Juliana (philippaj) - reviewed on 8/2/2011 + 136 more book reviews

~ DIDN'T LIVE UP TO BOOK 1; ENJOYABLE AND NECESSARY IF YOU'RE READING THE SERIES, BUT A LITTLE DISAPPOINTING (4 stars) ~

I unfortunately did not enjoy this book as much as I did the first one. It was something of a disappointment after Silent in the Grave, which I had so very much enjoyed, and a surprise, since the overall ratings for this book were higher than the first one. I wasn't as taken with our main characters, I didn't find the mystery as compelling, and whereas the first book had me literally laughing out loud so many times, this one only drew a few inner chuckles.

It obviously wasn't bad - I gave it 4 stars - but it did not live up to Book 1 for me. Julia rubbed me the wrong way at some points in this book, appearing to me to be very temperamental, flip-floppy, snobbish, and condescending. She'll decide she's not going to like someone one minute, then they say something and she says she does like them, then she decides later that they're vile, etc. I also thought she was much more stuck-up than in Book 1, which did not endear her to me.

Brisbane is as mysterious, maddening, and elusive as ever. Threw me for SUCH a curve-ball at the beginning that I could not recover for PAGES! I began to suspect there was more to it, but my reaction at first was complete disbelief. He did not feature as heavily as he did in Book 1, which was another con for me, and his interactions were relatively few and not nearly as enjoyable or funny/sharp.

I enjoyed seeing Julia's family again and her servants; the secondary characters continue to be a great addition to the series.

BOTTOM LINE:
I went to three different library branches four times in one day, all to track down a copy of this book so I could continue the series, however in the end I think I could have afforded to wait the few days it would have taken to come in. While I enjoyed this book, it did not at all measure up to the first one for me, so while I'm glad I read it - this is definitely a series that you should read beginning to end - I will not be buying my own copy.

LADY JULIA GREY MYSTERY SERIES:
Book 1 - Silent in the Grave (5+ stars)
Book 2 - Silent in the Sanctuary (4 stars)
Book 3 - Silent On The Moor (4 stars)
Book 4 - Dark Road to Darjeeling
Book 5 - The Dark Enquiry

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