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I love a good historical mystery as much as the next person. However, A Most Extraordinary Pursuit by Juliana Gray was NOT a historical mystery!
A Historical Mystery -by definition- is a sub-genre of two literary genres, historical fiction and mystery fiction. These works are set in a time period considered historical from the author's perspective, and the central plot involves the solving of a mystery or crime (usually murder).
I did find the plot a little convoluted and scattered, involving almost too many elements. A Most Extraordinary Pursuit is too long, too slow paced and too confusing. The story did not make any sense at all. The author had too many ideas that were thrown together but did not work with one another. All different ingredients: historical mystery, time travel, ghosts, and Greek mythology were thrown in the pot but the stew that came out was hardly digestible. The story nor the characters, mystery, or romance worked for me. This book is 450 pages of confusing, convoluted story that bore me to death. This could have been a great story if only execution was better. Verdict: too many competing ideas made for a confusing story. It was difficult to understand at first that the mini story related directly to the story at hand. It made the story difficult to get into.The names of characters alone remind me of a poorly written meladrama (Maximilian, Emmeline Truelove, Silverton?).
GAG!!!!!!
A Most Extraordinary Pursuit is NOT an historical mystery but a very silly book! I think there was a story in there, plodding along, but the writing was so over the top in an attempt at levity, that I felt as if I was sitting in a music hall watching talentless actors mug across the stage. If you hunger for a good historical mystery, this novel will leave you famished. It's all empty prose calories that I gagged my way through with each page-turning swallow.
Thanks, I think, to Penguin Random House for the free copy in exchange for a review. Thanks for saving me the expense of buying a book I'd regret wasting the money on. I had high expectations for this book because I love historical mysteries and the blurb was very promising, so I was very happy to get my hands on an early copy. Unfortunately this book did not live up to my expectations.
A Historical Mystery -by definition- is a sub-genre of two literary genres, historical fiction and mystery fiction. These works are set in a time period considered historical from the author's perspective, and the central plot involves the solving of a mystery or crime (usually murder).
I did find the plot a little convoluted and scattered, involving almost too many elements. A Most Extraordinary Pursuit is too long, too slow paced and too confusing. The story did not make any sense at all. The author had too many ideas that were thrown together but did not work with one another. All different ingredients: historical mystery, time travel, ghosts, and Greek mythology were thrown in the pot but the stew that came out was hardly digestible. The story nor the characters, mystery, or romance worked for me. This book is 450 pages of confusing, convoluted story that bore me to death. This could have been a great story if only execution was better. Verdict: too many competing ideas made for a confusing story. It was difficult to understand at first that the mini story related directly to the story at hand. It made the story difficult to get into.The names of characters alone remind me of a poorly written meladrama (Maximilian, Emmeline Truelove, Silverton?).
GAG!!!!!!
A Most Extraordinary Pursuit is NOT an historical mystery but a very silly book! I think there was a story in there, plodding along, but the writing was so over the top in an attempt at levity, that I felt as if I was sitting in a music hall watching talentless actors mug across the stage. If you hunger for a good historical mystery, this novel will leave you famished. It's all empty prose calories that I gagged my way through with each page-turning swallow.
Thanks, I think, to Penguin Random House for the free copy in exchange for a review. Thanks for saving me the expense of buying a book I'd regret wasting the money on. I had high expectations for this book because I love historical mysteries and the blurb was very promising, so I was very happy to get my hands on an early copy. Unfortunately this book did not live up to my expectations.
I give THIS book ♥♥(2 of 10) hearts and a "D" grade. This book is not the best I've ever read, but I begrudgingly finished it.
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