Helpful Score: 2
This book was rather slow and easy to put down. If a murder mystery takes until Chapter 8 before someone gets killed, the chapters before have to be compelling and this one wasnt. As far as the history goeswell, it seemed to me that it was mostly a list of possessions with some name dropping. No explanations about what made the furniture attractive, why Philip Syng Jr. was one of the foremost silversmiths and how can one identify his work; or what made the quilt by Betsy Ross so desirable.
As for the characters themselves I rarely enjoy books with nasty characters, they mostly make me cringe, maybe because there are too many nasty types in real life. The only writer I can think of who can make that work is Robert Barnard. Ms. Hill isnt in his league. The main character is rather dull, I never warmed to her, and I couldnt figure out what was so lovable about her, or what made her so smart. And having another distant character invade the main characters thoughts was extremely strange. Millie is too wimpy to make caustic comments? What a loser! I picked out the two most likely murderers and one of them turned out to be the one who did it. I cant do that if it is a well-written mystery by an author I havent read before.
Conclusion: this is a forgettable book that doesnt have much to do with history. Its a cool idea, but this author wasnt able to carry it off.
As for the characters themselves I rarely enjoy books with nasty characters, they mostly make me cringe, maybe because there are too many nasty types in real life. The only writer I can think of who can make that work is Robert Barnard. Ms. Hill isnt in his league. The main character is rather dull, I never warmed to her, and I couldnt figure out what was so lovable about her, or what made her so smart. And having another distant character invade the main characters thoughts was extremely strange. Millie is too wimpy to make caustic comments? What a loser! I picked out the two most likely murderers and one of them turned out to be the one who did it. I cant do that if it is a well-written mystery by an author I havent read before.
Conclusion: this is a forgettable book that doesnt have much to do with history. Its a cool idea, but this author wasnt able to carry it off.
I found the previous review of the book to be a bit harsh, if correct on a few counts.
The main character, Millie, never really seemed special to me. Most of the eligible men in the book make passes at her, but it is never made clear why she is considered so attractive. A struggling single mother and student, she is interested in History and English, but is not an expert in either subject.
When the first person was murdered, the author switched from telling the story from Millie's point of view to that of the victim. With each subsequent murder, the author made this change, taking away the suspense of who would be the next victim.
There were so many different characters that I had trouble keeping them straight. Sometimes they were referred to by first name, sometimes last name, which added to the confusion. The unpleasant characters were overly obnoxious, and shallowly drawn.
On the other hand, it was nice to read a story without a lot of gore, sex, and cussing. The writing is excellent - well-turned phrases, nice descriptions, and good grammar. With each murder, I was forced to reevaluate the motives and opportunities of each character while trying to decide who was most likely going to turn out to be the killer.
Hopefully, now that Millie has her inheritance and is independently wealthy (happens every day, right?), the next stories in the series won't require as much set-up to get going. I had no problem putting the book down, but then again, I had no problem picking it back up again, too. Other books may be more exciting and past-paced, but there's nothing wrong with a slow one now and then. I'll be following Millie's adventures, and recommend that you do, too.
The main character, Millie, never really seemed special to me. Most of the eligible men in the book make passes at her, but it is never made clear why she is considered so attractive. A struggling single mother and student, she is interested in History and English, but is not an expert in either subject.
When the first person was murdered, the author switched from telling the story from Millie's point of view to that of the victim. With each subsequent murder, the author made this change, taking away the suspense of who would be the next victim.
There were so many different characters that I had trouble keeping them straight. Sometimes they were referred to by first name, sometimes last name, which added to the confusion. The unpleasant characters were overly obnoxious, and shallowly drawn.
On the other hand, it was nice to read a story without a lot of gore, sex, and cussing. The writing is excellent - well-turned phrases, nice descriptions, and good grammar. With each murder, I was forced to reevaluate the motives and opportunities of each character while trying to decide who was most likely going to turn out to be the killer.
Hopefully, now that Millie has her inheritance and is independently wealthy (happens every day, right?), the next stories in the series won't require as much set-up to get going. I had no problem putting the book down, but then again, I had no problem picking it back up again, too. Other books may be more exciting and past-paced, but there's nothing wrong with a slow one now and then. I'll be following Millie's adventures, and recommend that you do, too.
This was a really different story, but very enjoyable to read. Interesting concept and loads of fun, and murders. Looking forward to the next one in the series. Loads of history and fun information. Info on antiques also.
