Colleen GleasonCritiques
Auteur de Chasseurs de vampires - Chroniques des Gardella
Critiques
BIBLIOGRAPHIC DETAILS:
Print: COPYRIGHT: October 7, 2014; ISBN: 978-1452110719; PUBLISHER: Chronicle Books; PAGES: 360; UNABRIDGED (Reading age : 12 - 18 years; Lexile measure : 840L; Grade level : 7 – 12)
Digital: Available
* (This version) Audio: COPYRIGHT: 10/7/2014; ASIN: B00K7BCSIE; PUBLISHER: Audible; DURATION: 8:58:00; Unabridged; (Audible)
Feature Film or tv: No
SERIES: Stoker & Homes, Book 2
MAIN CHARACTERS: (spelling could be wrong—I was listening, not reading)
Miss Alvemina (Mina) Holmes - Sherlock Holmes neice
Miss Evaline Stoker - Graham Stoker's sister
Irene Adler - Admired by Sherlock Holmes
Dylan Eckhert - Time traveler
Ambrose Grayling - an Inspector
Richard Dancy - Evaline's admirer
Pix - an underworld character who assists Evaline occasionally
Willa Ashton - Her brother is missing
Robbie Ashton - Willa's missing brother
Angus - Richard's dog described as a Basset hound, but referred to as a Beagle.
SUMMARY/ EVALUATION:
How I picked it. It was the next book in the series.
What it was about: Sherlock Holmes’ niece and Graham Stoker’s sister, both aged 17, team up to assist Irene Adler solve another mystery, this one involving a young boy who has gone missing.
What I thought: Well done. I enjoy the steampunk genre, and the story held my interest. I also enjoy the humor and the author's vocabulary.
AUTHOR:
Colleen Gleason
From Wikipedia:
“Colleen Gleason lives near Ann Arbor, Michigan[1] with her husband and children.[2][3] She has a degree in English and a MBA from the University of Michigan.[1] She started writing in primary school and wrote nine complete stories before selling the first book of her The Gardella Vampire Chronicles[3] series to a division of Penguin Books, which published it in January 2007:[3] the series arrives at a conclusion on March 2009. In 2008 she wrote a short story, a prequel to the series, titled In Which a Masquerade Ball Unmasks an Undead, published first in the Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance, then as Victoria Gardella: Vampire Slayer. Before becoming a full-time writer, she worked in sales and marketing and started her own business[3] in the insurance field.[4]
In 2010, she started the six-novel series The Envy Chronicles, written using the pen name Joss Ware. In 2011, she wrote The Regency Draculia trilogy.”
She has also written short stories. In 2010, she collaborated with Mary Balogh, Susan Krinard and Janet Mullany in a paranormal tribute to Jane Austen, writing "Northanger Castle" for the book Bespelling Jane Austen, published on October 1, 2010.[5]”
NARRATOR:
Jayne Entwistle
From “thejayneshow” .com:
“Jayne was born in the North of England and lived in a myriad of places (Vancouver, San Francisco, Tucson, Sequim, Seattle) before landing in Los Angeles. She is an avid improviser who hitched her space-work wagon to Patrick Bristow’s company, Improvatorium, where she studied, taught, directed and performed improv.
She is an award-winning audiobook narrator best known for her narration of the Flavia de Luce series by Alan Bradley. She also received the 2015 Odyssey Honour Award for The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place by Julie Berry and the 2016 Odyssey Award for, The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley.
When not inhaling books for work or pleasure, Jayne works in film, television and commercials. The biggest star she has ever worked with is Shaquille O’Neal. He is quite literally THE biggest star she has ever worked with. Ever. He’s really big!”
LOCATION(S)
London
TIME(S)
1889
SUBJECTS:
Time travel; vampires; vampire slayers; Sherlock Holmes characters; kidnappings
DEDICATION:
Not found.
SAMPLE QUOTATION:
From Chapter 1, Miss Holmes, Miss Adler is Tardy
“I reside in the very modernized London during the fifty-second year of Her Majesty Queen Victoria’s reign. Our Prime Minister is Lord Salisbury, and Parliament is led by the esteemed Lord Cosgrove-Pitt.
