boodtx

This is a great little book that really exceeded my expectations. I don't remember where I heard about it, and I haven't read anything else by this author before. It tells the stories of two characters living a century apart. Reilly, an impoverished artist in 1912, is accused of a murder he didn't commit. Fast forward a few decades and Samantha, a secretary living in present day London, becomes interested in investigating more into his life and works. When I picked this up I was hoping for nothing more than a fairly standard cosy historical murder mystery to divert my attention and entertain me on a few lazy days off work. I was therefore delighted as the plot unfolded and I came to realise it's a unique little gem. On multiple occasions the twists and turns had me sitting up and thinking 'Well I certainly wasn't expecting THAT to happen'. The characters, particularly that of Samantha, are as quirky as they are unpredictable. The conclusion maybe felt slightly hasty but that is the only real criticism I can offer here! This isn't a book that's going to sit with my all-time favourites or withstand multiple re-reads, but it is certainly the most enjoyable thing I've read in a while and I feel it's one that most people would have some fun reading.

2022-11-14 13:33