I received this novel as an advanced copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Lately, I’ve been mixing up my book choices with genres other than thrillers and fantasies. It has been a refreshing change to read realistic fiction, and I wanted to get that same feeling with this novel. It has been branded as a historical mystery, so I thought it would be fun to get into!
Sir Richard Sedgeley and Lady Mary find themselves in need of financial support. They are no longer able to live in their family castle, especially since they have no heir. Their only offer they receive is from an American, and they soon find out that he has no interest in keeping the castle intact. In the midst of all of these struggles, rumors of a treasure hidden right in their home arise. Could this treasure be the solution to all of their problems?
I struggled so much when reading this novel. I could not get past the immature writing style that seemed so at odds with the story and its setting. I couldn’t take it seriously at all. The characters are not well developed at all; the novel just jumps straight into dialogue, and I found myself rereading quite a few pages to understand what exactly was going on. I also didn’t really feel the historical vibe; in fact, there were aspects where it was quite “modern”. While the writing jumped in terms of conversation material, the plot itself moved at a very slow pace. At the end of the day, it took a great deal of effort to concentrate and finish this novel, and it wasn’t worth all of that for me.
Happy reading ~