Reviews

Murder in the Lightning Room by A.D. Brazeau

janel_bernotas's review against another edition

4.0

Murder in the Lightning Room by A.D. Brazeau - Review by Janel Bernotas

Set in the 1800s, this was a great book of mystery and intrigue. Featuring Nikola Tesla and his devices was a fantastic addition. Very good character development. Pacing was just right. This book left me clinging to each page to solve the mystery!

reviews_musings's review

4.0

Set in year 1899 in Colorado Springs, this book follows the young protagonist Cora work with famous Nikola Tesla in his secret lab . She assists Tesla in his detective work to unravel the mystery behind the murder of his assistant. She faces opposition from her own mother but she hangs on with her friends. It is a well narrated plot and the mystery lingers till the end. It is one of those stories which has a very strong female lead, in the times, when women were struggling to establish their footage. I enjoyed this book quite a bit and look forward to more from this author.

janel_bernotas's review

4.0

Murder in the Lightning Room by A.D. Brazeau - Review by Janel Bernotas

Set in the 1800s, this was a great book of mystery and intrigue. Featuring Nikola Tesla and his devices was a fantastic addition. Very good character development. Pacing was just right. This book left me clinging to each page to solve the mystery!

ireadloudnmynook's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

Murder in the lightning room is one of those books that is so different from any other book you've read.  I'm always excited to learn about history, and lately I've been digging into a lot of non fiction books.  I was excited to read this as you find out that the main character Cora is living at the time of Nikola Tesla, and working so hard to solve the mystery behind his apprentice's disappearance.   With every chapter I was just itching to find out what Cora would find out next.  When I realized she was basically investigating the disappearance I was even more invested in the book.  I could barely put it down!  I'm looking forward to more of the authors work.  The twists and turns and the story telling ability if the author was very vivid!  I literally read books just to escape d somewhere and this book does not disappoint!

puffprincess's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

4.0

I love historical fiction and mysteries, so this book was definitely something in my normal genre. I liked that there were real people in the story that I could connect with what I know about historical figures, but put an original twist on it. I liked that it kept me on the edge of my seat and made it hard to put down. I found myself invested in what would happen next to the characters, especially Cora. This was the first book I read from this author, but I look forward to reading more. 

mrscorbin89's review against another edition

mysterious medium-paced

5.0

Once again our author knocks it out of the park. I have read this author before and she is quickly becoming one of my favorites, her writing is just simply amazing and she always manages to keep me on the edge of my seat. This book really had a little bit of everything mystery, intrigue, twists and turns, and of course murder. While I am not much for the historical genre, our author really grabbed my attention with this one. I thought I had it all figured out but by the end of the novel and the authors wonderful plot twists, I was all wrong. So if you need a good mystery to make you think, then pick this one up today. 

roxsannel's review against another edition

adventurous challenging mysterious tense fast-paced

5.0

The year is 1899 and Cora Croft is seventeen years old, she lives is Colorado Springs and is in the last year of Palmer High School and is hoping to continue her studies in a prestigious university, however being interested in biological sciences and a woman is not going to help, so when she hears about a position as an assistant to Nikola Tesla, she is dubious, but decides to apply for the position anyway. The day she goes to see him, she is accompanied by Marshall, a long time friend and Harrison, a student in her class who is always trying to charm her, she has heard differing opinions on Tesla, but she wishes to make up her own mine, however, the position isn’t what she expected when the tasks are menial, however, when some papers go missing from the lab, Tesla reveals that this isn’t the first time this has happened and that the young man who was found dead the day before was his previous assistant.

 

This revelation shocks all three of them, but when Tesla announces that without those papers, he might as well just pack up and leave Colorado Springs, so Cora decides that she is going to investigate who has stolen the paperwork as well as look further into the death of the young man which also seems suspicious, so she asks Marshall and Harrison for their help and they agree, although reluctantly. Cora starts that evening by asking Harrison and Tesla questions, however, they don’t know overly much, so she decides to use her societal position to ask around the town and see if she can uncover any pertinent information, while Harrison and Marshall use their own connections to try and find information their way.

 

Cora soon realises that they might be in over her head when things start to happen and the more she investigates, the more danger creeps closer to her, Marshall and Harrison, but will they be able to solve the mystery before the person behind these nefarious acts comes after them? This is a historical mystery which is full of secrets, revelations and murder where you will be sucked into the investigation all the way until the suspect is uncovered.

 

julesherb's review against another edition

mysterious

4.0

 It has been a while since I have read a Mystery and I have to say I am so happy that I decided to read this fantastic book snuggled up on a cold winters day. I was completely hooked from start to finish! I loved the very creatively written story that takes us back in time so vividly you really can imagine everything as if you are right there with the characters. Speaking of characters I really liked Cora, as the lead character. She is smart and intriguing. The author added in some fabulous twists and turns that I wasn't expecting at all. If you like YA mystery then this is definitely the book for you! 

aims2read's review

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I have had the opportunity to read other novels by this author, and I have to say, her writing style calls to my senses and pulls me into the novels pages more than I thought, especially when it comes to this genre.  I have been picking up a lot of novels as of late with a strong female lead, based in the 1800's, and this is definitely in my top five list, if not three.  I admire Cora, what with her perseverance after the loss of her father, and then to not have the full support of her mother when it comes to who she really wants to be. 

I loved the way the characters were built up, the friendship shared between Dove and Cora, and the respect that the community seems to have for them both. Cora is young, and watching her build a new relationship with Mr. Byrne as well was very fun and entertaining. The suspense, intrigue, potential for romance, and friendship woven into these pages made for a delightful read, one you should pick up, now! Highly recommend this authors work. 

sdriskill69's review

adventurous informative mysterious fast-paced

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

5.0

 

I absolutely loved this book! Set in the year 1899 in Colorado Springs, Cora finds herself working for the famous Nikola Tesla in his secret lab after witnessing the dead body of his previous assistant. Against the wishes of her mother, Cora continues her detective work to help Tesla find his stolen papers and remain in Colorado Springs with the help of her friends and eventually her romantic interest. Murder, intrigue, and mystery all combine to make this a wonderful story with a very strong female lead set in the past which I find myself drawn to.  The dinner party wraps up the loose ends and discover all the secrets that have awaited our discovery. The characters, who are strong and very colorful, are well written, and the suspense just continues all the way to the last page. I have read other books by this author, but I must say that this is my favorite so far. Easy to read and enjoyable, this book is the perfect summer read for an afternoon of intrigue and lounging around the pool! Definitely recommend as a Young Adult book especially for teenage girls to read about a strong woman and the trait of perseverance and hard work