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A review by neuroqueer
Murder at the Grand Hotel by Isabella Bassett
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
Overall: C
Meh
"Murder At The Grand Hotel" is what I call a "most unorthodox!" book. A most unorthodox book usually takes place in Britain (sometimes Europe)- around the Victorian to 1920s (but can go back even farther). The protagonist is usually a woman in the upper crust who acts in a manner "most unbecoming" at the time. They can actually be any age but usually the girl is in the 20s-30s range. People around her either find her charming or alarming (usually women her age or older). The alarmed characters are usually tut-tutting her behavior which leads me to imaging them always saying "Why, this is most unorthodox"! The "forward-thinking" protagonist is usually the one solving the mystery to the amazement of everyone.
This is one of those stories but the setting is the roaring 20s with a British debutante visiting a French resort. It is told from the first person POV of the lead, Lady Caroline. As an amateur detective, she does a LOT of speculation that ends up being boring after a while. In fact, she's just boring. Her "romance" with James is lackluster. Honestly, I forgot he existed at some points. Most characters were colorful but one dimensional. I did like Poppy (though she is another "most unorthodox" character. The narrator, Sandra Churchill, did a good job of keeping me engaged.
The story is okay but the stakes never get high. At one point, Lady Caroline was in danger but I never felt like she was in danger. Obviously she wouldn't have died since this is a series but during that entire scene, I didn't feel anything. No worry or fear or suspense...nothing. The story was easy to follow even with all the characters that come and go. It's a decent time-killing cozy mystery if you want to just listen to something without racking your brain.
Meh
"Murder At The Grand Hotel" is what I call a "most unorthodox!" book. A most unorthodox book usually takes place in Britain (sometimes Europe)- around the Victorian to 1920s (but can go back even farther). The protagonist is usually a woman in the upper crust who acts in a manner "most unbecoming" at the time. They can actually be any age but usually the girl is in the 20s-30s range. People around her either find her charming or alarming (usually women her age or older). The alarmed characters are usually tut-tutting her behavior which leads me to imaging them always saying "Why, this is most unorthodox"! The "forward-thinking" protagonist is usually the one solving the mystery to the amazement of everyone.
This is one of those stories but the setting is the roaring 20s with a British debutante visiting a French resort. It is told from the first person POV of the lead, Lady Caroline. As an amateur detective, she does a LOT of speculation that ends up being boring after a while. In fact, she's just boring. Her "romance" with James is lackluster. Honestly, I forgot he existed at some points. Most characters were colorful but one dimensional. I did like Poppy (though she is another "most unorthodox" character. The narrator, Sandra Churchill, did a good job of keeping me engaged.
The story is okay but the stakes never get high. At one point, Lady Caroline was in danger but I never felt like she was in danger. Obviously she wouldn't have died since this is a series but during that entire scene, I didn't feel anything. No worry or fear or suspense...nothing. The story was easy to follow even with all the characters that come and go. It's a decent time-killing cozy mystery if you want to just listen to something without racking your brain.