Kimber Leigh Writes: Victorian

Showing posts with label Victorian. Show all posts

Thursday, March 31, 2016

Review: The Requiem Red by Brynn Chapman + Giveaway

The Requiem Red

Brynn Chapman

YA Historical Mystery

Month9Books

April 5, 2016

Link to Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26176476-the-requiem-red

Purchase Links:

Patient Twenty-nine.

A monster roams the halls of Soothing Hills Asylum. Three girls dead. 29 is endowed with the curse…or gift of perception. She hears messages in music, sees lyrics in paintings. And the corn. A lifetime asylum resident, the orchestral corn music is the only constant in her life.

Mason, a new, kind orderly, sees 29 as a woman, not a lunatic. And as his belief in her grows, so does her self- confidence. That perhaps she might escape, might see the outside world.

But the monster has other plans. The missing girls share one common thread...each was twenty-nine's cell mate.

Will she be next?

Review: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The Requiem Red will transport you back in time to a darker time when asylum patients were subjected to the most heinous of treatments. Dark and sinister, Ms. Chapman does a fabulous job creating a rather gothic atmosphere with an air of hopelessness.

My heart went out to Patient 29 immediately-- the moment she was subjected to some sort of horrific torture after her roommate was found dead. Yikes, that asylum was one terrifying place.

Full of mystery, a dash of horror and romance, this novel will keep you reading as the plot is revealed piece by piece. I enjoyed the fast pace, as well as the characters, both main and secondary. The plot was intriguing and kept me guessing. Another good novel from Ms. Chapman.

About the Author

Born and raised in western Pennsylvania, Brynn Chapman is the daughter of two teachers. Her writing reflects her passions: science, history and love—not necessarily in that order. In real life, the geek gene runs strong in her family, as does the Asperger’s syndrome. Her writing reflects her experience as a pediatric therapist and her interactions with society’s downtrodden. In fiction, she’s a strong believer in underdogs and happily-ever-afters. She also writes non-fiction and lectures on the subjects of autism and sensory integration and is a medical contributor to online journal The Age of Autism.

She also writes under the pseudonym R.R. Smythe.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest |Goodreads

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Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Silk by Chris Karlsen - Review

Silk

Chris Karlsen

Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
December 14, 2014

Amazon | Goodreads

Silk on the skin—luxurious, luscious..lethal.

London-Fall, 1888

The city is in a panic as Jack the Ripper continues his murderous spree. While the Whitechapel police struggle to find him, Detective Inspector Rudyard Bloodstone and his partner are working feverishly to find their own serial killer. The British Museum's beautiful gardens have become a killing ground for young women strangled as they stroll through.

Their investigation has them brushing up against Viscount Everhard, a powerful member of the House of Lords, and a friend to Queen Victoria. When the circumstantial evidence points to him as a suspect, Rudyard must deal with the political blowback, and knows if they are going to go after the viscount, they'd better be right and have proof.

As the body count grows and the public clamor for the detectives to do more, inter-department rivalries complicate the already difficult case.

My Review: I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review

I am always on board for an interesting villain, especially if I get to experience the villain's POV. The first chapter was intriguing, told from William's POV about the murder and disposal of his mistress. It was so well-written and was a great intro to this Victorian mystery thriller.

The Victorian era is one of my favorites, especially novels set in England. I loved the scenes written from the killer's perspective-- they were dark and the best part of the story. Whenever the killer appeared in the story he had my rapt attention. That's not to say I didn't like protagonist Rudyard. He was interesting in his own right, and I liked the time and effort he put into his investigations.

Dreary London is described so well, I could almost feel the fog and chill. There is some romance, but it really takes a backseat to the murders and investigation. The pacing was a bit slower than I normally like, but whenever the killer appeared, I was game to keep reading. If you like an intriguing crime mystery, especially if you're a fan of the Victorian era, then I think you'll enjoy Silk.

About the Author