Book review : A Gentleman in Challenging Circumstances by Grace Burrowes

A Gentleman in Challenging Circumstances
The Lord Julian Mysteries book #3
by Grace Burrowes

GENRE: Regency era cozy mystery
My rating: ★★★★☆

This is a very enjoyable cozy mystery set in the Regency era.
It's not a fast-paced story, but the intense and well-developed investigation is worthy of Hercule Poirot (the famous detective created by Agatha Christie).

________ PLOT IN A NUTSHELL ________

Set in England during the Regency era, the story follows Lord Julian Caldicott, younger brother of the Duke of Waltham. Julian is a young war veteran still struggling with the physical and emotional wounds he suffered as a prisoner of the French.

During the war, Julian lost not only a part of himself but also his older brother, Harry.
Harry, known in London society for his charm and social life, served as a scout and spy (like Julian). Consequently, Harry's death is shrouded in mystery, and his life proves to be an intricate web of secrets and false appearances.
Now, Julian and Waltham unexpectedly find themselves caring for Harry's young son... but is he truly Harry's son? And which of the women in Harry's life is the child's real mother?

__________ * * * ___________

The MYSTERIES IN THIS SERIES are not murder mysteries, yet they are convoluted enough to require a classic, detailed investigation. This involves identifying everyone possibly connected to the case, even superficially, and questioning them one by one, piecing together the clues.

WHAT ALWAYS CAPTIVATES ME in Julian's mysteries is not only the investigation and the solution, but also the personal lives of the characters.
Despite being connected by family or long-standing friendships, they seem to truly begin to know each other only now, after emerging from the dramatic and painful experiences of the war and the human losses it caused.

The reader is completely drawn in by the emotional depth, which flows from Julian's first-person narration and his dialogues with loved ones.

Waltham, too, hides a secret from the world, one he only recently confessed to his younger brother. However, this secret continues to significantly impact both of their lives. In fact, until Julian finds peace within himself ( and so his "male humor" too, as he use to call it ), neither of them can have children.

Harry's possible son seems to be the only solution for providing an heir to the Dukedom (and all that it entailed at that time: lands, possessions, management, and the survival of an entire village), which makes the search even more emotionally fraught.
Discovering the truth could bring resolution or devastation... and what about the child's life? An innocent being who cannot and must not pay for the sins of others.

Even in this book, the CHARACTERS are all well-developed. With just a few lines and short scenes, the author enables us to understand their inner selves and judge their traits.

----> The clean language and in-depth investigation may appeal to lovers of classic Golden Age mysteries.
The pace is slow and without much action, but always filled with new developments and unexpected surprises.

----> WARNING : The book is readable as a standalone, but it is more enjoyable and easier to understand if you start with book #1.

----> Though Goodreads tags it as "historical romance," those seeking romance will be disappointed. It's almost nonexistent and certainly doesn't offer the sweetness and emotional outpouring that readers of Regency romance (even clean ones) usually expect.
Read it only if you enjoy cozy historical mysteries (don't look for a love story).

If you want to know more about PREVIOUS BOOKS, READ ALSO MY REVIEWS about "Lord Julian Mysteries BOOK 1 and BOOK 2" :

BOOK #1 "A Gentleman Fallen on Hard Times"

BOOK #2 "A Gentleman of Dubious Reputation"

Thanks you all for stopping by and reading my opinion :-)

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Book review : An Affair at Christmastide by Sandra Sookoo

An Affair at Christmastide
a Mary and Bright novel book #1
by Sandra Sookoo
GENRE: #Christmas-cozy-mystery-romance #RegencyChristmas

My rating: ★★☆☆☆
Disappointing !

---> Recommended only for readers interested in steamy romance.
If you are a mystery reader don't waste your time with this.

I was so happy to start a new mystery-romance series and after having appreciated a short story by this author I was expecting to find a good mystery to be solved and a sweet and exciting romance and a nice Christmas atmosphere...
... But some romance writers should stick to romance novels and leave mysteries to those who are more competent at writing them.

__PLOT IN SHORT __ The widow Mary Tomlinson has been living as a recluse in her brother's house for some time to take care of him and her young niece, when one day she has to accompany the girl to a ball.
The ball takes place at the house of a count with whom she lost her virginity as a young woman, only to be abandoned when he was due to marry.

Inspector Gabriel Bright is the brother of the count who hosts the ball, he too is invited to the party as a companion for his twenty-year-old son.
The inspector is also a widower and like Mary has suffered a huge disappointment in the love field.

A mutual attraction instantly sparkles between the two companions and at the ball everything seems fun until an obnoxious butler is found dead.
____________*********____________

I think the story had great potential to be a good book, unfortunately it isn't well developed : 

1) CHRISTMAS ATMOSPHERE = non-existent. If one of the purposes of the book is to "be Christmassy" and the word Christmas is also in the title, then the fact that Christmas is only mentioned in words and there is no Christmas atmosphere, in my opinion it's a flaw !

MORE IMPORTANT : IF ONE WANTS TO WRITE A MYSTERY, ONE MUST ALSO KNOW HOW TO DO IT !!!

2) MYSTERY = not at all well thought and and too many things are so wrong :
--> The Main Male Character, despite being an inspector, takes charge of a murder case that occurred in his brother's house.
Worse: his son was seen by everyone with the weapon in his hands and he's the prime suspect.
How is it possible that this inspector can (on his own initiative, without any permission from Scotland Yard) take on the responsibility of investigating? CONFLICT OF INTEREST!! UNACCEPTABLE
---> Furthermore, he declares that he can only trust himself. I asked myself : WHO MUST ENSURE OTHERS THAT HE IS NOT CORRUPT?
---> Then he names the woman he kissed (another guest of the house which had a past with the owner of the house where happened the murder ) as his assistant in the investigation...

ALL GUESTS ARE SUSPECTS AND MORE SHE ALSO HAD A SOLID MOTIVE TO MURDER THE MAN.
Then the suspect's father, brother of the owner of the house where the murder took place, investigates the murder together with another potential culprit... CRAZY THINGS!! AGAIN UNACCEPTABLE


---> The author also points out that they take everything with gloves and a handkerchief...BUT THE STORY TAKES PLACE IN 1818, THERE WAS STILL NO OPTION TO VERIFY FINGERPRINTS !!
---> His son, found with the bloody knife in his hand, is only 20 years old, if he is not the killer then he found the body...he is presumed to be upset...YET HIS FATHER, THE INSPECTOR, SENDS HIM TO THE ROOM AND FOR OVER 2 DAYS AND IGNORE HIM (without questioning him and without going to see how he is), BUT THE SAME FATHER FINDS THE TIME TO QUESTION 2 OTHER GUESTS (and not his son) AND FLIRT( + ALMOST HAVING SEX ON THE DESK IN THE STUDY ) with a woman he just met.

Hot kisses and sex are entirely inappropriate in that dramatic moment... SHOULDN'T HE WORRY ABOUT HIS YOUNG SON?
Well in 2 days neither the hero nor the heroine of the novel cared about him. Disgusting.
Everything in this book is focused on the attraction between the two MC and their hunger for sex.

---> Another stupid thing:
When they finally question the boy together... suddenly the twenty year old boy (who has an excellent relationship of affection and friendship with his father, as the author shows us in some initial scenes) looks scared and intimidated by his father as if he were a stranger and was too strict and for every movement and response he ( the boy ) seeks comfort in the woman, a stranger he has just met, like if he were a 6 year old little boy as if he's known her forever... it's just ridiculous and it conflicts with everything that was written before. RIDICULOUS!!!

---> Then at a certain point the author has the Female Main Character, who is neither a doctor nor an investigation expert, check the dead man... and she examines the corpse like a professional, while the inspector (with 20 years of experience) stands there, staring at her in amazement like an open-mouthed idiot.

The author justifies everything by saying that the protagonist is a reader of crime novels... SO ONE BECOME AN EXPERT PATHOLOGISTS ONLY BECAUSE IS USED TO READ MYSTERY NOVELS ????? ...Come on, this isn't believable even in fiction

MORE : I remember you that they are in 1818, they had not mystery books so explicative as nowadays mystery books like CSI tv series ( and even nowadays I doubt one could know so much only by reading or watching tv ).

