And Only to Deceive by Tasha AlexanderHarperCollins, 2005;
310 pages
Summary: Lady Emily Ashton did not love her husband when she married him and did not mourn him when he died. Toward the end of her mourning period, she discovers his journals where he revealed an interest in antiquities and a love for her. She seeks to learn more about him, uncovering an antiquity scam along the way and maybe just maybe falling in love for real.
Why I Read: I had heard good things about this novel and I wanted to try some different mysteries and give Agatha Christie a break.
My Thoughts: I really enjoyed the characters of this, especially Lady Emily who was a lot of fun as well as her friends, Ivy and Cecile. I also enjoyed her suitors Andrew and Colin. I even liked the villain(s) of the piece. But I was expecting more of a mystery and this falls far short in that department. I felt like at least half of the book had no suspense and the mystery was not particularly engaging (and I kind of figured it out so you know it can't have been very hard!) Regardless I still enjoyed immersing myself in this Victorian novel and look forward to the rest of the books in the series.
Overall: 4/5 for a pretty lame mystery but thoroughly enjoyable main character and her companions. I look forward to the rest of the series.
Cover: I don't really like this cover; the version I checked out from the library is purple with a horse and carriage and I'm not really a fan of it either.
Recommendations: I also have Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn which I've heard is similar but better (although I didn't know that when I was reading this). Have you read both? Or other similar series that you would recommend
This one is on my TBR list. I like historical fiction so I might enjoy it. Too bad the mystery isn't a stronger element but that shouldn't keep me from liking the book. Good review. I don't care for the cover either-a better cover might draw more readers. Have you read the Pink Carnation series? I am really enjoying them (the first isn't the best but I liked the others and they have more of a mystery to them).
ReplyDeleteI love the Pink Carnation series! I should probably reread them because I don't really remember what happened in them, just that I liked reading them.
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