My nation is besotted with science, evolution, and invention. If a device can be conceived, someone somewhere is determined that it should be built (which is the only explanation I have for the unfortunate Hystand’s Mechanized Eyelash-Combe).
This proliferation of invention and scientific practice is why I found it both amazing and disappointing that no one had yet invented a working time machine. And the reason I felt this disappointment looked up at me with deep blue eyes.
“Good morning, Dylan,” I said as I closed Miss Irene Adler’s office door behind me.
Though I’d expected to find the dark-haired woman sitting at a large desk in her Darjeeling-scented chamber, I confess I wasn’t at all disappointed to find the young man instead. In fact, to my chagrin, my cheeks heated and my insides gave a little flutter the instant I saw him.”
RATING:.
4
STARTED READING – FINISHED READING
1-18-2023 to 1-23-2023
BIBLIOGRAPHIC DETAILS:
Print: COPYRIGHT: 10/6/2015; ISBN: 978-1452143170; PUBLISHER: Chronicle Books; PAGES: 360; UNABRIDGED (Reading age : 12 - 18 years; Lexile measure : 920L; Grade level : 7 – 12)
Digital: Available
* (This version) Audio: COPYRIGHT: 1 September 2017; ISBN: 9781509453320; PUBLISHER: Avid Press; DURATION: 9:35:23; Unabridged; (Overdrive LAPL)
Feature Film or tv: No
SERIES: Stoker & Homes, Book 3
MAIN CHARACTERS: (Not all inclusive and spelling could be wrong—I was listening, not reading)
Miss Alvemina (Mina) Holmes – Niece of Sherlock
Miss Evaline Stoker – Sister of Bram Stoker
Richard Dancy – a gentleman with romantic interest for Evaline
Ambrose Greyling – an Inspector
Angus – Greyling’s dog described as a Basset Hound but referred to as a Beagle
Irene Adler
Dylan Eckhert
Pix
Princess Lurelia of Betrovia
Princess of Wales (Alex / Alexandra)
Queen Victoria
SUMMARY/ EVALUATION:
How I picked it. It was the next book in the series.
What it was about: Sherlock Holmes’ niece and Graham Stoker’s sister, both aged 17, team up to assist Irene Adler solve another mystery, this one involving a missing chess queen and a princess.
What I thought: As with the previous two books: Well done. I enjoy the steampunk genre, the characters, and the story held my interest. I also enjoy the humor and the author's vocabulary.
AUTHOR:
Colleen Gleason
From Wikipedia:
“Colleen Gleason lives near Ann Arbor, Michigan[1] with her husband and children.[2][3] She has a degree in English and a MBA from the University of Michigan.[1] She started writing in primary school and wrote nine complete stories before selling the first book of her The Gardella Vampire Chronicles[3] series to a division of Penguin Books, which published it in January 2007:[3] the series arrives at a conclusion on March 2009. In 2008 she wrote a short story, a prequel to the series, titled In Which a Masquerade Ball Unmasks an Undead, published first in the Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance, then as Victoria Gardella: Vampire Slayer. Before becoming a full-time writer, she worked in sales and marketing and started her own business[3] in the insurance field.[4]
In 2010, she started the six-novel series The Envy Chronicles, written using the pen name Joss Ware. In 2011, she wrote The Regency Draculia trilogy.”
She has also written short stories. In 2010, she collaborated with Mary Balogh, Susan Krinard and Janet Mullany in a paranormal tribute to Jane Austen, writing "Northanger Castle" for the book Bespelling Jane Austen, published on October 1, 2010.[5]”
NARRATOR:
Jayne Entwistle
From “thejayneshow” .com:
“Jayne was born in the North of England and lived in a myriad of places (Vancouver, San Francisco, Tucson, Sequim, Seattle) before landing in Los Angeles. She is an avid improviser who hitched her space-work wagon to Patrick Bristow’s company, Improvatorium, where she studied, taught, directed and performed improv.
She is an award-winning audiobook narrator best known for her narration of the Flavia de Luce series by Alan Bradley. She also received the 2015 Odyssey Honour Award for The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place by Julie Berry and the 2016 Odyssey Award for, The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley.