  :-(( Of course the book is full of other bullshit that made me very nervous and ruined the reading, but it would take me too long to list them all.

3) ROMANCE = The romantic part looks more like a contemporary romance than one set in the early 1800s.
Audacity in main characters behaviour and double-meaning dialogues that would have been funny in a contemporary brilliant comedy, in my opinion are not so plausible in the Regency era (it is 1818), at least not for a woman who spent 10 years as a spinster, acting as governess in the house of the brother.
---> It looks like the author was inspired by some modern films and adapted dialogues to a regency romance.

---> Furthermore :the book begins by showing the two protagonists respectively as lonely and partnerless people for the last 10 years, disappointed and deeply hurt by those they had loved in the past and almost on every page it is underlined that they will never openly trust someone else again.Suddenly they collide in the carriage house, without even seeing her face he feels the shape of a woman and instinctively kisses her, she feels the hard chest of a man and responds to the kiss by putting her arms around his neck.

Well... I admit that after 10 years of solitude they are hungry for stronger emotions and even sex, but two people who have been alone for ten years wouldn't be so uninhibited, they would be rather awkward, furthermore two people who fear suffering again don't throw themselves in each other's arms so immediately and with such an hot passion as these two.
I find this hardly believable!
 
The plot is full of inconsistencies and seems to be written specifically for readers who want nothing more than to read spicy love scenes and are not interested in everything else.

I WILL NOT READ OTHER BOOKS IN THIS SERIES.

Thanks for reading my opinion and please forgive my bad English, since it's not my native language.

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Book review : A Fowl Christmastide by Sandra Sookoo

A Fowl Christmastide
12 Days of Christmas Book #3
by Sandra Sookoo
GENRE : #Regency-Christmas-romance #novella

My rating: ★★★★★

Such a lovely and sweet short story!
My rating is 5 full stars !!

It's a clean romance which includes a short kiss under the mistletoe and another longer and more conscious, but still very tender kiss.

The emotion of the story lies above all in the expectation and anticipation of the arrival of love for two people who by now almost no longer dared to hope for the radiance of a future with a life partner (wife/husband) and in the possibility of having children.

The happy ending is very nice and satisfying in all respects.

__NOT ONLY ROMANCE ___ This is a cheerful story that talks about budding love and the courage to take up the challenge, but also about brotherly love and unreserved sacrifice, acceptance, generosity and sharing.


__ THE PLOT IN SHORT __ England, regency era.
Miss Isabelle Fletcher and Evan Nicholas Radcliff, Baron of Hastings, have been neighbors for some years.
They meet almost every day because her chickens leave their henhouse and invade his garden. He usually reacts gruffly but actually lives for those brief meetings.

Belle also feels attracted to him, but is always put off by the fact that he speaks to her in a surly way.
Until one day, on Christmas Eve the little rebellious hens unknowingly unleash a small (but great) miracle...
___________________

The plot could suggest the usual romantic regency story, but in a delicate and light way it also addresses a very important theme: the difficulties that families of children with particular needs often encounter when they find themselves faced with a superficial and hypocritical society that does not accept the differences or the different emotional sensitivity of other people and who does not make the slightest effort to help these children integrate into the world.

In the Regency era, obviously there was no talk of autism, but the character description of Freddy, Nick's younger brother, closely resembles that type of mental and emotional condition.
So the story was very sweet and delicate in this sense too, giving relevance to the infinite affection and dedication that Nick has for his young brother.

The CHRISTMAS MAGIC of the story is completed with Nick's altruistic gesture for children without families and Belle's sincere admiration and her equally sincere desire to help.

The two MAIN CHARACTERS are both positive and pleasant to read.
Even though the story is short and the possibilities of description are few, through the vivid dialogues the two characters came to life in a believable way and the lively scenes kept me entertained with fun.

There are 2 SUPPORTING CHARACTERS:
Belle's father, a vicar who with faith and sweetness encourages his daughter not to stop hoping and Nick's joyful brother, who with the spontaneity of a child (despite already being an adult) immediately conquers not only Belle's heart, but also that of the reader.

*****_________ ******

This is book #3 in a series of Christmas stories (12 Days of Christmas Series) by different authors and therefore each book is a standalone story.

This is the first time I've read anything by Sandra Sookoo and I can't wait to read something else by her.

Thanks for reading my opinion and please forgive any errors in my text, English is a foreign language to me.

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Book review : Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas by Stephanie Barron

Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas
Being a Jane Austen Mystery Book #12
by Stephanie Barron
GENRE : #Regency-Christmas #Historical-cozy-mystery

My rating: ★★★★★

A delightful immersion in the world of Jane Austen and an engaging historical cozy mystery from start to finish!

I had it on my shelf for a few years and I always put off reading it, perhaps for fear of disappointment, after all, as we know, it's not easy to combine fiction with real-life historical characters, mixing them in an intelligent and intriguing way, especially when writing about figures much loved and known throughout the world.

Stephanie Barron did it very well and I think Jane Austen herself would enjoy reading this mystery series starring herself not only as an esteemed author but also as an amateur detective.

__ PLOT IN SHORT ___ Christmas Eve, England 1814.
Jane Austen has been invited to spend the holidays with family and friends at The Vyne, the splendid Tudor mansion, now belonging to the wealthy and politically important Chute family. As the year comes to an end and friends begin to gather under the mistletoe for the twelve days of Christmas festivities, Jane and her circle are in a celebratory mood: Jane's books are popular and she enjoys a good reputation; Napoleon is in exile on the island of Elba; British forces have captured Washington, D.C. and the Treaty of Ghent has been signed, ending a war that no one in England really wanted.
However, when a messenger arrives with a written copy of the treaty and also brings personal news for some guests, tragedy strikes: shortly after his departure he is found dead in the snow... the scene and some clues reveal that it is a crime ...political or for private matters?
The previous day's snowstorm also makes it clear that the killer is necessarily one of The Vyne's guests, some of whom hide dark secrets.
Except for her immediate family, Jane doesn't know who to trust...

_______________

To tell the truth, I wanted to start from book #1, but since we are in Christmastime , I started with this one straight away, (it's number #12 in the series ), but each book can be read as a standalone, even if obviously they have been written with a chronological order of Jane's life and historical facts.
Of course, if you are a reader who knows nothing about Jane Austen, you will probably have a clearer picture of the times in which she lived, the events that influenced her existence and emotions and therefore also her literature, and the family and friends she she felt deeply connected, reading all the books in the right order.

__ INTRIGUING MURDER MYSTERY __
If I have to analyze the part concerning the mystery of the murders and the investigation I must admit that I liked it because it was well blended with the whole story in a curious and intriguing way, but it may not fully satisfy those who instead focus mainly on the difficulty of solving the mystery and on the capture of the guilty.

Initially we had several suspects, but then following the clues and going through obvious exclusions (clearly Jane's family and all the real-life characters couldn't be the culprits), the suspects for me were reduced to 3 people.
While reading, some conjectures came to me spontaneously, but you will be happy to know that while I thought I had already understood everything, actually I had only intuited a few small things and not the entirety of the facts which therefore managed to surprise me.
What disappointed me a little and what I usually don't forgive authors is the punishment reserved for the villains of the story.

IF YOU DON'T MIND SPOILERS READ DOWN BELOW a better explication :

___WARNING SPOILER __ [ I have to put this in the spoiler tag, but I can't help but say it: in reality there are 2 murderers and both remain UNPUNISHED!!!
One manages to escape and for the other there is no tangible evidence to present in court.
I can't stand this.

Usually I remove a star in my rating for this type of ending... I can't stand reading and watching crime films where I wait anxiously to know the truth, only to find myself with the culprit who gets away with it!!

