4.5 stars. A really enjoyable mystery set in Victorian London. The main character Laetitia Rodd is a widowed clergymans wife in middle age and has a lawyer for a brother who provides her with cases. This story is told in hindsight as at the end of the book she is an elderly lady. Hopefully this is the start of a series featuring this character, the cover would suggest this. ( )

I got this from the library as a recorded book, and alas, the CD player in my ancient truck is on life support. I limped along to disc six being able to listen to only about 15 minutes at a time before the player began stuttering out lines three or four words at a time before dying altogether.

I didn't finish it. Not because of the book itself, but technical difficulties and the looming overdue notice.

Thoroughly enjoyed the premise and the reader's voice. Was sucked into the story. As it was so difficult to advance to the place where the CD player died, (had to start at the beginning and click click click to where I thought we were before, hoping that it wouldn't give up and spit the disc out which often happened) I got annoyed that there were still 4? more discs to go. Felt like we were farther along and wrapping things up. Will try again at some point. ( )

I've previously started this book at least 3 times and never gotten past the first page - or even gotten to the first page before being distracted by something else so this time I was determined to get this book read.

It turns out that once I could actually sit down and read more than a handful of words, getting it read wasn't a problem at all. It was a great read! I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The book starts out like it's the middle of an on-going series; it doesn't bother to lay down a bunch of background or drag the reader through Mrs. Rodd's start as a discrete detective. But never as the reader was I confused, or felt left in the dark, or plopped into the middle of things. Small moments here and there fill in quite a few blanks; others just aren't that necessary (or perhaps are being saved for future books?) and there's plenty of mystery to take up the pages; the author doesn't need filler.

The widowed Mrs Rodd works through her brother, a distinguished defence attorney, and is called upon to look into the background of a young window deemed thoroughly unsuitable by the rich father of the young man who wants to marry her. But unbeknownst to them all, there are far bigger problems blossoming for the family, and Mrs. Rodd finds herself in the thick of happenings rather diabolical.

According to the author, readers of David Copperfield will recognise her inspiration for this book (I've not read DC). Whatever her inspiration, the characters and setting were pitch perfect and I just enjoyed every minute I spent with Mrs. Rodd and company. Although I sussed out the plot twist very early on, I was too engrossed in the read to notice or care, and the pace remained brisk from beginning to end.

The only niggle I had is a small one: Mrs. Rodd is the widow of an archbishop, so there's every possibility that the heavily spiritual/religious bent to the narrative is just part of her character. It totally fits and it's never, ever preachy, but it's just dominant enough that it could also be the author using the book as a platform to evangelise and that possibility sours, just a tiny bit, what would have been my complete enthusiasm for the book. Thankfully, Mrs. Rodd remains smart, sensible, non-judgemental and with enough humour for the niggle to remain tiny.

The cover implies this is the first of a new series; if so, I'll eagerly be in line to purchase the next one. ( )

Thoroughly enjoyable. Very Dickensian, as advertised, with a wonderful main character in the person of the widowed Mrs. Rodd. Supporting characters also well drawn. ( )

In classic period literature, it's not unusual to have a plot revolve around a "fallen woman," with or without the bastard child. But I can't think of any other book where practically every character was involved in an illicit sexual affair. There were at least six characters in this book who colored outside the lines; it got to be pretty tedious after a while, as well as confusing. Since most of the characters were fairly unlikable, my motivation dwindled near the end of the book.

As an attempt to emulate the style of Victorian fiction, I thought it wasn't bad, though it's always tricky to avoid injecting a modern sensibility into such a book. It did seem rather far-fetched for the stodgy copper to take the female detective as seriously as he did, especially since the cop hostility to private dicks is such a time-honored tradition.

But if the author wanted to buck tradition, why did she stoop to making all her women, other than the heroine so pathetic? Almost to a woman, they were desperately in love with horrible, abusive men. Depressing.

The audio book reader did a well enough job. I guess if my library offers any more of these books, I'll probably listen.
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