a book.
There is no major plot here, there is a story of desire and attempts to fill that desire. Over 700 pages you like and dislike the narrator and characters and you struggle to understand what it was like to be them in an era where luxury was out of reach to many and those that had it rolled in it.
I might have gone 4 stars but the length was a bit much for the follow through and after reading the book I am not inclined to read anything else by Cox.
I can see how someone might get bogged down in the details, but that is some of what made the story work for me. You have to want to close your eyes and be in Victorian England and have the nuances and the obstacles of that era. You also have to like the story within a story within a retelling way of reading a book.
There is no major plot here, there is a story of desire and attempts to fill that desire. Over 700 pages you like and dislike the narrator and characters and you struggle to understand what it was like to be them in an era where luxury was out of reach to many and those that had it rolled in it.
I might have gone 4 stars but the length was a bit much for the follow through and after reading the book I am not inclined to read anything else by Cox.
alyssathinkstoomuch's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Very much like if Jane Austen wrote a spy thriller. There is maybe one likeable character in this whole novel (affectionate). Cox has some absolutely banger lines in this book; that being said, it could have been 50 pages shorter.