Please do not waste your time reading this novel. On the one hand, it fulfilled its purpose for me, in my quest for books filled with frosty landscapePlease do not waste your time reading this novel. On the one hand, it fulfilled its purpose for me, in my quest for books filled with frosty landscapes. The first part of the story (maybe nine chapters or so, out of forty-seven total) got me hooked, but I steadily grew more disappointed as I proceeded to the end.
So poorly written and executed that it seemed like a first draft, never read by anyone else before committing it to print. Some sentences or dialogue were so wordy and badly constructed that I had to stop and try to put together what action or behavior or thought was meant by them. Also, the author seemed to have a thesaurus handy, for randomly adding 10-gallon words to her 3rd-grade-level vocabulary. She has no sense of the eloquent composition of 19th century literature.
At less than halfway through the book, I already knew what the outcome would be and who did what. Nothing in the plot was gradually revealed, to give some suspense. There were no surprises from any of the characters, from page one to the end. Everyone pretty much remained the same, and it was hard to find any logical connection to how their lives had made them who they were described to be. Not even the villain.
There was also far too much Agenda here. No women were ever portrayed as more than innocent victims. However several men were portrayed as if they were animals. The world imagined by the author is ripe with nasty deceitful men around every corner, every hospital, every precinct, every conservatory. Men didn't actually evolve to love women until at least the 20th century, right? (I guess that's why mostly women and children and very few men survived the Titanic in 1912.)
The laws of 1879 were explained as someone from 2018 understands them (the author seems to think evil unchecked males ruled the day, with iron fists), but the nuances of how these came to be law were not touched upon. Nor how they came to be changed (thank goodness). I do agree: the "good old days" is a myth, but there is very little here explaining how cultural mistakes have always been pliable in the USA, and our system was set up to be self-correcting rather than requiring revolutions every time a part of it goes wrong. Were such crimes as what are described in this novel actually so ubiquitous in 1879? Was the general public supportive of such crimes, as is portrayed here? (Could a greedy yellow journalist really transform overnight in such a culture?) In what ways has our culture changed--or has it? (For example, in our current generation, are children being sexualized? Are only males guilty of this?)
I'm not sure real life back then was adequately researched, or perhaps only revisionist historians were consulted, rather than perusing any resources written at the time. I'm also doubtful that the author can take an honest look at our current cultural sins, even though certain laws have changed. I have to give her some credit for Mary Sutter righteously refuting abortion as a "medical" solution.
This was an unpleasant, disturbing tale poorly told. In the end, nothing about it was credible. My advice: read through chapter nine, and then drop it, to forget about it or perhaps compose your own conclusion....more
I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys suspense and crime fiction. Medical gore sometimes occurs. Tess Gerritsen has been a practicing physician I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys suspense and crime fiction. Medical gore sometimes occurs. Tess Gerritsen has been a practicing physician in New England and is one of my favorite current novelists. I trust her not to let me down, as so much other current fiction does (sometimes leading me to not finish their book). Not so here! It is not a spoiler to tell you, as the jacket description does, that medical examiner Maura Isles dies in this one. This one is also a good winter read!
I'm wondering if my previous knowledge about real-life polygamous cults added to my personal enjoyment of this book. The author goes into a little bit of detail about what happens with these, and I think most readers will find it interesting. Besides this aspect of the plot, many other surprises occur....more
Lately I'm only wanting to curl up with snowy books. I miss my New England winters! This one caught my eye at the library, so I snatched it off the shLately I'm only wanting to curl up with snowy books. I miss my New England winters! This one caught my eye at the library, so I snatched it off the shelf. As I began, I thought, oh no it's just a silly ghost story. But I pressed on, and it quickly turned out to be deliciously spooky! Most importantly, the characters were interesting and I cared what happened to them. They never turned me off as do the characters of so many other current novelists (leading me to not finish their books). For me, the author gave several original ideas, but I don't read ghost stories very often....more
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