In this case I still gave 5 stars, because the tale told is so rich in Jane Austen and her world and satisfied me so much that not catching the murderers didn't ruin my enjoyment. ] __SPOILER END__

INTERESTING HISTORICAL NOTIONS about FACTS and CHARACTERS _
Most of the characters in this book actually existed:
-- Jane's family: the mother and the beloved sister Cassandra, the slightly bigoted brother the vicar James and the unbearable and complaining wife, the two nice and lively nephews. Jane does not fail to speak proudly of her two brothers in the navy Frank and Charles, her brother Henry and her brother Edward, she even mentions her childhood flirt, her sister's dead boyfriend and other dear friends
-- acquaintances and friends whose homes she frequented even in real life
-- the son of a famous painter who in this book will join Jane in the investigations

The author respects the true personality of those people and manages to insert them into an invented plot, placing them alongside other invented characters, in a fluid manner, making everything appear absolutely plausible and therefore credible.
No cracks and no discordance.

Stephanie Barron also gives us descriptions of places and buildings that can still be visited today.
I read Austen's books when I was young and I loved each of them. I also read various articles about her life, but as I said it was a long time ago and I have never read a biography of her so this was an opportunity to get interested in her private life and I felt so involved that I felt like I was there, in Jane's world at her side.

While reading the book I also read a lot of letters between Jane and Cassandra and between Jane and the brothers and between the brothers themselves, to better understand the bond that united them. Also on the web I visited the ancient Tudor mansion "The Vyne" ( where the mystery takes place ) and took a look at Steventon Parsonage and the town of Chawton. I loved it.

The author has done a masterful job in harmoniously blending fiction and real characters and just like Austen did in her books, she manages to outline the essence of each character through their dialogues.

VERY NICE REGENCY ATMOSPHERE and CHRISTMAS HABITS __

When I choose a Christmas book, it is important for me that the Christmas atmosphere is really felt and is not just a word mentioned in the title.

Even from this point of view I was fully satisfied.
In Regency era, as many probably know, the customs and traditions for celebrating Christmas came from ancient Celtic traditions, very different therefore from the Germanic ones which were introduced later by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.
Then the author, through Jane's voice, told us about the 12 days of Christmas, about the Yule log, which burned in the fireplace for all those days, about the decorations made of holly, ivy and rosemary, about the masquerade ball at Twelfth Night in which various particular characters are represented by the guests and in which the world literally turns upside down: those who command and are high on the social ladder find themselves obeying, commanded by those who are usually among the humblest.
The part dedicated to Jane and Cassandra's gift for their granddaughter was also beautiful, a gift that was enriched every morning of the 12 days.

***** ___ *****

I loved this book and I recommend it not only to anyone who loves Jane Austen, but to any lover of a good cozy mystery and historical sets.

Thanks for reading my opinion, I hope it could be useful to you without revealing too much.
Please forgive any errors in my text, English is not my native language.

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Book review : The Secrets of Wycliffe Manor by Patricia Rice

The Secrets of Wycliffe Manor
Gravesyde Priory Mysteries Book #1
by Patricia Rice
GENRE: slightly gothic #regency-mystery-romance

My rating: ★★★★☆
Actually 3,8 stars rounded up to 4.

An ancient, decaying manor received as an inheritance, a group of characters unknown to each other and with their own secrets, old diaries that have disappeared, a strange essence of jasmine in the air...

Set in the regency era the story has all the conditions to be a Gothic fiction, but overall the story gave me a feeling of a "cozy" atmosphere thanks to the emotional bond and mutual support that is created between the various characters and I liked it for this very reason.

___ PLOT___ 1815, England.
Orphaned 23-year-old Clarissa Knightley lives in London alone with her nephew, the son of her sister who died years before, in the company of a friend who was the victim of a violent husband and has now become pregnant.
When she receives a letter saying that she is among the heirs of an old manor, she sees a new opportunity for herself, her nephew and her friend for a new start in life.
She also needs to find new inspiration to write the novels she earns a living from.

The letter was sent by Captain Alastair Huntley, an American surveyor (whose mother is English and is among the descendants of the manor family) who was left limping and injured in one eye fighting in the war. With him is his best friend, a black young man who is also a surveyor.

The letter was sent by 30-year-old Captain Alastair Huntley, an American surveyor (whose mother is English and is among the descendants of the manor's family) who was left limping and injured in one eye fighting in the war. Together with him is his best friend and peer, a black boy who is also a surveyor.

The first meeting is quite chilling for Clare (Clarissa), but in the course of events, which also include the arrival of other strange (at least initially) characters, the collaboration between them, to find the means of subsistence and give new vigor to everything the village, gives rise to a feeling of esteem and affection.
---------------- * ------------- * ----------

IS IT AN ENGAGING STORY?
Secrets and suspicions overlap each other during the reading of the book and the dose of suspense both to know the name or names of the villains, and to see a romantic feeling flourish between the two main characters is so high that I was literally left glued to the pages of the book (or rather to the screen of my device).

At the end of the book we have a happy ending for the main plot, but we need to read the following books in the series to be able to see developed and resolved all the subplots cleverly inserted throughout the story and thus have full satisfaction by this read.

__ THE CHARACTERS __
I liked them all, but there are many of them and this did not give the author the opportunity to develop them in depth, who was instead able to trace only the main features and tell us, in alternating phases, the private thoughts of Clare and Hunt.
We get to know the other co-protagonist characters only superficially, while the supporting characters barely have a face and a name and a few lines of dialogue.

I therefore repeat that it will be necessary to read the next books to have a broader vision of their lives and their way of being.

__ MYSTERIES TO BE SOLVED ___ what I wrote above also applies to this theme: there are several things that need to be shed light on and if book #1 finds the solution to some questions, there are many other "whys and whos" that remain unsolved and which the reader will discover only by continuing to read the series.

This is why my rating isn't very high despite it being an enjoyable read that I couldn't wait to return to every time I had to break away.

IT IS DIFFICULT TO TAG THIS BOOK:
#romance? #mystery? #gothic? #historical ?

What is certain is that it is a fiction, for the rest we find a hint of everything but nothing so impressive as to be able to include it in that specific category, but I liked it very much.

It's a hybrid that will keep you in good company if you want a light but at the same time engaging read that helps your mood enter Halloween mode.

-- I can't recommend it to romance lovers, because although the attraction between the 2 main characters is palpable on almost every page, in reality the kisses that the two exchange are barely mentioned (so much so that in comparison a clean romance would appear hot), exactly as happens in cozy mysteries with a romantic subplot.

-- I can't even recommend it to "whodunit" fans, because in reality although our characters ask questions and go through old books in search of answers and although there is a dead person, there is no real investigation and the plot digresses towards many themes.

-- We are in the regency era and although this type of novel is called "historical fiction", here except for the mention of the era and fashion, there are no historical references or historical characters.

-- I can't even recommend the book to lovers of gothic readings because as I already explained at the beginning, despite creaks, dust and cobwebs, old cellars, dark corridors and crazy old women, the mutual support and affection that is created within the manor, among the characters is so cute and beautiful to read that it was really comfortable.

BUT I REPEAT : OVERALL I LIKED IT VERY MUCH!!!!

WILL I READ THE NEXT BOOKS IN THE SERIES? I really think so.
This was like eating a little spoon of a cake that I would like to eat a big slice of..I hope it doesn't disappoint me.

Thanks for reading my opinion and please forgive any error in my text, since English is not my native language. :-)

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Book review : A Gentleman of Dubious Reputation by Grace Burrowes

A Gentleman of Dubious Reputation
The Lord Julian Mysteries book #2
by Grace Burrowes

GENRE: Regency era cozy mystery
My rating: ★★★★☆
4 full stars !!!!

2nd installment in The Lord Julian mysteries, you can read it as a standalone, but I suggest you start from book #1 since the personal story of the main character is as fundamental as the mystery talked about in the book.

The mystery is certainly more interesting than the bland mystery covered in the first book, however, unlike normal mysteries or cozy mysteries, Lord Julian's personal events, past and present, are the real focus of the book, what made it really interesting reading and what motivates me to continue the series.

The mystery to be solved in each book is not the reason why I would recommend this series, while the feelings and emotional growth of the character, in my opinion, are the real magnet that will keep you glued to these pages.

___ THE PLOT in short ___ Regency era, England.
Lord Julian Caldicott is summoned to the family seat by his brother Arthur, the duke of Waltham, whose bachelorhood is imperiled by the very determined Lady Clarissa Valmond.