When not inhaling books for work or pleasure, Jayne works in film, television and commercials. The biggest star she has ever worked with is Shaquille O’Neal. He is quite literally THE biggest star she has ever worked with. Ever. He’s really big!”
As always, I enjoyed Jaynes narration.
LOCATION(S)
London
TIME(S)
1889
SUBJECTS:
Time travel; vampires; vampire slayers; Sherlock Holmes characters; Chess game; Great Britain, Byzantine antiquities
DEDICATION:
“To
Darlene Domanik March
Talented artist,
Inspiring reacher,
Dear friend”
SAMPLE QUOTATION:
From Chapter 1, Miss Stoker, An Astonishing Request
"In the distance, Big Ben's round face glowed dully behind strands of heavy night clouds. Pikes, pipes and the pitches of rooftops, along with the unmistakable spire of the Oligary Building, jutted upward in an infinite black jumble.
I'd done the right thing, staking that vampire.
I was a vampire hunter. That was my calling, my legacy. I couldn't second-guess my duty.
But Willa Ashton's accusations and her enraged expression still haunted me, both during the day and in my naightmares. 'You killed Robby! You murdered my brother!'
A shadow across the street, sleek and catlike, caught my attention. All thoughts of Miss Ashton and her brother fled, along with the last bit of sleepiness.
I recognized that shadow.
It took only a moment to whip off my nightdress and yank on a pair of boots, a chemise, and a short, simple gown (in that order). I was still buckling my new front-fastening over-corset when I climbed out the window."
RATING:.
4
STARTED READING – FINISHED READING
1-23-2023 to 1-29-2023
BIBLIOGRAPHIC DETAILS:
Print: COPYRIGHT: 4/8/2022; ISBN: 978- 1944665869; PUBLISHER: Avid Press; PAGES: 262; UNABRIDGED (Reading age : 12 - 18 years; Lexile measure : 920L; Grade level : 7 – 12)
Digital: Available
* (This version) Audio: COPYRIGHT: 1/23/2018; ISBN: 9781509476015; PUBLISHER: Avid Press; DURATION: 9:37:19; Unabridged; (Overdrive LAPL)
Feature Film or tv: No
SERIES: Stoker & Homes, Book 4
MAIN CHARACTERS: (spelling could be wrong—I was listening, not reading—not comprehensive list)
Miss Alvemina (Mina) Holmes – Niece of Sherlock
Miss Evaline Stoker – Sister of Bram Stoker
Ambrose Greyling – an Inspector
Angus – Greyling’s dog described as a Basset Hound but referred to as a Beagle
Irene Adler
Dylan Eckhert
Pix
SUMMARY/ EVALUATION:
How I picked it. It was the next book in the series.
What it was about: Sherlock Holmes’ niece and Graham Stoker’s sister, both aged 17, team up to assist Irene Adler solve another mystery, this one involving a secret club.
What I thought: As with the previous two books: Well done. I enjoy the steampunk genre and the descriptions of costumes and events and I’m attached to the characters. As mentioned before, I also enjoy the vocabulary and the humor the author employs.
AUTHOR:
Colleen Gleason
From Wikipedia:
“Colleen Gleason lives near Ann Arbor, Michigan[1] with her husband and children.[2][3] She has a degree in English and a MBA from the University of Michigan.[1] She started writing in primary school and wrote nine complete stories before selling the first book of her The Gardella Vampire Chronicles[3] series to a division of Penguin Books, which published it in January 2007:[3] the series arrives at a conclusion on March 2009. In 2008 she wrote a short story, a prequel to the series, titled In Which a Masquerade Ball Unmasks an Undead, published first in the Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance, then as Victoria Gardella: Vampire Slayer. Before becoming a full-time writer, she worked in sales and marketing and started her own business[3] in the insurance field.[4]
In 2010, she started the six-novel series The Envy Chronicles, written using the pen name Joss Ware. In 2011, she wrote The Regency Draculia trilogy.”
