About the Book:
London, 1910
Budding Private Detective Cyril Arlington Hartwell has a conundrum. London is being ravaged by the largest run of thefts in recent history. His hunch that it is all tied together may put him and those he loves in more danger than he could have reckoned.
Olivia Larken Hartwell is just home from boarding school for the summer anticipating time with her adoring parents.She misses her absent brother, Cyril, hoping for the day he will finally come home. But tragedy strikes, causing upheaval for all concerned and changes her life in a way she never could have imagined.
Olivia, Cyril, and their friends must bring the hidden to light, seek to execute justice, and dispel the darkness that hovers over London… and their hearts.
My Review: 5 shining stars!
I loved this book! It took me a while to get into it, but I grew to enjoy the laid back, writing style. It had an old fashioned feeling hat just added to the loveliness of the book!
Okay, first off, Dudley. No, before you think so, I'm NOT going crazy over him. xD (Since he already has a bunch of people laying claim to him... ;))
But I have to say, I really, really, really, loved how the author really made him stand out. He was a Doctor, and she had him act like one, but not only in dire circumstances, He noticed small, every day things. Clenching of the jaw, etc. This was probably one of my favorite parts of the whole book. So many people who write doctors have them act like everybody else, except when there's an accident of some sort. But Miss Lynn made him stand out wonderfully well and I thoroughly enjoyed it! And yeah... he had some awesome quotes! ;)
I also really enjoyed reading Cyril's character, though there were times I often wanted to pound some sense into his head. ;) But at the same time . . . his struggle was very well done, and I appreciated how the author showed it. I could relate to him in a few different ways, and his POV was my favorite of the book. He and Dudley also tied for my favorite characters. I loved their friendship so very much!
Olivia was probably my least favorite POV character, just 'cause we don't have a lot in common . . . but I still enjoyed reading about her, and watching her grow through the course of the book.
As I mentioned before, I think the writing style was perfect for the book. It gave it an old fashioned, laid back sort of feel, while the action was still done well! I did notice a few mistakes, (and anytime the letters "Mis" occurred in the book, they were capitalized, whether in a word like "Miss" or, "Mistake".) But I was also reading an ARC copy.
The mystery was well thought out, and I enjoyed trying to figure it out! I loved the twist in there with Bancroft--boy, I was NOT expecting that!
The Christian message was strong, whcih I appreciated. I ADORED the fact the the author used hymns throughout the novel . . . especially Be Still, My Soul which is one of my very favorites!
All in all it's a clean, family friendly read that I would recommend to any lover of Christian Historical Fiction!
About the Author:
Victoria Lynn is in her 20s and if she's not writing, she is probably sewing, singing, playing the piano, washing dishes, creating something with her hands, or learning something new. She has a passion for serving her Creator, encouraging others and being creative. She blogs at www.rufflesandgrace.com about writing, fashion, modesty, her walk with God and life. She lives in Michigan with her parents and 8 siblings.
Eeps, I must read this book!! :D
ReplyDelete*nods* rapidly* Yes, you must!
DeleteThis looks really good! I'm definitely entering the giveaway. ;)
ReplyDeleteYay!! It is AMAZING!
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