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katreader's review
4.0
DEATH AND THE SISTERS by Heather Redmond
The First Mary Shelley Mystery
In search of some late night reading material sixteen year old Mary Godwin descends to the family bookshop only to find the body of a stylishly dressed young man, stabbed to death. Inexorably drawn to the murder as she is to her father's student and possible benefactor, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Mary finds herself called to solve the crime. She along with her stepsister, Jane, and Shelley himself start making inquiries, but what will they uncover once they delve into the poet's inner circle?
I really enjoyed this atmospheric novel that, in addition to an intriguing mystery, gave insight into some extraordinary historical characters; Wollstonecraft, Godwin, Shelley, a unique family on the outskirts of Regency society. Instead of fancy ballrooms we are witness to the squalor of the poor and the reality of the working class eking out an existence. I've always been fascinated by Percy Bysshe Shelley and reading this mystery has only enticed me to read and learn more about, not only him, but Mary and Jane Clairmont as well. It was fascinating to see the sparks that ignited the relationship between Mary and Percy.
Mary's intelligence and determination, as well as a desire for a better life, deliver her into Shelley's circle as it also propels her to solve the murder. A complex mystery, I enjoyed watching the trio investigate while also dealing with their everyday lives.
The switching of points of view from Mary to Jane was a bit disconcerting, but the chapters were labeled, telling whose viewpoint you were reading. While I’m not a fan of multiple points of view, I understand its use in DEATH AND THE SISTERS. In addition to showing the almost symbiotic relationship between Mary and Jane, it was interesting to see how each not only responded to events, but how they felt they were treated in comparison to the other.
Gritty details, fascinating characters, and historical facts combine to make DEATH AND THE SISTERS a truly unique and compelling mystery.
The First Mary Shelley Mystery
In search of some late night reading material sixteen year old Mary Godwin descends to the family bookshop only to find the body of a stylishly dressed young man, stabbed to death. Inexorably drawn to the murder as she is to her father's student and possible benefactor, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Mary finds herself called to solve the crime. She along with her stepsister, Jane, and Shelley himself start making inquiries, but what will they uncover once they delve into the poet's inner circle?
I really enjoyed this atmospheric novel that, in addition to an intriguing mystery, gave insight into some extraordinary historical characters; Wollstonecraft, Godwin, Shelley, a unique family on the outskirts of Regency society. Instead of fancy ballrooms we are witness to the squalor of the poor and the reality of the working class eking out an existence. I've always been fascinated by Percy Bysshe Shelley and reading this mystery has only enticed me to read and learn more about, not only him, but Mary and Jane Clairmont as well. It was fascinating to see the sparks that ignited the relationship between Mary and Percy.
Mary's intelligence and determination, as well as a desire for a better life, deliver her into Shelley's circle as it also propels her to solve the murder. A complex mystery, I enjoyed watching the trio investigate while also dealing with their everyday lives.
The switching of points of view from Mary to Jane was a bit disconcerting, but the chapters were labeled, telling whose viewpoint you were reading. While I’m not a fan of multiple points of view, I understand its use in DEATH AND THE SISTERS. In addition to showing the almost symbiotic relationship between Mary and Jane, it was interesting to see how each not only responded to events, but how they felt they were treated in comparison to the other.
Gritty details, fascinating characters, and historical facts combine to make DEATH AND THE SISTERS a truly unique and compelling mystery.
venomskyline's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Overall it was fine. I don't feel strongly about this one way or another. The middle was the most fun, but I think the ending was lacking.
velsbooknook's review against another edition
2.0
I really wanted to like this book but it sadly wasn't for me. I liked the idea of the book, but the character depth was lacking for me. I had trouble following the POV switches, because the characters were missing their own voice. The pacing for me was also off and I had to DNF, even though I only had about 70 pages left. I wish this story would have grabbed my interest more.
disabledbookdragon's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
scribe391's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Set in 1814 London and narrated by sixteen year old Mary Godwin and her stepsister: Jane Claremont; Redmond blends history with mystery.
elysareadsitall's review
The pacing of this book was too slow for me. The narration kept switching between first and third person and was a bit confusing. It was also confusing to remember which chapters were Mary and which were Jane because their voices weren't distinct enough. I loved the concept and the cover art, but the story wasn't for me.
marianneiriss's review
I unfortunately had to leave this book part way through as I felt that I wasn’t enjoying it enough to keep reading. However, there were aspects to this book which I did enjoy, alongside those which I felt were disadvantages. As I don’t want to discourage others from reading this book (I think it may well be it just is not the book for me, and others may enjoy it far more), I do want to give useful/constructive feedback. I thought I would give three things I liked and three things which lead to me not continuing to read this book.
3 things I liked about Death and The Sisters:
- The premise of the book! I loved the idea of giving more time to Mary Shelley (née Godwin) before her marriage and subsequent overshadowing by Percy Bysshe Shelley
- The cover art, which I thought was fantastic. Gothic, mysterious, and I thought the skull was a clever nod to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.
- Some of the writing and descriptions, particularly the parts talking about Mary Shelley’s mother, Mary Wollenstonecraft
3 things which I enjoyed less (but which will definitely not be disadvantages in everyone else’s opinions, so don’t let them dissuade you from reading this book!):
- The dialogue, which felt like a mixture of modern (for example “You are so right”) and period accurate (“Faith!”) phrases and I would have preferred it to have stuck to one or the other style
- The narration felt like it was almost switching between first and third person without meaning to, so at times it was hard to tell whose point of view was being described, and I found that this made the writing and descriptions less clear/readable
- The way that Mary’s relationship with her stepmother and sisters was portrayed felt a bit Cinderella-esque, which for me spoilt the book a bit as it felt rather clichéd, however I do understand that this is personal preference of mine to not read that style of writing and therefore I wouldn’t not recommend it because of this, it just wasn’t the right book for me
I really hope this review comes across in the way I mean it to - it’s not a negative criticism of the book or the author, just my personal opinions and a few things which I lead to me not continuing reading it! However, I’m really great full nonetheless for the opportunity to read and review this - many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley!
3 things I liked about Death and The Sisters:
- The premise of the book! I loved the idea of giving more time to Mary Shelley (née Godwin) before her marriage and subsequent overshadowing by Percy Bysshe Shelley
- The cover art, which I thought was fantastic. Gothic, mysterious, and I thought the skull was a clever nod to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.
- Some of the writing and descriptions, particularly the parts talking about Mary Shelley’s mother, Mary Wollenstonecraft
3 things which I enjoyed less (but which will definitely not be disadvantages in everyone else’s opinions, so don’t let them dissuade you from reading this book!):
- The dialogue, which felt like a mixture of modern (for example “You are so right”) and period accurate (“Faith!”) phrases and I would have preferred it to have stuck to one or the other style
- The narration felt like it was almost switching between first and third person without meaning to, so at times it was hard to tell whose point of view was being described, and I found that this made the writing and descriptions less clear/readable
- The way that Mary’s relationship with her stepmother and sisters was portrayed felt a bit Cinderella-esque, which for me spoilt the book a bit as it felt rather clichéd, however I do understand that this is personal preference of mine to not read that style of writing and therefore I wouldn’t not recommend it because of this, it just wasn’t the right book for me
I really hope this review comes across in the way I mean it to - it’s not a negative criticism of the book or the author, just my personal opinions and a few things which I lead to me not continuing reading it! However, I’m really great full nonetheless for the opportunity to read and review this - many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley!