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sarajean37's review against another edition
4.0
A fun little read made more enjoyable by its historical setting.
attytheresa's review against another edition
4.0
This is a tale of murder and inheritance set in Seneca Falls, NY just after the adoption by NY Legislature of the Married Women's Property Act that allowed a woman to keep her property after marriage, although women could still not sign contracts and such. Also happening in Seneca Falls at the same time is the Woman's Rights Convention, the first of its kind and borne quite literally out of the inadequacies of the Property Act just enacted. It's filled with historic and fictional characters and events beautifully integrated and given full life. Our main protagonist is Glynis, a librairian who has determined to remain single although an intimate relationship with the town sheriff is hinted. On the one hand claiming to be a bit shy, especially when approaching women about attending a meeting on women's rights, Glynis is a strong, intelligent, and capable. Of course she's going to put all the pieces together.
But she could not have done it without Duncan, her mischievous, thieving white terrier who brought a smile to my face every single time he appeared. Lots of likeable characters, which the author used quite effectively to demonstrate what women's lives were like in the middle of 19th Century America, in a town that only a few years earlier would have been still the frontier. Indeed, one of the town's doctors says: "I've seen it before. We're not that far removed from Frontier justice. Lynching still happens..."
Not only is the historical aspect wondefully integrated, but so is the look and feel of Seneca Falls, a town only about 50 years old, thriving as a result of the commerce and mills brought by the Erie Canal. At first, the murder and inheritance plot seems simplistic but soon it is clear that is just a red herring. In fact, the author's effective use of the historical events and personalities of the time also provide an excellent red herring. It starts off with a dramatic accidental death of a wealthy man and his wife in their prime, dying intestate. It ends with a climactic courtroom scene, followed by a shocker of an epilogue (although this feminist was cheering through her tears).
I've owned at least one copy of this since the 1990s (originally published in 1992) and yet I had not read it until now. Shame on me. I've already added the next in the series to the TBR.
But she could not have done it without Duncan, her mischievous, thieving white terrier who brought a smile to my face every single time he appeared. Lots of likeable characters, which the author used quite effectively to demonstrate what women's lives were like in the middle of 19th Century America, in a town that only a few years earlier would have been still the frontier. Indeed, one of the town's doctors says: "I've seen it before. We're not that far removed from Frontier justice. Lynching still happens..."
Not only is the historical aspect wondefully integrated, but so is the look and feel of Seneca Falls, a town only about 50 years old, thriving as a result of the commerce and mills brought by the Erie Canal. At first, the murder and inheritance plot seems simplistic but soon it is clear that is just a red herring. In fact, the author's effective use of the historical events and personalities of the time also provide an excellent red herring. It starts off with a dramatic accidental death of a wealthy man and his wife in their prime, dying intestate. It ends with a climactic courtroom scene, followed by a shocker of an epilogue (although this feminist was cheering through her tears).
I've owned at least one copy of this since the 1990s (originally published in 1992) and yet I had not read it until now. Shame on me. I've already added the next in the series to the TBR.
jcbmathcat's review against another edition
4.0
This month, members of the mystery book club at the library were to read a book by an author who was not well known/had not won awards. I found this author in my online search, as none of the authors on the provided list wrote anything that gripped me when I read the descriptions.
Monfredo has created the beginning of a good series. Her protagonist is librarian Glynis Tryon, a female librarian in a time when this occupation was held mainly by men. The year is 1848 and Elizabeth Cady Stanton has Glynis surveying women in Seneca Falls to see if they would be willing to attend a meeting about the rights of women. Glynis has an interest in suffrage, but Elizabeth feels this issue might put a damper on the meeting's other issues. In this time, women were either married and subject to the will of their husbands, or single and spinsters.
There is a murder...well, there are several murders and enough suspects to make things quite interesting. Widowed police constable Cullen Stuart has an interest in Glynis, and while she is fond of him, she is not disposed to marriage.
The combination of history and mystery made for a very good read. It also made me appreciate air conditioning!
I plan to continue with this series.
Monfredo has created the beginning of a good series. Her protagonist is librarian Glynis Tryon, a female librarian in a time when this occupation was held mainly by men. The year is 1848 and Elizabeth Cady Stanton has Glynis surveying women in Seneca Falls to see if they would be willing to attend a meeting about the rights of women. Glynis has an interest in suffrage, but Elizabeth feels this issue might put a damper on the meeting's other issues. In this time, women were either married and subject to the will of their husbands, or single and spinsters.
There is a murder...well, there are several murders and enough suspects to make things quite interesting. Widowed police constable Cullen Stuart has an interest in Glynis, and while she is fond of him, she is not disposed to marriage.
The combination of history and mystery made for a very good read. It also made me appreciate air conditioning!
I plan to continue with this series.
jlmb's review
2.0
So mediocre it's hard to even muster the energy to write a review of what I read. The blurb on the back of the book leads the reader to believe that the 1848 Women's Convention in Seneca Falls will play a vital role in the storyline. Instead, it's just weirdly grafted onto a standard mystery plot. You could leave out all references to that convention and early suffragettes and not lose a single thing from the story. It's almost like a bait and switch. I kept waiting to find out how Elizabeth Cady Stanton figured into it all. Spoiler - she doesn't. Her role in the story could have been played by anyone. I am baffled at why the author did this.
As for the predictable plot, it was very yawn. The protagonist was boring and I couldn't relate to her at all. I can't give this book a 1 star because it wasn't entertainingly hideous like many 1 star books are. Instead, it's just a big fat meh.
As for the predictable plot, it was very yawn. The protagonist was boring and I couldn't relate to her at all. I can't give this book a 1 star because it wasn't entertainingly hideous like many 1 star books are. Instead, it's just a big fat meh.
orizenda's review
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. I had to read it for a class, but I'd gladly read it again someday when I have time to really sit down and enjoy it. There are a lot of characters, so it can be a little tricky to keep track of at times, but I think the story is pretty interesting and there are a lot of historical facts thrown into the mix to make it very informative. The only thing I really didn't care for was the very end in the epilogue. No spoilers, but it seemed to come out of left field and felt unnecessary to me. I think it could have ended before the epilogue and I would have been perfectly satisfied. That being said, maybe there's some sort of feminist message that I'm missing in that. Altogether, though, I highly recommend this book as an informative, entertaining read!
julieputty's review
3.0
Engaging enough historical mystery with an unusual setting, but I didn't feel any connection to the characters.
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