Book Review: The Dark Lantern by Gerri Brightwell

The Dark Lantern was written by Gerri Brightwell and published by Crown Publishing in 2009. The Dark Lantern was Brightwell’s first novel and she has now written several short stories and one other novel. I found this book at an antique store and it’s premise immediately drew me in. While usually novels featuring murder and mayhem are my cup of tea, sometimes a good old Victorian mystery is good for the soul.

Set in Victorian London, The Dark Lantern follows the life of a young maid, Jane, who has taken up a new position in an upper class house. While the house is considered part of the aristocracy, there are strange happenings throughout; whether it be a maid who takes advantage of everyone’s secrets, a mysterious newly widowed stranger, a man who works in prisons trying to identify criminals through anthropometry and his wife who seems to have more secrets than the rest. Fans of Downtown Abbey, The American Heiress, and Stalking Jack the Ripper will enjoy this engaging read.

Overall I enjoyed the book; the first chapter pulled me in and I was interested to see where Jane’s story would go. I liked the different perspectives throughout the story and Brightwell provided a good level of intrigue into each of the characters secrets and background. However, I felt that after the first 3/4s of the novel, the story begin to feel rushed and a lot of the elements that were most interesting to me were never examined in depth. For example, I would have loved to have known the back story of Jane’s mother, instead of just snippets of her fear that she would be discovered. I did enjoy the story but I would not read it again.

Rating 2.5/5

October 15, 2021 0

Book Review: The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

The Maidens was released in June 2021 as Alex Michaelides second novel after his New York Times bestselling novel The Silent Patient. I initially picked this book up in airport and the description pulled me in. It seemed to have everything I was looking for: dark academia, murder, intrigue, the lot.

The Maidens begins with an introduction to the main character, Mariana Andros, and her role as a group therapist. While I did like this as a concept, in practice it didn’t seem to play out as well as I had hoped. Throughout the book, the author refers back to her role as a group therapist but it never fully seemed necessary or relevant for such a large emphasis. The novel looks at the murder of several girls at Cambridge University and how Mariana tries to solve the murders. The girls are friends of Mariana’s niece and the most likely suspect is their classics professor, Edward Fosca.

The plot was interesting and it was quite easy to engage with the story. However, there were several plot holes, and there wasn’t as much of an emphasis on classics and the academia part of “dark academia.” The ending was not what I was expecting as it seemed like the author was leading the story in another direction until the last couple of chapters.

Rating: 3/5

September 15, 2021 1

Book Review: Madam by Phoebe Wynne

Madam was released in February 2021 as Phoebe Wynne’s first novel. I picked up this book because it seemed like it had everything I loved: the Scottish highlands, a female protagonist, “dark academia,” and an intriguing mystery. And I was right, it truly did have everything I loved (*SPOILER* Except murder, but you know, you can’t have it all). I flew through the pages of this one.

Set on the rocky coastline of the Scottish highlands, Phoebe Wynne’s boarding school for girls has a gothic and isolated aura to it. The way Wynne slowly provides insight into the disappearance of the previous Head of Classics at the school and the almost creepy personality of the schools girls had me guessing (wrong) the entire read. Rose, the books’ protagonist, and new Head of Classics was likable and I enjoyed seeing the boarding school through her eyes. Rose’s students provided an important aspect of the book, giving slow hints at the what was really going on at the school in unsettling ways and I’m surprised to say I didn’t guess the dark truth at any point during my read.

The only thing I disliked about the novel was how Rose wasn’t quite reacting how I would have imagined in the situations she was in; yes, she tried to rail against the patriarchy and educated her students about feminist ideology through Classics, but she didn’t do much to save herself.

The ending of Madam was a shock that I didn’t see coming but was the perfect ending in my opinion.

This gothic mystery is perfect for fans of The Historian and The Secret History. I highly recommend giving Madam a read.

Rating 4.5/5.0.

August 15, 2021 0

Book Review: Labyrinth by Kate Mosse (2005)

Spoilers present!

Labyrinth came out in 2005 as the first novel in the Languedoc Trilogy. The novel is set in both the the present day and in the 13th century, specifically during the Albigensian Crusade in France. Labyrinth could be called a mix of thriller and fiction, weaved together with history. The story itself focuses on the findings of an archaeological dig outside of Carcassonne, France and on the search for the Holy Grail. The story provides an interesting twist on the quest for the Holy Grail and appeals to lovers of historical fiction and mystery lovers alike.

The two heroines of the story, Alice and Alais, are tied together through time, however, I, personally, had trouble following how and why Alice became aware of the connection. While I enjoyed having both perspectives, I found that the transitions between the two heroines were slightly choppy, possibly because I set the book down for so long between reading. The love story between Alice and Will also seemed a bit contrived and sudden, as they only really saw each once throughout the book.

The conflict between the Catholic Church and the Cathar “heretics” is narrated nicely, and Mosse’s skill at easily tying the story into the political and religious battle of the Middle Ages is evident throughout the book. The description of the Noblesse and how the Eygyptian hieroglyphics tied into the history and translation of the books needed to be a bit more in depth, but also a bit more comprehensible, also possibly because of my gaps between reading.

I did enjoy the ending of the book, as I only guessed what would happen over the course of the last couple of chapters, not from the beginning as sometimes happens, even though the way the books and Holy Grail became entombed seemed an interesting way to end a novel about an archaeological dig in that same cave. Overall, I would recommend Labyrinth to fans of historical fiction and mysteries, especially those set in France.

Rating 3.5/5.

May 15, 2021 1