She has also written short stories. In 2010, she collaborated with Mary Balogh, Susan Krinard and Janet Mullany in a paranormal tribute to Jane Austen, writing "Northanger Castle" for the book Bespelling Jane Austen, published on October 1, 2010.[5]”
NARRATOR:
Jayne Entwistle
From “thejayneshow” .com:
“Jayne was born in the North of England and lived in a myriad of places (Vancouver, San Francisco, Tucson, Sequim, Seattle) before landing in Los Angeles. She is an avid improviser who hitched her space-work wagon to Patrick Bristow’s company, Improvatorium, where she studied, taught, directed and performed improv.
She is an award-winning audiobook narrator best known for her narration of the Flavia de Luce series by Alan Bradley. She also received the 2015 Odyssey Honour Award for The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place by Julie Berry and the 2016 Odyssey Award for, The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley.
When not inhaling books for work or pleasure, Jayne works in film, television and commercials. The biggest star she has ever worked with is Shaquille O’Neal. He is quite literally THE biggest star she has ever worked with. Ever. He’s really big!”
As always, I thoroughly enjoyed Jayne’s narration!
LOCATION(S)
London
TIME(S)
1889
GENRE
Fantasy; Mystery; Historical Fiction; Young Adult Fiction; Steampunk
SUBJECTS:
Time travel; vampires; vampire slayers; Sherlock Holmes characters; Great Britain; Girls and Women’s issues
DEDICATION:
Not found
SAMPLE QUOTATION:
From Chapter 1, “Miss Holmes ~In Which Miss Holmes Is Outsmarted by a Corvus~”
" There was a soft tapping at my window.
Normally it wouldn't have disturbed me, as I am blessed with the ability to slumber deeply, but tonight I was wide awake. Unfortunately, that had been the case for many weeks now. The dark circles beneath my eyes ahd become large and puffy enough that even Mrs. Raskill had seen fit to make comment.
Declining to rise unless I ascertained that someone or something needed entrance to my bedchamber--the most likely candidate being Miss Stoker, of course, considering the mode of entrance--I peered at the window from the warm comfort of my bed.
In the distance, I could hear the constant hum of the mechanized world in which I reside: the dull click of cogs and wheels, a rhythmic clunk of clockworks and pulleys, and the hiss of steam emitting from the very corner of London.
Tap, tap, tap.
I sat up. It was a raven--or perhaps a crow; I couldn't see the shape of its tail, and the difference between the two jet-black specimens in the Corvus genus are hardly discernible otherwise.
And this particular raven (or crow) was using its beak to tap at my window.
How extraordinary.
"Go away," I suggested flatly, certain the creature could not only hear me, but comprehend. They are amazingly intelligent birds. "I'm sleeping."
RATING:.
4
STARTED READING – FINISHED READING
1-28-2023 to 2-17-2023
BIBLIOGRAPHIC DETAILS:
Print: COPYRIGHT: 4/9/2022; ISBN: 978-1944665876; PUBLISHER: Avid Press; PAGES: 296; UNABRIDGED (Reading age : 12 - 18 years; Lexile measure : 920L; Grade level : 7 – 12)
Digital: Available
* (This version) Audio: COPYRIGHT: 10/3/2019; ISBN: 9781987190243; PUBLISHER: Avid Press; DURATION: 10:54:01; Unabridged; (Overdrive LAPL)
Feature Film or tv: No
SERIES: Stoker & Homes, Book 4
MAIN CHARACTERS: (spelling is probably wrong—I was listening, not reading—list not comprehensive)
Miss Alvemina (Mina) Holmes – Niece of Sherlock
Miss Evaline Stoker – Sister of Bram Stoker
Ambrose Greyling – an Inspector
Angus – Greyling’s dog described as a Basset Hound but referred to as a Beagle
Irene Adler – An employer, of-sorts
Dylan Eckhert – Fellow from the future
Pix – Mysterious criminal-sort
Olympia Bainbridge – Inventor
Emit Olligary – Philanthropist of-sorts
Ned Olligary – Eveline’s fiancé
SUMMARY/ EVALUATION:
How I picked it. It was the next book in the series.
What it was about: Sherlock Holmes’ niece and Graham Stoker’s sister, both aged 17, team up to assist Irene Adler solve another mystery, this one involving the solving of murders.
