Janet Laurence (1)Recensioni

Taking a short cut to the village through the woods, Ursula Grandison stumbles across the body of a nursery maid presumed to have left for another post but who had drowned in a stream. The inquest rules her death suicide due to her unfortunate condition, but was it?

The book had its moments and the final revelations put an interesting twist on things, but really it was much longer than it needed to be and could have been reduced by a third or even a half without losing too much.½

found on the shelf at our vacation rental. Easy read, reminiscent of Agatha Christie, nothing memorable.

Something was not quite right, perhaps the writing, perhaps the characters, perhaps the setting. It did not draw me in, neither did I care to listen to any more stereotypes laced within obvious elegant Edwardian England from an American POV.

It's amazing how many historical figures had hitherto-unknown crime-solving careers! Just astonishing that we never learned of Dr. Johnson's career as a thief-taker from that master of the art of amanuensis-ing, Boswell. Perfectly amazing that Benj. Franklin is famous for "Poor Richard's Almanack" but not for his crime-solvig prowess. And now, not to be outdone, the shade of Canaletto comes back...in London no less!...to resolve mysterious evildoings at the behest of no less a personage than Pitt the Elder.

Bosh.

I am glad to suspend disbelief, truly I am, and I can see past the facts to the story in most cases. But this cadaver is too far gone to reanimate even with Frankenstein's help. The writing is no better than serviceable. The plotting is average at best. The idea strikes me as a "me too me too" sort of an effort, cashing in on a trend.

Oh hell. Not recommended. Don't bother looking for it, if it's given to you gratefully accept and quietly return it, and if confronted with your perfidy, send the injured party to me. I shall defend you against any accusation save that of sensible use of the limited number of eyeblinks one gets in this life.

A cute little book full of familiar and not-so-familiar recipies including coffee. Fun and light.