Reviews

What a painful book this was for me. I thought it would never end and almost gave up learning the secret all together. If you like Victorian serials than you might be o.k. With this one, but it just wasn't right for me.

alireuter's review against another edition

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3.25

the dead secret is a great introductory classic if you want to get into them as it is easy to read & follow especially in the gothic mystery genre. it has an interesting premise with enjoyable characters & themes but there are things that i’d have changed if it were up to me. i like how the main secret of the book isn’t revealed until the end however there’s another reveal that happens near the middle of the book which i thought would’ve better if it was revealed at the time of the secret, but i understand for character purposes why it was told to the reader beforehand. as for the mystery, it takes a step back for the majority of the book & only picked back up when there wasn’t much else left to discuss. i liked the character of rosamund & her husband & i wish they were much in the forefront of the book for a longer time, especially when they were the ones that wanted to uncover the mystery itself. the secret itself is a good plot twist that i didn’t see coming & a great reveal after the story. i kind of just wished it was more focused on the mystery & clues were presented throughout rather than straight away. i’ve read that this is a precursor to the amazing book ‘the woman in white’ by the same author which i own so looking forward to reading that!

pdonovan's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

krobart's review against another edition

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3.0

See my review here:

https://whatmeread.wordpress.com/2022/04/28/review-1846-classics-club-spin-book-the-dead-secret/

soniapage's review against another edition

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3.0

I kept picturing an old movie while I was reading this. Maybe even a silent film. Of course, the reader can pretty much figure out The Secret early on but it's still fun going along with the plot. Toward the end, I thought what a good detective team Rosamund and the blind Leonard would make as she described to him in minute detail everything she saw in the Myrtle room.

inaczej's review against another edition

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emotional funny mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

saralynnburnett's review against another edition

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5.0

Collins is the best mystery writer ever! Much like his other books I read it as fast as possible because I couldn't wait to get to the end. It was not as good as Moonstone or The Woman in White, but still worth every minute.

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