What I thought: As with the previous two books: Well done. I enjoy the steampunk genre and the descriptions of costumes and events and I’m attached to the characters. In fact, while I was anxious to get everything solved, I now want the stories to continue.
As mentioned before, I also enjoy the vocabulary and the humor the author employs.
AUTHOR:
Colleen Gleason
From Wikipedia:
“Colleen Gleason lives near Ann Arbor, Michigan[1] with her husband and children.[2][3] She has a degree in English and a MBA from the University of Michigan.[1] She started writing in primary school and wrote nine complete stories before selling the first book of her The Gardella Vampire Chronicles[3] series to a division of Penguin Books, which published it in January 2007:[3] the series arrives at a conclusion on March 2009. In 2008 she wrote a short story, a prequel to the series, titled In Which a Masquerade Ball Unmasks an Undead, published first in the Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance, then as Victoria Gardella: Vampire Slayer. Before becoming a full-time writer, she worked in sales and marketing and started her own business[3] in the insurance field.[4]
In 2010, she started the six-novel series The Envy Chronicles, written using the pen name Joss Ware. In 2011, she wrote The Regency Draculia trilogy.”
She has also written short stories. In 2010, she collaborated with Mary Balogh, Susan Krinard and Janet Mullany in a paranormal tribute to Jane Austen, writing "Northanger Castle" for the book Bespelling Jane Austen, published on October 1, 2010.[5]”
NARRATOR:
Jayne Entwistle
From “thejayneshow” .com:
“Jayne was born in the North of England and lived in a myriad of places (Vancouver, San Francisco, Tucson, Sequim, Seattle) before landing in Los Angeles. She is an avid improviser who hitched her space-work wagon to Patrick Bristow’s company, Improvatorium, where she studied, taught, directed and performed improv.
She is an award-winning audiobook narrator best known for her narration of the Flavia de Luce series by Alan Bradley. She also received the 2015 Odyssey Honour Award for The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place by Julie Berry and the 2016 Odyssey Award for, The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley.
When not inhaling books for work or pleasure, Jayne works in film, television and commercials. The biggest star she has ever worked with is Shaquille O’Neal. He is quite literally THE biggest star she has ever worked with. Ever. He’s really big!”
As always, I thoroughly enjoyed Jayne’s narration!
LOCATION(S)
London
TIME(S)
1890
GENRE
Fantasy; Mystery; Historical Fiction; Young Adult Fiction; Steampunk
SUBJECTS:
Time travel; vampires; vampire slayers; Sherlock Holmes characters; Great Britain; Girls and Women’s issues; Zeppelins; Romance; friendships; family relations
DEDICATION:
Not found
SAMPLE QUOTATION:
From Chapter 1, “Miss Holmes ~In Which the End Begins~”
“The dawning of the last decade of the nineteenth century did not come--at least in my opinion--accompanied by celebration and optimism.
In fact, I regret to say, the change from the old year to the new annal of 1890 brought with it darkness, apprehension, and despair.
For the latter nine months of the year 1889, I had partnered with Miss Evaline Stoker--a young woman who, though quite different in temperament and intellectual capacity than myself, was an incredibly brave and honorable individual. We had formed this partnership at the behest of Miss Irene Adler, joining her in service to Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra.
Those nine months had been fraught with adventure, danger, mystery, and crime-solving, as well as burgeoning friendship between myself and Miss Stoker despite our mutual initial reluctance to work together. There had also been several members of the male gender who inserted themselves into our investigations, willy-nilly and, at times, unwelcomed.
On the day this narrative begins--specifically the seventh of February, which imposed cold, blustery winds and tiny, unforgiving ice pellets on the city as a sort of underscore to the news I was soon to receive--I stumbled gratefully back into the house after running several imperative errands that morning."
RATING:.
4 Well, actually if Goodreads had it available I'd say 4.5
STARTED READING – FINISHED READING
2-16-2023 to 2-19-2023
However, it all fell apart at the end. I figured out some of the mystery but what annoyed me the most was the overly convoluted resolution where parts of it didn't make sense and had holes in the logic. Something the author didn't adequately address. It was a let down. Too bad because up until then, it was quite good.