Matters take a nasty turn when Clarissa’s brother, a talented artist, goes missing shortly before his debut London exhibition. Julian must unravel conflicting motives, dishonest witnesses, confusing evidence, old lies, and the real threats facing the duke if he’s to find the errant viscount before a fate worse than ruin befalls both surviving Caldicott brothers.

_______________


__ THE MYSTERY __
As I have already said, it is much more complicated than the previous book and therefore more enjoyable for the reader who loves suspense and difficult puzzles to solve and I must admit that until the end, I had no idea whether the missing person was alive or dead and all my hypotheses about what could have really happened were cleverly diverted by the new clues that the writer introduced through Julian's investigations.
There was only a very brief moment, towards 75% through the book, in which I felt exasperated at the fact that we didn't manage to discover something truly concrete and truthful, but this is part of the game of suspense and shortly after finally the truth has begun to make its way through the different tracks followed by our hero.

__ THE NARRATION __
The book is narrated in the first person by Julian and both the touching part of his story and the witty jokes that promptly lighten the atmosphere, made me feel closer to the character to the point of perceiving him as a dear friend of mine who is telling me the his story.

In addition to the magnificent job that the author did in balancing seriousness and touching details, with funny scenes and witty dialogues, another thing that fascinated me in the narrative is the constant similarity with military life and its rules that Julian makes in considering life situations and the people around him.
In fact he has never stopped feeling like a British army officer and in particular a reconnaissance officer even though he now lives in peacetime.
You will find his similes very interesting and truthful.

___ MAIN CHARACTER and SIDE CHARACTERS ___
I really enjoyed meeting up with some of the characters from the first book and getting to know Julian's brother better, who in the previous episode was only mentioned and remembered in the thoughts of the main character who I really grew fond of.

__ LORD JULIAN is a veteran of the war against Napoleon and like all veterans he suffers not only from physical debilitation but also from emotional trauma due to the cruel battles and above all to the death of his brother (who was in the same regiment) and the psychological torture he suffered when he was a prisoner of the French.
In the first episode we saw Julian return to normal life and take the first steps towards recovering himself and who he was.
In this second episode it is really pleasant to see how he overcomes his personal limits with determination and the desire to recover personal affections, to clear his name from the shame of the accusation of betrayal which is always whispered about in aristocratic circles (but actually he had been acquitted) and how he knows how to put his reconnaissance skills, the role he held in the army, to good use in investigation.

What I love about this character is that he gives a lot of importance to family ties, friendships and feelings without being a victim of those who treat him with malevolence.
He is a young man (29 years old) with a heart of gold but who knows how to stand up to those who try to provoke or humiliate him.
I love the fact that he is a lover of books and culture and that at the same time, he is a young man of action who, despite having grown up among the comforts of the aristocracy, knows how to get by in any outdoor survival situation ready for any eventuality.

I love his generosity: in the first book he immediately tells us that he gave up his marriage to Hyperia and in the second book he explains why.
He always puts the needs of his loved ones first even if they conflict with his own feelings and this makes him a "gentleman" in the true sense of the term.
The deep friendship with Hyperia can be felt throughout the book and the reader cannot help but root for this couple who in my opinion are made to stay together.

__ SIDE CHARACTERS ___ 
The supporting characters are all well delineated, whether they play a major role or a minor role in the episode told in the book, the author manages to show us their soul and mind simply through dialogues and actions.
Among the characters met previously, Hyperia gives an affectionate attention to Julian which cannot help but warm the hearts of the reader (as well of Julian), while the godmother Ophelia and the young Atticus bring joy and "verve", completely reciprocated by Lord Julian who has a great sense of humor (another characteristic that I love about him).

The character who added something new is Arthur, Julian's older brother and Duke of Waltham.
The character surprised me, because from previous stories he seemed like a good person, but also all of a piece and a bit boring.
Instead, we discover that he is capable of deep feelings both for Julian and in his private life and the relationship between the two brothers, which is shown in the book, a little playful and a little discovering each other's travails, It's really enjoyable to read.

Of course, I'll keep on reading the following books in the series as well.

RECOMMENDED for: those who love light mysteries, but also those who want to delve deeper into the souls of the characters and the atmosphere of the Regency era, made up not only of frivolities, but also of dramas and difficulties to overcome.

THANKS FOR READING my opinion and please forgive my English since it's not my native language.

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Book review : A Gentleman Fallen on Hard Times by Grace Burrowes

A Gentleman Fallen on Hard Times
The Lord Julian Mysteries book #1
by Grace Burrowes

GENRE: Regency era cozy mystery
My rating: ★★★★☆
Actually it must to be read as 4.5
I liked it very much !

This has been an enjoyable read, not exactly a mystery as indicated in the tags, not in the murder-to-investigate sense at least, but I really enjoyed the main character's personal story.

The events of the present story and the events of our protagonist's past, both during the war against Napoleon and before the war, are narrated in the first person by the character himself and this is perhaps the thing that created a certain empathy in me, making me fond of to him.

____ THE PLOT ___ Regency era, 
Lord Julian Caldicott has come home from the war in ragged health. He, an English Army reconnaissance officer, Lord Julian Caldicott has come home from the war in ragged health. He, an English Army scout, was captured and tortured by the French, who then massacred hundreds of English soldiers in battle.
Considered a traitor by many people, although exonerated by the army, he desires nothing more than solitude and quiet.
Luckily his affectionate godmother sees the only healing solution as that of reacting, being among people and starting to live again.
Despite Julian's reluctance, he accompanies her to a party where he will find many enemies, but also new allies and the girl who was supposed to marry him, whose heart is still full of affection for Lord Julian.
Among many hostile attitudes, inexplicable events and thefts occur.
Julian, provoked to the extreme, will do anything to solve the puzzle and will find a new drive to appreciate life again.
________________________________

I think the cover of this book, while delightful, doesn't do it enough justice.
From the cover (as well as from the tags) we are led to think that it is just one of the numerous cozy mystery series set in the past, with some bizarre characters, a puzzle to solve and a tepid love story that takes place in parallel and which, as in all cozies, it will develop very slowly and in a barely noticeable way.
There's much more here!

___ 3 IMPORTANT THEMES ADDRESSED IN THE BOOK and the MAIN CHARACTER ____

The plot is light, but at the same time touching, deeper and more important than what one would imagine by taking a quick look at the back cover.
In fact, in the midst of a light and cheerful plot, in which there is no shortage of ironic jokes and witty dialogues that make the reader smile, 3 important and always current themes are also addressed:

1) _  the TRAUMAS that afflict WAR VETERANS from all over the world and from all times, i.e. the pain (not only physical but also emotional) and discomfort in society experienced by many men after experiencing the horrors of battle and seeing death and destruction in its most unspeakable forms.

--------------> As Julian tells us about his present, in which he struggles to return to the superficial and flirtatious life of the peacetime aristocracy, he also tells us about his ghosts.
He tells us about the horror of the battles with the acrid smell of gunpowder that burns the throat and eyes, of the aftermath of the battle with the wounded asking for water, the flies buzzing around the lifeless bodies, of the pain for the loss of friends and especially of beloved brother.
He tells us about his imprisonment and the psychological torture that made him return home in a catatonic state.

Despite the sadness of the past, we can observe Julian's first steps towards a new beginning and it is precisely this part that manages to keep the reader glued to the text.
I rejoiced in his every improvement and couldn't wait for his redemption to arrive compared to those who labeled him as a traitor and liar.

The author managed to move me while remaining within the confines of the light novel and while through Julian's words she summarized the pain and bitterness of war, she also managed to add a touch of adventure.

In fact, Julian tells us about his role in battle: being a reconnaissance officer, how he scouted ahead, how he infiltrated enemy areas with the most varied disguises and how he traced the enemy's plans by studying clues and traces of all kinds.
In fact, Julian has not stopped being a reconnaissance officer, even now that the war is over he uses his skills to reveal the subtle deception of one of the characters and bring the truth to light.


2) _  DISCONFORT due to a CLINICAL PATHOLOGY which at times is disabling for those who suffer from it.

----------> We will discover over the course of the plot that Julian has more than one demon to fight: the physical consequences of imprisonment, the psychological trauma but also another pathology (I won't reveal what because otherwise it would be a spoiler) of which the author knows very well the symptoms and the resulting discomforts, because her father himself suffered from them.
In this context, it is also highlighted how important the support of those who love us is and how sometimes in addition to "the damage" of the disease, human beings are also forced to face "the mockery" of a society too full of prejudices and immediately ready to condemn and marginalize suffering people .

3) _ FAMILY TIES and the feelings that govern them, such as: love, respect, fear of disappointing, trust, sense of responsibility, complicity, childhood memories etc...

------------------> Julian has brothers and sisters and of course parents.
Usually the plots always include a bad or absent father or a frivolous and selfish mother or a certain antagonism with some stepbrother...
In this book I was struck by how strong the bond Julian has with his brothers ( a dead one and the elder still alive ), even though they are so different from each other.
 Also the affection for his parents and for his godmother and his former betrothed is always present in our protagonist's speeches.
Childhood memories are cheerful and full of sweetness.
I really liked seeing that this family ( and its servants staff ) creates a united front and that despite the emotional wounds and the fear of having sullied the honor of his family, Julian instead discovers that he has great emotional support among his loved ones.
________

Julian is an EXTREMELY POSITIVE CHARACTER. 
On the one hand the book begins with an apparently defeated young man  who tells us about his traumas and who would only like to be left alone in the dark, on the other hand we also see a real soldier who does not back down from a challenge.
Julian is suffering deeply, both physically and emotionally, yet he agrees to escort his godmother, complying with her requests, because his honor and kindness and affection for her come before his own needs.
Actually, helping someone else and protecting a person for whom he feels a deep affection will be the spark that will restart the engine to get back to life.
Step by step, chapter after chapter Julian challenges his own weaknesses and starts enjoying every little thing again.
The more society kicks him and orders him to leave, the more Julian will rediscover his fighting spirit, attract new allies and finally return to being proud of himself.

---> I love this character and his company was wonderful throughout the book.
I also liked the side characters and I think the author did a good job in describing their character traits through dialogues, small gestures and facial expressions.
Some of them, we can imagine from the plot, will also be present in the next books.

__ THE MYSTERY __
As I already said it's not a murder and it's not even something extremely elaborate so mystery lovers should choose this book.
It seems more like an excuse to add a pinch of curiosity to the plot on the part of the reader, while telling the personal story of Lord Julian (past and current with some anticipation for the future).
However, I didn't mind it and although the culprit was predictable, it was so predictable that every time Julian questioned someone I found myself making new and different suppositions... the author was still good at creating many diversions and also managed to insert, in the solution of the mystery, a surprise element that I wasn't expecting.

IS IT a "COZY" MYSTERY?
Yes it is, however unlike the usual "cozies" it contains some speeches with words not exactly suitable for gentlemen and ladies of good society and you will also find a funny dirty song that the soldiers usually sang.
I really liked this "a little more cheeky" but never vulgar element and it often made me laugh. The author was able to elaborate this aspect with great grace, well done!

__ WILL I READ THE OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES?___
Of course yes, in fact, I confess that I have already read book #2, I liked it and you will soon have my review.

Thank you for reading my opinion and if my English is not exactly correct it's because it's not my language, so please forgive me :-)

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Book review : Petteril's Corpse by Mary Lancaster

Petteril's Corpse
by Mary Lancaster
Lord Petteril Mysteries series book #2

My rating: ★★★☆☆
3.4 because it was a little better than installment #1 that I rated 3 stars, but I certainly can't round it to 4

Nice enough cozy mystery (but nothing really captivating) to read when you want something less challenging, very short and certainly better than number one in the series which didn't engage me at all.

It would almost be better to read them one after the other, because although there are 2 different mysteries to solve, the main characters have their own personal story that develops over the course of the books.
Since the books are very short, reading them days apart does not allow me to delve deeply into the stories and feel involved neither in the facts told nor the characters.

__ PLOT ___ Regency era England.
The new Lord Petteril and his new assistant April, a former thief on the streets of London, first dressed as a boy and now finally in women's clothes, find a naked corpse with a dagger in the chest, on the road to reach one of Petteril's residences.

The local magistrate, Robert Lindon, has no idea how to proceed with such a heinous crime. Of course Petteril too doesn't know how to proceed, but curiosity pushes him to help, naturally with the assistance of the enterprising April.

Identifying the body is difficult enough. Suspecting that the culprit is one of the local nobles, some of whom were Petteril's childhood friends, is even more difficult.
___________________________

MY OPINION ABOUT THIS INSTALLMENT #2

---> 😃 😃 As I already said above, this second book was more engaging than the first, not only because I now know the main characters and I am starting to be more curious and interested in the development of their personal lives, but above all here the mystery was finally more complicated and only at the end I got an idea of who the culprit could be, but I still wasn't sure.

There are at least 7 suspects and each time the events bring new clues that could incriminate one or the other.

---> ☹️ ☹️ Unfortunately, being a short book, the plot is interesting but not sufficiently developed to involve me passionately.

---> ☹️ ☹️ We also have a couple of romantic moments that are so short and flat that they didn't give me any emotion.

---> ☹️ ☹️ No ironic and funny jokes and this is another point that doesn't allow me to get excited about this series.

---> ☹️ ☹️ Another thing that disturbs me a little is that in book #1 WARNING SPOILER referring to BOOK #1 !___ we met (Ape, i.e. April disguised as a boy) and she looked 10 years old... then once identified as a girl she looked between 14 and 18 years old. In this second book, which is set a few weeks or at most a few months after the events of book #1, April looks between 16 and 20 years old.
On the cover of book #1 there is a child (Ape), on the cover of book #2 and in the following ones, there is clearly an adult girl... EXPLAIN TO ME HOW A girl dressed as a boy can look 10 years old and then 20 ?
The writer could have described a young 15 year old petty thief boy who would later turn out to be a 20 year old girl...but the way the author put the story really doesn't make much sense!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ) SPOILER END___ ___

I don't know if I'll read the following books in the series, I still have to decide.

Curious about BOOK #1 review ? Then read it : BOOK #1 "Petteril's Thief"

Thanks for reading my opinion and please forgive my bad English since it's not my mother language.

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Book review : Vienna Wolfe by Mary Lancaster

Vienna Dawn
by Mary Lancaster
The Imperial Season book #4

My rating: ★★★★★
Actually 4.5 rounded up to 5 stars.

Very short story but very nice clean romance.

____ THE PLOT ___ 1814, Vienna.
Colonel Francis Wolfe, military hero and unexpectedly new Earl of Warenton after the recent death of his brother, is ready to do his duty and marry a woman, his equal, who would be the perfect Countess of Warenton to present to the world.
Too bad that the beautiful Sylvia Renleigh is also a cold and calculating girl that he would never want in his bed, in any case not after meeting the sweet, lively and spontaneous French refugee Elise.
Elise de Sancerre, like many French nobles, now finds herself in a situation of extreme poverty, tyrannized by Sylvia and her mother.
Thanks to a rescue from an injury and a masquerade ball, the flame of true love will prevail over every convention and hypocrisy of the aristocracy.
_________________

This is installment #4 in a series named "The Imperial Season".
I adored the first 3 books in the series ( all rated 5 stars by me ), all with a usual book length , all readable as standalone but all connected one to each other not only by the setting but also through the characters, so they're more enjoyable if you read them starting with book 1.

----> This is definitely a STANDALONE .

When I saw this one was only a short story, with the same setting ( 1814 Congress of Vienna ), but not linked to the others, I don't know why, but I felt so disappointed that I put it aside.
I also decided not to read it at all... until yesterday, when I needed something short to read, something not very demanding but which made me dream a little.
WELL, I LOVED IT !!
SO BAD IT'S TOO SHORT !! (That's why I consider it only 4.5 and not really 5 full stars )


____ THE HEROINE, Elise, 26 years old, is dreamy and spontaneous, just like many of us, when we imagine that the man of our dreams will finally come to take us away on his white horse.
She says what she thinks before even considering that perhaps it is not covered by the rules of etiquette and is so humble that she doesn't think for a moment that her dream could really come true.
... Do you know? It sometimes happens that the heroines of novels are too sweet, too beautiful and desired by everyone, too humble, too good, too this and too that... I LIKE ELISE, I find her pleasant in everything, and she deserves to be happy!

