Top critical review
3.0 out of 5 starsEnjoyable but uneven mystery
Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2021
As I read this book, my opinion about it was constantly in flux. Sometimes I found myself smiling or even laughing aloud. Other times I was cringing. Some days I was convinced that I loved the book and would definitely read the next one in the series. Other days I felt that the book was a big disappointment, and there was no way I was going to read any more in the series. Needless to say, there were pros and cons.
I did find the heroine, Lady Eleanor Swift, to be genuinely endearing . . . eventually. At first, I wasn't sure about her. I find it rather irritating how the author bent over backwards to establish the fact that Eleanor was definitely, absolutely, positively not only an independent woman, but the MOST thoroughly independent, self-sustaining woman who ever walked (and bicycled, motorcycled, hiked, trekked, flew, fought, and explored) the planet. And the topic kept recurring throughout the book, as Ellie was constantly being asked to recount her exotic solo adventures. I certainly don't expect fiction to be entirely realistic, but Eleanor's backstory was just a tad too unrealistic for me. However, once I got past that, I did really come to love her personality. I love that she was kind-hearted and inquisitive and klutzy. She was a fun mix of bright and not-so-bright. Smart and vulnerable. Lovable and curious.
The second protagonist, Clifford the butler, was also a fun character. I liked him a lot, and I enjoyed the dialogue between Clifford and Eleanor.
Other than those two and some household servants, there were a large number of secondary characters who were not very well-developed and who sometimes blurred together in my mind, including the murder victims. This overabundance of vague characters made some of the plot elements difficult for me to follow.
The story was enjoyable, but it wasn't a gripping page-turner. I had no problem stopping at the end of a chapter and picking it up again several days later.
I found the writing to be uneven in general. The author is talented, and some of the witty musings, insights, and banter were most enjoyable to read. But sometimes I would come across phrases or entire sentences that made me cringe, as they were overly cloying or precious. The descriptions of Eleanor's love interest, Lancelot, were so annoying that I could not even enjoy the romantic aspect of the book. He was constantly being described in terms such as having a "chiseled jaw" (that was when we first met him - in case we had any doubts that this was going to be the love interest), rippling muscles, sun-kissed arms, etc. Whenever we got to the Lancelot parts, I felt as if I was suddenly reading a romance novel - and not even a grown-up romance novel, but something along the lines of "Twilight" adolescent melodrama. I actually kept hoping Eleanor would fall for the detective, who seemed to have an interest in her, instead of Lancelot.
Again, this book had moments of genuine brilliance and absolute enjoyment. Other moments were dull or distracting. I'm not sure I will be reading the next book in the series, but this book provided me with a light and pleasant read, and for that I am appreciative.