1 
Manhattanite | 8 autres critiques | Apr 19, 2024 |
Manhattanite | 8 autres critiques | Apr 19, 2024 | 
Cette critique a été écrite dans le cadre des Critiques en avant-première de LibraryThing.The overall premise is intriguing. The development left me wanting more. The story is presented in first-person narration by Evaline Stoker and Mina Holmes as they pass the storytelling narrative back and forth between one another from chapter to chapter. The alternating narrative does help with the sometimes uneven delivery of plot elements since jumping from one perspective to another (often within different locations and with different knowledge) explains why we get unsteady introductions of information and plot points.
We learn that the Stoker family is actually a bloodline of vampire hunters and that Miss Stoker is a sort of hunter in training, still working her way up to being a full Slayer. Interestingly, it seems that her brother, Bram Stoker, isn't quite as involved in the realm of the supernatural. He is merely writing what he considers to be fiction. Meanwhile, Miss Holmes is the niece of Sherlock Holmes, who is definitely a real character and not fiction. And although Miss Holmes has shown that she has intelligence and deductive skills, she is still relegated to being kept apart from all things Holmesian.
With that bit of character introduction, we now learn that a couple of London socialites have disappeared and that Miss Holmes and Miss Stoker are called in to investigate. Enlisting them to help solve the mystery makes some sense when you consider that the age and social circle of the two heroines match those of the women who disappeared. Apart from that, I felt that it was a bit of a stretch. Next, the mystery takes on a bit of a supernatural aspect. We learn that the missing girls seem to have gotten involved in some cult that's worshiping an ancient Egyptian deity and attempting to enact a mystical ritual.
To further stretch the plot, the supernatural ritual seems to have pulled a young man from the future (our future) into steampunk London and directly into the paths of Miss Holmes and Miss Stoker. The inclusion of this time-traveling character felt like a MacGuffin who existed for two reasons. First, so that our narrators had to explain that this steampunk London is an alternate history, and second, to allow for the introduction of a strange and strained bit of romantic tension.
As the story progressed, we were introduced to quite a few different characters and settings. Each of these could have provided great opportunities for major character or story development. While each character and scene did what it could to progress the plot, I didn't feel any compelling growth or development either from our heroines or the world they inhabited. In fact, I felt like Miss Holmes and Miss Stoker seemed to regress slightly. Admittedly, by the end of the book, they had helped solve the mystery. But from a character standpoint, rather than showcasing their strengths and allowing them to grow in any significant ways, there were a number of scenes where each character seemed to have their primary traits backslide.
I half expected Mina Holmes and Evaline Stoker to become feminist heroes ready to show London society that they shouldn't underestimate women, particularly women who come from such strong heritage. Instead, the story decided to play up the romantic interlude more than it needed to and, in so doing, it pushed our girls into the back seat and forced them to shift and wobble (both figuratively and literally) under the struggles of the mystery such that both girls had to be saved by male heroes.
The text still did what it could to laud the achievements of our two heroines and to praise them for what they did accomplish. But the book also made sure to set itself up for a sequel by leaving large aspects of the mystery unsolved and keeping numerous major plot elements untouched and incomplete.
So overall, the story had interesting points but I'm not compelled to seek out any follow-up books to find out if the two girls do actually evolve into something more. It's not an awful story. I just felt that it had so much more potential.
** 2.5 out of 5 stars
I loved the first book and I love this one, too. The murders and investigations are well done and have lots of distractions and twists as well as wonderful atmospheric descriptions of the Paris catacombs.
Tabitha Knight is from Detroit, Michigan, has French grandparents, is living with French relatives and has been taken under the wing of Julia Child, the energetic and excitable American who is just now finding her niche in the world of cooking as the French do.
No recipe section at the end, but there are so many hints and tips that are so well added that I could smell the deliciousness.
I thoroughly enjoyed it and will definitely read any others as they come along!
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from Kensington Books, Kensington cozies via NetGalley. Thank you!
#AnAmericanInParisBk2 Available 23 Apr 2024
Net Galley Feedback
The story is set in Agatha Christie's estate. She appears from time to time, but the main role is played by her housekeeper Phyllida Bright, a mysterious woman who has known Agatha Christie since wartime and seems to be very familiar with her.