____ THE HERO, Francis is the soldier who never thought about marriage, he enjoyed the good life with women, he always held the military corps in high regard and less the civilian world, but he is a kind, intelligent and sometimes playful man.
Maybe now, at 38, he finally wants to settle down, but not out of calculation... he realizes that he wants a bond made of love.

___ KISSING AND ROMANTIC SCENES ___
This is a short story, so there isn't enough, but the two scenes (the central one and the final one) with kisses first stolen, then sweet, then passionate, their making love and the words he says to her, they are very beautiful and very sweet.

Dear Mrs. Lancaster, why didn't you write a book instead of a short story?
I loved it but it's too short!
Dear writer, you are one of my favourites, so I ask you:
Please, could you write a series with these two characters together, who, even if they are now married, have wonderful adventures (and perhaps investigations) in every book of the series?
A bit similar to Crime and Passion series, but without changing couples every time, focus on the love story of these two! I would be so happy !
... I know you won't read the review, I know you won't please me, but I tried anyway!

Thanks to all for reading my opinion and please forgive any errors you can find in my text, English is not my mother language.

READ ALSO "The Imperial Season" BOOK #1 - BOOK #2 - BOOK #3:
#1 Vienna Waltz
#2 Vienna Woods
#3 Vienna Dawn

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Book review : Petteril's Thief by Mary Lancaster

Petteril's Thief
by Mary Lancaster
Lord Petteril Mysteries series book #1

My rating: ★★★☆☆
3 full stars, which bodes well for the next books in the series

I couldn't get into it until after 50% through the book.

This is a long short-story ( only 157 pages ) and I know that I always find short story unsatisfying ( except those by Agatha Christie ), because there's no enough time to develop characters making them impressive and then the topic ( be it a mystery or a romance ) is always solved very fast without many details.

However after the first half of the book there has been an unexpected twist that finally took my attention and being this the book #1 in a series, I suppose all characters and events will get more interesting and captivating in the following short books.

____ THE PLOT ____  
In the spring of 1812, Piers Withan is dragged from his beloved Oxford to be the new Viscount Petteril.
Burdened by responsibilities he doesn’t want and the remnants of a family who don’t want him, he is saved from an irredeemable mistake by Ape, the small thief burgling his house.

The former Viscountess Petteril, Piers' aunt and wife of the late Lord, is now looking for an important family heirloom, a gold necklace with rubies that has disappeared.
However, the necklace was not among Ape's stolen goods, so who was it?
Are the culprits other criminals or someone within the greedy and indebted family?

---->  clean language
---->  suitable for cozy mystery lovers and young adult mystery lovers

_____________________________


____ ABOUT THE MYSTERY ____
the mystery is really light and not at all challenging, which is obvious in a short story, however there could have been a little suspense at least for two or three pages.
Usually this disappoints me, but the writer concentrated a pinch of suspense on another topic:
the private sphere of the characters and therefore I never thought of abandoning the book, I wanted to know the solution to "their problem"!

____ ABOUT THE CHARACTERS ____ 
I suspect Mary Lancaster was inspired by a classical mystery, none other than "These Old Shades" by Georgette Heyer, but while I didn't like that book, I've found the same topic here interesting, but I need to use a spoiler to better explain :
___ WARNING: SPOILER____ As in Heyer's book, a rich nobleman finds a boy living on the streets, takes him home and takes care of him by giving him a job on his staff.
In the course of the story the boy turns out to be a young woman, who, having lived for many years as someone of the male sex, no longer wants to go back to living with a feminine lifestyle, made up of clothes with petticoats and a bodice and behaviors more suited to the female sex (as well as different types of tasks within a staff of servants).
-----> While in Heyer's book I couldn't stand the girl, because she was in love and obsessed with her savior and I couldn't stand the fact that despite the huge age difference, they eventually became a couple, in Lancaster's book the girl feels grateful and attracted to her savior , but not in an obsessive and mean way towards the other characters.
Furthermore, the age difference here is acceptable, given that Petteril is also a young man and above all he is a lovable and kind-hearted guy. ___SPOILER END ____

As I have already said, the characters do not have much chance of being well developed in short stories, but Mrs. Lancaster, the author, managed to define each of them so well with just a few descriptive traits (of their way of being and thinking). This is what convinced me to continue with the story, also wanting to read the next books...
I have read several books by Mary Lancaster, I usually love her writing style and I know she will manage to develop the characters and their backgrounds, book by book, making them more and more interesting.

__ THE MAIN CHARACTER ____ Piers Withan, the knew LORD PETTERIL:
what I like about him is the fact that not being destined to inherit the title, he was able to follow his nature as a lover of books, dedicating himself to study and teaching.
However we discover that he is not just a bookworm, but having grown up with a brother and two older cousins, he has learned to defend himself both verbally and physically.

He is an intelligent and kind young man ( handsome too ) and relates to his new staff in a very friendly way, offering to help them with "a certain thing" in which humble people at that time were usually lacking (find out by reading the book!)

___ THE SECOND MAIN CHARACTER __ APE, the young thief and street urchin:
despite having to look after himself from an early age, stealing under the directives of dangerous criminals, we immediately see his desire to have an honest life.
This character immediately won me over for his inner wisdom despite his young age and will be the character who will give you the most surprises in this first book and in the next one and perhaps even the ones after (yes, I have already peeked into the plots of the back covers !! )

___THE OTHER SIDE CHARACTERS __
some amiable and some unbearable, but I'll be happy to meet them all again in the next Petteril's adventures.
humor and ironic jokes !
What I usually like in cozy mysteries, where obviously the mystery is light and the suspense is minimal, is the humorous atmosphere that usually permeates the whole story: funny moments, ironic jokes every now and then... that playfulness , which makes the reader smile and laugh and keeps him glued to the book because he is having fun, even though there is no complicated puzzle and no love story.
So: no complicated mysteries, no love stories (but who knows in the future...), no humour.
This explains my miserable 3 star-rating.
I'm confident though, the series will improve.

THANKS FOR READING my opinion and please be lenient with my English, it's not my mother tongue.

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Book review : What Angels Fear by C.S. Harris

What Angels Fear
Sebastian St. Cyr Book 1
by C.S. Harris
My rating: ★★★★☆
4 FULL STARS !! :-D

Actually it would have been a full 5 stars, the story has been so engaging and so well written, but  something annoyed me in the end, so I removed 1 star ( better explanations at the bottom of my review ).

Let's start telling something about ____ the PLOT :

We are in England in 1811, when King George III is about to be deposed due to his madness and a regent is about to be appointed. The rivalry between the two main political parties is increasingly heated and with it espionage, political pressure and blackmail are always at work.

In the midst of this turmoil, a brutal murder of a prostitute occurs in a church and the suspect seems to be the one who will be the hero of the story: Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, a brilliant young nobleman shattered by his experiences in the Napoleonic Wars .

In normal times a noble would have gotten away without problems, but political forces need an exemplary punishment to offer to the people and it matters little whether the man is innocent or not. Sebastian's only chance is to escape and look for the real culprit on his own.

Everything becomes more complicated when on Sebastian's path also appear an old romantic disappointment, family members with whom he has difficult relationships, corrupt politicians, bad policemen and a large host of suspects.
Luckily a little cut-purse rascal will become a precious ally and good friend for Sebastian, as is a young doctor, a long-time comrade in arms.


😃😃😃😃😃😃 MY OPINION :

THE CHARACTERS : I liked all the characters and the author manages to describe them so well in their facial expressions, in their movements, in their thoughts, in the relationships that exist between them. The characters are three-dimensional, so much so that you feel like you know them as if they were real people.

What I hate in some regency novels or mystery series set in the 1920s is the meticulous description of how they are dressed in the latest fashion... Hey, how boring !!
What do I care about the description of the clothes every time the main character enters a hall or participate in an event??? !! I want to enter the soul of the character to get to know him/her better and this author allowed me to do so!

