Helpful Score: 1
Augusta Hawke is the introduction to a new series that left me wanting more. With its theme of someone sitting at a window watching the comings and goings of the neighbors, some readers may think of A.J. Finn's The Woman at the Window. If you're vintage like me, you might think of Alfred Hitchcock's classic Rear Window. At least Augusta is looking out the window while she's writing one of her books, and not being an idle curtain-twitching busybody.
Since the death of her husband, Augusta has, for the most part, shut herself away in her suburban Washington, DC townhouse. Her life revolves around writing her long-running police procedural set in the south of France and those vignettes she sees of her neighbors' lives. Once the police start investigating the disappearance of Mr. and Mrs. Norman, Augusta's writing radar begins to ping. There could be a bestseller in this! What's fun is watching how her investigation begins to pull her back into the real world with face-to-face interactions with real people.
Although I did deduce what was going on, it didn't bother me a bit because Augusta had a stranglehold on me. Malliet really made me like the woman. I was sad that she'd shut herself away and then happy when she began getting out and investigating. In no time at all, I found myself caring about what happened to her.
The story, the main character, and the wit are first-rate, and another facet of the book that I loved was the inclusion of all the insider information on the publishing world and the Washington, DC area. One of Augusta's comments that mentioned James Patterson had me crowing with laughter, so not only does she make me care about her, but she also makes me laugh. You can't beat a combination like that.
Now that I've met Augusta Hawke and want to invite her over for coffee, there's only one thing left to do: wait months for her next adventure. It will be worth the wait, I'm sure.
(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley)
Since the death of her husband, Augusta has, for the most part, shut herself away in her suburban Washington, DC townhouse. Her life revolves around writing her long-running police procedural set in the south of France and those vignettes she sees of her neighbors' lives. Once the police start investigating the disappearance of Mr. and Mrs. Norman, Augusta's writing radar begins to ping. There could be a bestseller in this! What's fun is watching how her investigation begins to pull her back into the real world with face-to-face interactions with real people.
Although I did deduce what was going on, it didn't bother me a bit because Augusta had a stranglehold on me. Malliet really made me like the woman. I was sad that she'd shut herself away and then happy when she began getting out and investigating. In no time at all, I found myself caring about what happened to her.
The story, the main character, and the wit are first-rate, and another facet of the book that I loved was the inclusion of all the insider information on the publishing world and the Washington, DC area. One of Augusta's comments that mentioned James Patterson had me crowing with laughter, so not only does she make me care about her, but she also makes me laugh. You can't beat a combination like that.
Now that I've met Augusta Hawke and want to invite her over for coffee, there's only one thing left to do: wait months for her next adventure. It will be worth the wait, I'm sure.
(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley)