Guests are invited to stay at Mallowan Hall for three days. An unknown guest arrives shortly before dinner and asks for accommodation. It seems that nobody knows him. The next morning, when Phyllida opens the curtains in the library, she finds the unknown guest stabbed to death with a fountain pen.
Naturally, she calls the police, but is convinced that they will surely be incompetent.
This mystery is written with many twists and turns. There is a lot to smile about and the characters are excellently described.
As far as the book...I never read erotica, but I like this one, a lot! The sex scenes (which there are plenty of, of course) were sexy. Not much lovemaking, but down and dirty sex. In different ways, and with different people. The author's writing flowed, and I could really feel the emotions conveyed by the characters: Fear, lust, love, pity, uncertainty. Even the parts when people weren't "doing it" were well written and descriptive. There were some scenes toward the end which were very hard to read and I had to put the book down for a moment, but I could understand how they were necessary to flesh out (pardon the pun) certain characters some more.
My only complaints were the ending, which was way too abrupt, although the biographer's notes at the end somewhat made up for it. And there were one or two times in the book when I thought the author "head-hopped" and I couldn't figure out whose POV it was, so I had to go back a few pages and re-read them to clarify.
So, while I enjoyed it, I can see how others would find it too crude and/or not true to the "original" POTO story. Should I ever find myself in the mood for erotica, I'll be looking for Ms. Gale's other works =)
Phyllida is anxiously awaiting the arrival of a vacuum for Mallowan Hall. But first, an invitation arrives for a murder game that says, A Murder will Occur Tonight, Beecham House. The Christie’s are currently in London, so Phyllida phones them to inform them of the invitation. Agatha asks that Phyllida attend in her place, hoping that Phyllida might gather information that she might turn into a future book. Phyllida heads for Beecham Hall, and when the game begins, it turns from a game to an actual murder when the host, Clifton Wokesley, is found dead in his role as the corpse.
Due to a bad storm, Inspector Cork is late arriving at Beecham Hall, so Constable Greensticks begins the investigation, but soon, he seems happy for Phyllida to handle the inquiries. Phyllida will be busy as she soon discovers that everyone seems to be a suspect.
I love this series. It is well-written, plotted, and historically accurate. The cast of characters are all enjoyable and well-developed. The staff at Mallowan Hall are all delightful and provide humorous times. The household’s staff reaction to the new vacuum was quite funny and enjoyable. There were many twists and turns that kept me guessing until the end as to the identity of the murderer.
I’m looking forward to the next book in this wonderful series.
Now fierce Evaline and logical Mina must resolve their rivalry, navigate the advances of not one but three mysterious gentlemen, and solve a murder with only one clue: a strange Egyptian scarab.
The pressure is on, and the stakes are high-if Stoker and Holmes don't figure out why London's finest sixteen-year-old women are in danger, they'll become the next victims.
A well-written and entertaining historical mystery with its cast of likeable and diverse characters. Another good addition to this enjoyable series.
Critiques en avant-première
Offres passées
- The Chess Queen Enigma (September 2015)
- The Spiritglass Charade (September 2014)
- The Clockwork Scarab (August 2014)
- The Clockwork Scarab: A Stoker & Holmes Novel (August 2013)
Liens
Ce site utilise des cookies pour fournir nos services, optimiser les performances, pour les analyses, et (si vous n'êtes pas connecté) pour les publicités. En utilisant Librarything, vous reconnaissez avoir lu et compris nos conditions générales d'utilisation et de services. Votre utilisation du site et de ses services vaut acceptation de ces conditions et termes.
BIBLIOGRAPHIC DETAILS:
Print: COPYRIGHT: September 17, 2013; ISBN: 978-1452110707; PUBLISHER: Chronicle Books; PAGES: 356; UNABRIDGED (Reading age : 12 - 18 years; Lexile measure : 880L; Grade level : 7 – 12)
Digital: Available
* (This version) Audio: COPYRIGHT: 9/17/2013; ASIN: B00F8LQQL8; PUBLISHER: Audible; DURATION: 8:25:00; Unabridged; (Audible)
Feature Film or tv: No
SERIES: Stoker & Homes, Book 1
MAIN CHARACTERS: (Not comprehensive--spelling could be wrong—I was listening, not reading)
Miss Alvemina (Mina) Holmes - 17 year old niece of Sherlock Holmes
Miss Evaline Stoker - 17 year old sister of Graham Stoker.