---> This is not the case, in fact by the descriptions of this author we are able to enter into every thought of bitterness, anger, fear, envy, love, tenderness, hope, irony etc... that the characters are feeling within themselves and which they pour out onto the other characters.

__ Each character is perfect in its particular way to be, I hated every bad guy and felt great sympathy for every good character.

__ I love Sebastian because not only is he young and handsome, but he is noble at heart, he manages to feel empathy for others and he realizes how the world he lives in is generous towards some and too unfair towards many others.
I also appreciated the fact that he does not choose the easy way out and decides to risk his life in order not to reveal secrets of people he is fond of, do justice for a victim, even if she is a prostitute, and to clear his name from a 'unjust accusation.

I already have a medieval book boyfriend and now I also have a regency one, I am completely in love with Sebastian.

__ I liked the rekindled relationship between Sebastian and his old love (no I wasn't jealous, I'm rooting for Kat Bolein who was a victim of the divide between nobles and poor. In fact, what I'm sorry about is already knowing that WARNING SPOILER ___ ___[ their love story will end again and he will marry his enemy's daughter. There are 19 books and the back covers reveal it openly ] SPOILER END___ ___.

---> There are sex scenes between them that are not explicit and not at all vulgar, but warm and tender at the same time.
--> Another sex scene involving another person may seem a little vulgar but there isn't too much of a description. Nothing shocking, just maybe not suitable for very young people.

__SCENES AND DIALOGUES__ each scene of the story is described meticulously.
While I was reading I could see in my mind the images of places, characters and situations scrolling like in a film.
The author makes us breathe in a humid and foggy, dark and dangerous London.
The dialogues are brilliant and, depending on the scenes, offer the reader suspense and tension alternated from time to time with lightness and fun irony.

---> Frenetic action scenes, daring escapes with a lot of adrenaline, desperate rescues, intriguing interrogations, playful and ironic jokes, moments of strong tension and fear that everything could fall apart... A clever mix of all these elements kept my attention alive from the first page to the last one!!!!!!!

___THE MYSTERY___ This fast-paced mystery was really complicated to solve not only for our hero but also for us readers.
The suspects alternate in a web of lies and subterfuges and each from the way they answer Sebastian's questions they all seem to have uncovered truths about the murder and they all appear to be sincere.
In fact, I never even suspected who the murderer turns out to be and I was really surprised when one of the characters guessed it.

The intertwining of politics, espionage and personal interests in the search for those involved is truly compelling and even more compelling is the way in which Sebastian manages to extricate himself from the meshes of this network.

___ If you love action thrillers, with an intelligent and stubborn hero with a good heart, then I recommend this read.

___ WHAT MADE ME ANGRY ____
The only flaw in the whole story was WARNING SPOILER ___ ___[ the punishment of the culprit at the end: absolutely inadequate and disappointing.

A bad and perverse man who committed crimes that were not only serious because they were murders, but even more horrible because the murderer had sex with women after having slaughtered them, finding sadistic and perverse pleasure from the pool of blood around him.

This psychopath was unmasked, in the finale, by Sebastian and left to drown, all his guilt will be covered up by the authorities.
A death too easy and quick for such a perverse and disgusting being.

It is true that at that time the nobles often got away with it, but as I explained in the plot, exemplary punishment was needed and they were ready to sacrifice the Viscount of Devlin ( Sebastian ).
It would therefore have been right for the author to have had him publicly indicted and publicly executed...
Indeed the punishment should have been proportional to the crimes (and attempted crimes) committed, here is my idea:
Dear author, we know that in reality justice is very imperfect and I have had enough of reality, this is the reason why I love reading fiction, because they are not reality.

So, dear author, you have written a beautiful and breathtaking mystery, so I ask you why you gave your readers such a disappointing ending? Such a monster deserved a more atrocious death!

That perverse maniac, that devil should have burned in the fire that you described so well in the ending...
You, dear author, should have made that murderer burn, make him come out of the building in flames and screaming in pain...
You should have had him saved by Sebastian with the sole purpose of making him suffer unspeakable pain for at least 10 days in hospital before dying.
In those ten days the perverse murderer should have known that he would die and that his name was ruined, he should have received a visit from his wife (equally bitchy and despicable) who declared her contempt for him.
She and their equally psychopathic son would have to continue to live in dishonor and poverty.

Instead you, the author, saved the honor of those despicable and evil people and you even gave the murderer's family the satisfaction of mocking Sebastian!

I took away a whole star because I really didn't like your ending!!! ] SPOILER END ___ ___

_______ *** ____ 

__ A small difficulty that readers may encounter in this story is the enormous quantity of names not only of characters, but of streets, buildings and places... I admit that it was confusing at times.Furthermore, being Italian, it was difficult for me to understand many dialect phrases uttered by Sebastian's protégé.
It's not the first time I've read truncated or distorted words to indicate the common language of the poor, and I usually understand it anyway, but this time it was a little more complicated.

___ This is the book #1 in a series and as I said, except one particular,  I loved it and I will definitely read the next 18 books already published.

You can also read it as a stand alone, there are no final cliffhangers.

Thank you all for reading my opinion and please forgive my English, it's not my native language.

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------******************-------

LIBRO disponibile anche in EDIZIONE LINGUA ITALIANA, leggi la mia recensione !

Il Visconte Incriminato
di C.S. Harris
My rating: ★★★★☆
4 STELLE PIENE !! :-D

In realtà sarebbero state 5 stelle piene, la storia è stata così avvincente e così ben scritta, ma qualcosa alla fine mi ha infastidito, quindi ho tolto 1 stella (spiegazioni più approfondite in fondo alla mia recensione).

Ma cominciano per ordine,
ecco un breve accenno alla TRAMA_______:
Siamo nell'Inghilterra del 1811, quando Re Giorgio III  sta per essere deposto a causa della sua follia e sta per essere nominato un reggente. La rivalità tra i due principali partiti politici è sempre più accesa e con essa spionaggio, pressioni politiche e ricatti sono sempre all'opera. In mezzo a questo tumulto accade un efferato omicidio di una prostituta in una chiesa e l'indiziato sembra proprio colui che sarà l'eroe della storia :
Sebastian St. Cyr, il visconte di Devlin, un brillante giovane aristocratico, distrutto dalle sue esperienze nelle guerre napoleoniche.
In tempi normali un nobile se la sarebbe cavata senza problemi, ma le forze politiche hanno bisogno di una punizione esemplare da offrire al popolo e poco importa se l'uomo è innocente oppure no.
L'unica chance di Sebastian è fuggire e cercare per conto proprio il vero colpevole.
Tutto si complica maggiormente quando sulla strada di Sebastian compare anche una vecchia delusione amorosa, dei famigliari con cui egli ha rapporti difficili, alcuni uomini politici corrotti, qualche cattivo poliziotto e una larga schiera di sospetti.
Per fortuna un piccolo furfantello tagliaborse diventerà un prezioso alleato e buon amico per Sebastian, così come lo è un anche un giovane dottore, compagno d'armi di vecchia data.

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___ I PERSONAGGI ___  Mi sono piaciuti tutti i personaggi e l'autrice riesce a descriverli talmente bene nelle loro espressioni facciali, nelle loro movenze, nei loro pensieri, nei rapporti che intercorrono tra loro, che diventano tridimensionali e sembra di essere dentro la storia e farne conoscenza come se fossero veri.
Ciò che odio in alcuni romanzi regency o serie mystery, è la descrizione minuziosa dei loro abiti ( merletti, cappellini, perle fibbie )...ma che m'importa della descrizione dei vestiti ogni voilta che l'eroina di turno entra in una sala o partecipa ad un evento??? !! Io voglio entrare nell'animo del personaggio per conoscerlo meglio e questa autrice me lo ha permesso!
Dal tipo di descrizione, infatti, riusciamo a sentire ogni pensiero di amarezza, rabbia, paura, invidia,amore, tenerezza, speranza, ironia ecc... che i personaggi sentono dentro di loro e che riversano sugli altri personaggi.
---> Ogni personaggio è perfetto nelle sue caratteristiche ed esse ci mostrano a pieno che tipo di persona lui/lei sia.L'autrice è riuscita a farmi detestare ogni personaggio cattivo e provare grande simpatia ed emoatiaper ogni personaggio buono.

