2.5 stars. I wanted to love this book, I really did! It promised me everything I love in fiction: a Victorian setting, a strong heroine as a MC, murder mystery. Besides, everyone I know loves this book!! But everything either seemed out of place or forced.
Most of the time, the heroine's feminism felt insincere to me in a way we see more and more often these days: a woman is not strong if she doesn't know how to fight or is different from every other woman around her.
Secondly, I simply couldn't wrap my head around the relationship of the two main characters, it just felt forced from the beginning till the end, and the way Thomas acted was so era inappropriate (though to give the book justice, it's mentioned already.)
My other problem was with the ending, because I didn't get why the killer didn't at least try to accomplish what he dedicated his life to no matter what when he could. Besides I felt the characters acted with their personalities at times to move the plot forward.
It wasn't a boring read however so if you're looking for a murder mystery that is fun at times, it can be an enjoyable read.
2.5 stars.
I wanted to love this book, I really did! It promised me everything I love in fiction: a Victorian setting, a strong heroine as a MC, murder mystery. Besides, everyone I know loves this book!! But everything either seemed out of place or forced.
Most of the time, the heroine's feminism felt insincere to me in a way we see more and more often these days: a woman is not strong if she doesn't know how to fight or is different from every other woman around her.
Secondly, I simply couldn't wrap my head around the relationship of the two main characters, it just felt forced from the beginning till the end, and the way Thomas acted was so era inappropriate (though to give the book justice, it's mentioned already.)
My other problem was with the ending, because I didn't get why the killer didn't at least try to accomplish what he dedicated his life to no matter what when he could. Besides I felt the characters acted with their personalities at times to move the plot forward.
It wasn't a boring read however so if you're looking for a murder mystery that is fun at times, it can be an enjoyable read.