Book Review : Death at Thorburn Hall by Julianna Deering
According to Library Journal, this book is reminiscent of Agatha Christie’s novels. If you liked Agatha’s books, you may indeed enjoy this British mystery novel too.
While this book was filled with plot twists to always keep you guessing, it wasn’t enough to keep me intrigued for some reason. Perhaps because I hadn’t read any of her Drew Farthering novels before and didn’t have any rapport with the characters. Or perhaps because that 1930’s vibe didn’t jive with me.
It featured a lot of back and forth internal dialogue. I never had to wonder what Drew was thinking, sometimes to the point that I would’ve rather known less. Deering often paired showing with telling, rather than just showing and leaving it at that.
Now, here’s my speedy review version:
Suspense? Some, but most of the action occurred off page.
Believable characters? Yes, Deering does a good job of developing and sticking to her characters.
Steady plot pace? Starts off slow, picks up at certain points, then speeds along at the end.
Easy to read? Personally, I had to work to read this book. But that’s because I don’t often read books with 1900's British/Scottish dialogue. If that’s your cup of tea (pun intended), you’ll probably be fine.
Easy to follow? If you’ve got a handle on the characters, then yes.
Would I read this author again? No — but that’s mostly for personal preference reasons. If you enjoy this style of book, I’d still recommend it to you.
I received a complimentary copy of this book to read and review it, so you could know exactly what to expect from this novel. Hopefully, after reading my honest notes on the story and writing style, you‘ll have a better idea about whether or not you’d enjoy this book.