__ Ho amato Sebastian perché non solo è giovane e bello, ma è nobile di cuore, riesce a provare empatia per gli altri e si rende conto di quanto il mondo in cui vive sia generoso con alcuni e troppo ingiusto verso moltissimi altri.
Di lui ho apprezzato anche il fatto che non scelga la via più facile e decida di rischiare la sua vita pur di non rivelare segreti di persone a cui è affezionato, fare giustizia per una vittima, seppur una prostituta e per ripulire il suo nome da un'accusa ingiusta. E' davvero facile innamorarsi di questo ragazzo.

__ __ Mi è piaciuta la riaccesa relazione tra Sebastian e il suo vecchio amore ( no, non ero gelosa, faccio il tifo per Kat, soprattutto perchè è una vittima del divario fra nobili e poveri. )
---> Ci sono delle scene di sesso tra loro non esplicite e per nulla volgari, ma calde e tenere al tempo stesso.
--> Un'altra scena di sesso che riguarda un'altra persone invece può sembrare un poco volgare, ma non vi è una descrizione troppo spinta. Nulla di sconvolgente, solo magari non adatto ai giovanissimi.

__SCENE E DIALOGHI__ ogni scena della storia è descritta in maniera meticolosa. Mentre leggevo potevo vedere nella mia mente le immagini di luoghi, personaggi e situazioni scorrere come nella pellicola di un film.
L'autrice ci fa respirare una Londra diversa dai soliti regency, più oscura e pericolosa, sempre umida e nebbiosa.

I dialoghi sono  brillanti e a seconda delle scene offrono al lettore suspense e tensione alternate di tanto in tanto con leggerezza e divertente ironia.
---> Scene d'azione frenetiche, fughe rocambolesche ricche di adrenalina, salvataggi disperati, interrogatori intriganti, battute scherzose ed ironiche, momenti di forte tensione e paura che tutto possa precipitare... Un sapiente mix di tutti questi elementi ha mantenuto viva la mia attenzione dalla prima all'ultima pagina.

___IL MISTERO___ questo mystery dal passo veloce, era davvero complicato da risolvere, non solo per il nostro eroe ma anche per noi lettori.
I sospettati si alternano in una rete di bugie e sotterfugi e ogni dal modo in cui rispondono alle domande di Sebastian sembrano tutti dalle verità scoperte sull'omicidio e sembrano tutti essere sinceri.
Di fatto non ho neanche mai sospettato colui che si rivela essere l'assassino e sono rimasta davvero sorpresa quando uno dei personaggi stessi lo intuisce per primo.
L'intreccio tra politica, spionaggio ed interessi personali della cerca di persone coinvolte è davvero avvincente e ancora più avvincente è il modo in cui Sebastian riesce a districarsi dalle maglie di questa rete.

__ Se amate i gialli d'azione, con un eroe intelligente,caparbio e con di buon cuore, allora vi consiglio questa lettura!!!!

---> Il linguaggio del libro è pulito, ma oltre alle scene di sesso, si parla di omicidi efferati e racapriccinati.
In questo caso le scene sono descritte con lo stretto necessario per far capire al lettore la brutalità dell'omicidio, non vi sono descrizioni eccessivamente particolareggiate, tuttavia non considero il libro adatto ai giovanissimi e gli adulti abituati a leggere i cozies potrebbero non gradire questo tipo di lettura.

Fin qui ho detto solo cose positive, ma allora perchè 4 stelle e non 5 ?

__ QUELLO CHE MI HA INFASTIDITO ____
L'unico neo dell'intera storia è  stata ATTENZIONE SPOILER ___ ___ la punizione del colpevole nel finale : assolutamente inadeguata e deludente.
Un uomo cattivo e perverso che ha commesso reati non solo gravi perchè omicidi, ma ancora più orribili dal fatto che l'assassino ha fatto sesso con le donne dopo averle sgozzate, trovato un sadico e perverso piacere dal lago di sangue intorno a lui. Questo psicopatico è stato smascherato, nel finale, da Sebastian e da lui lasciato annegare, tutte le sue colpe verranno  insabbiate dalle autorità.
Una morte troppo facile e veloce per un essere così perverso e schifoso.
E' vero che a quel tempo i nobili se la cavavano spesso, ma come ho spiegato nella trama, si aveva bisogno di una punizione esemplare ed erano pronti a sacrificare il Visconte di Devlin ( Sebastian ).
Sarebbe stato giusto quindi che l'autore l'avesse fatto incriminare pubblicamente e giustiziare pubblicamente... anzi la punizione avrebbe essere dovuto essere proporzionale ai delitti ( e tentati delitti ) commessi, se non attraverso la legge del tempo, almeno attraverso la fantasia dell'autrice,  ecco la mia idea:

Caro autore, sappiamo che nella realtà la giustizia è molto imperfetta e io ne ho abbastanza della realtà, è questo il motivo per cui amo leggere fiction, perché esse non sono la realtà.
Così, caro autore, hai scritto un mystery bellissimo e mozzafiato, quindi ti chiedo perchè hai regalato ai tuoi lettori un finale così deludente ? Un mostro del genere meritava una morte più atroce !
Quel maniaco perverso, quel diavolo avrebbe dovuto bruciare nell'incendio che tu hai descritto così bene nel finale...Tu, caro autore, avresti dovuto fare bruciare quell'assassino, farlo uscire in fiamme ed urlante dal dolore dall'edificio...avresti dovuto farlo salvare da Sebastian con il solo scopo di fargli patire indicibili pene per almeno 10 giorni in ospedale prima di morire. In quei dieci giorni il perverso assassino avrebbe dovuto sapere che sarebbe morto e che il suo nome era rovinato, avrebbe dovuto ricevere la visita della moglie ( altrettanto stronza e spregevole ) che gli dichiarava il suo disprezzo. Lei e il loro altrettanto psicopatico figlio avrebbero dovuto continuare a vivere nel disonore e nella povertà.
Invece tu autore hai salvato l'onore di quelle persone spregevoli e cattive e ai famigliari dell'assassino hai persino regalato la soddisfazione dello scherno nei confronti di Sebastian !

Ho tolto una stella intera perché il tuo finale, caro autore, proprio mi ha fatto arrabbiare !!! FINE SPOILER ___ ___

--> Una piccola difficoltà che i lettori potrebbero incontrare, in questa storia, è l'enorme quantità di nomi, non solo di personaggi, ma anche di strade, edifici e luoghi.
Ammetto che qualche volta mi son trovata un pò confusa.
Un'altra piccola difficoltà per i lettori che come me leggono il libro in lingua originale ( inglese) sono le frasi dialettali, che di tanto in tanto vengono pronunciate dal protetto di Sebastian.
Non è la prima volta che leggo un inglese con parole mozzate o distorte per indicare il linguaggio popolano dei poveri e solitamente lo capisco ugualmente, perchè anche se scritto in maniera diversa di fatto la fonetica assomiglia al linguaggio corretto, quindi è abbastanza intuibile, ma questa volta era un po'più complicato del solito.

Francamente non ho idea se in italiano le abbiano tradotte scrivendole in un italiano corretto oppure se abbiano trascritto un italiano dialettale per non perdere l'effetto della parlata da persona non istruita e di umili origini.

___ Questo libro è il primo lunga una serie di successo, purtroppo come accade spesso in Italia, questo è l'unico che i lettori in lingua italiana avranno l'opportunità di leggere.
Il lato positivo è che è leggibile come "standalone", ovvero come libro a sé, non ci sono eventi che rimangono in sospeso nel finale e avrete quindi la possibilità di guastarne a pieno la lettura.
Io sicuramente leggerò anche i prossimi 18 libri già pubblicati, nonostante l'atmosfera sia un po' dark per i miei gusti, è comunque assolutamente coinvolgente e il pizzico di rosa addolcisce un poco la storia.

Grazie a tutti per aver letto la mia opinione in proposito :-) , se volete rimanere aggiornati sulle prossime recensione , potete seguirmi anche sulla mia pagina facebook : Tizi Cozy Corner