Irene Adler - a character from Sherlock Holmes - a woman who seems to be more clever than he.
Dylan Eckhert - a young man from the future
Pix - a underworld character who turns up at opportune moments and assists Miss Stoker
SUMMARY/ EVALUATION:
How I picked it. I searched LAPL’s Overdrive holdings for books narrated by Jayne Entwistle. This one had an intriguing cover. The summary sounded intriguing.
What it was about: Sherlock Holmes’ niece and Graham Stoker’s sister, both aged 17, team up to assist Irene Adler solve the mystery of what has happened to a string of young women who have gone missing.
What I thought: Well done. I enjoy the steampunk genre, and the story held my interest. I also enjoy the humor and the author's vocabulary.
AUTHOR:
Colleen Gleason
From Wikipedia:
“Colleen Gleason lives near Ann Arbor, Michigan[1] with her husband and children.[2][3] She has a degree in English and a MBA from the University of Michigan.[1] She started writing in primary school and wrote nine complete stories before selling the first book of her The Gardella Vampire Chronicles[3] series to a division of Penguin Books, which published it in January 2007:[3] the series arrives at a conclusion on March 2009. In 2008 she wrote a short story, a prequel to the series, titled In Which a Masquerade Ball Unmasks an Undead, published first in the Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance, then as Victoria Gardella: Vampire Slayer. Before becoming a full-time writer, she worked in sales and marketing and started her own business[3] in the insurance field.[4]
In 2010, she started the six-novel series The Envy Chronicles, written using the pen name Joss Ware. In 2011, she wrote The Regency Draculia trilogy.”
She has also written short stories. In 2010, she collaborated with Mary Balogh, Susan Krinard and Janet Mullany in a paranormal tribute to Jane Austen, writing "Northanger Castle" for the book Bespelling Jane Austen, published on October 1, 2010.[5]”
NARRATOR:
Jayne Entwistle
From “thejayneshow” .com:
“Jayne was born in the North of England and lived in a myriad of places (Vancouver, San Francisco, Tucson, Sequim, Seattle) before landing in Los Angeles. She is an avid improviser who hitched her space-work wagon to Patrick Bristow’s company, Improvatorium, where she studied, taught, directed and performed improv.
She is an award-winning audiobook narrator best known for her narration of the Flavia de Luce series by Alan Bradley. She also received the 2015 Odyssey Honour Award for The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place by Julie Berry and the 2016 Odyssey Award for, The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley.
When not inhaling books for work or pleasure, Jayne works in film, television and commercials. The biggest star she has ever worked with is Shaquille O’Neal. He is quite literally THE biggest star she has ever worked with. Ever. He’s really big!”
LOCATION(S)
London; British Museum
SUBJECTS:
Time travel; vampires; vampire slayers; Sherlock Holmes characters; kidnappings
DEDICATION:
“To
Mary Kay Foley
Madelyn Gostomski
and:
Helen Collins . . .
Three women who have touched my life very deeply
SAMPLE QUOTATION:
From Miss Holmes
A Summons at Midnight:
“There are a limited number of excuses for a young, intelligent woman of seventeen to be traversing the fog-shrouded streets of London at midnight. A matter of protecting one's life or preventing another's death are two obvious ones.
But as far as I knew, I was neither in danger for my life, nor was I about to forestall the death of another.
Being a Holmes, I had my theories and suspicions as to who had summoned me and why.
The handwritten message had told me that its author was not only female, but a person of high intellect, excellent taste, and measurable wealth. Its content had been straightforward:
Your assistance is requested in a most pressing matter. If you are willing to follow in the footsteps of your family, please present yourself at the British Museum tonight at midnight. Further direction will be provided at that time.”
RATING:.
4
STARTED READING – FINISHED READING
12-16-2022 to 12-31-2022