Skip to main content

Murder Between The Lines (Kitty Weeks #2) by Radha Vatsal: A Book Review

Murder Between The Lines (Kitty Weeks #2)
Author: Radha Vatsal
Genre: Historical Mystery
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Release Date: May 2nd, 2017
Pages: 320
Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis: Intrepid journalist Kitty Weeks returns in the second book in this acclaimed WW1-era historical mystery series to investigate the death of a boarding school student.

     When Kitty's latest assignment for the New York Sentinel Ladies' Page takes her to Westfield Hall, she expects to find an orderly establishment teaching French and dancing-but there's more going on at the school than initially meets the eye.

     Tragedy strikes when a student named Elspeth is found frozen to death in Central Park. The doctor's proclaim that the girl's sleepwalking was the cause, but Kitty isn't so sure.

     Determined to uncover the truth, Kitty must investigate a more chilling scenario-a murder that may involve Elspeth's scientist father and a new invention by a man named Thomas Edison.

     My Review: Kitty Weeks goes to a boarding school to write an article for the Ladies Page. When she arrives, she is immediately taken with Elspeth Bright because of the young girl’s passion for science. Shortly after her meeting, she learns that Elspeth has been found dead in Central Park. The doctor determines that it is sleep walking. Kitty thinks otherwise. As Kitty searches for the truth, she finds that the answer may be more sinister than she ever imagined.

    After loving A Front Page Affair, I eagerly anticipated the sequel. I wanted to know what was next in store for Kitty. I was very disappointed that there was not much character development for Kitty. She had such potential. Yet, the author never expanded her character further. Honestly, I didn’t care for Kitty in this novel. She complained a lot. When Elspeth died, she complained that she didn’t want to work anymore because she feared that it would interfere with her health. She also complained about her father’s new girlfriend. She was also a passive character, and I did not like how she let people get away with murder without a fight. Thus, Kitty changed drastically from the character in A Front Page Affair.

    Overall, this novel is about family and politics. While the characters were not fully developed, I did like the father-daughter relationship between Kitty and Julian. The mystery aspect was a bit disappointing. It was predictable and there was no justice to Elspeth’s death.  However, I did like the historical details in the novel. This book was meticulously researched and will not disappoint fans of historical fiction. Despite its flaws, it was a light and fast-paced mystery. Thus, while I prefer the first novel, it was still a solid follow-up. I think this series has potential, and I look forward to reading the next book in the Kitty Weeks mysteries.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Empress: A Novel by Evelyn McCune: A Book Review

Empress: A Novel Author: McCune, Evelyn Genre: Historical Fiction Release Date: 1994 Pages: 500 Publisher: Ballantine Books Source: Personal Collection Synopsis:  Young Jao is a tomboyish thirteen, the culturally insignificant second daughter of a nobleman's second wife, when she is summoned to the imperial palace as one of the Emperor's new concubines. Jao's straightforward ways and logic, her innocence, and her beauty earn her the great warrior Emperor Taitsung's respect, attention, and finally, his love. But his death finds her banished to a convent until his son, Emperor Kaotsung, realizes his passion for Jao. Recalled to the palace, Jao discovers a place so entrenched in enmity and malice that she is forced to fight for power and just rule.      Sweeping through exotic, turbulent seventh-century China, Empress is the captivating epic of one extraordinary woman who would become the only female emperor in all of China's history. The story of ...

The Ark and the Dove: The Story of Noah's Wife by Jill Eileen Smith: A Book Review

The Ark and the Dove: The Story of Noah’s Wife Author: Jill Eileen Smith Genre: Historical Fiction, Christian, Biblical Fiction Publisher: Revell Book Release Date: 2024 Pages: 328 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: Zara and Noah have walked together with the Creator for their entire lives, and they have done their best in an increasingly wicked and defiant world to raise their three sons to follow in their footsteps. It has been a challenge--and it's about to get much, much harder.        When the Creator tells her husband to build an ark to escape the coming wrath against the sins of humankind, Zara steps out with him in faith. But the derision and sabotage directed their way from both friends and extended family are difficult to bear, as is knowing that everyone she interacts with beyond her husband, her sons, and their wives is doomed to destruction. And when the ark is finally finished and the animals have bee...

Blog Tour: The Secret Life of Mrs. London by Rebecca Rosenberg

The Secret Life of Mrs. London by Rebecca Rosenberg Publication Date: January 30, 2018 Lake Union Publishing eBook & Paperback; 348 Pages Genre: Historical Fiction Synopsis: San Francisco, 1915 . As America teeters on the brink of world war, Charmian and her husband, famed novelist Jack London, wrestle with genius and desire, politics and marital competitiveness. Charmian longs to be viewed as an equal partner who put her own career on hold to support her husband, but Jack doesn’t see it that way…until Charmian is pulled from the audience during a magic show by escape artist Harry Houdini, a man enmeshed in his own complicated marriage. Suddenly, charmed by the attention Houdini pays her and entranced by his sexual magnetism, Charmian’s eyes open to a world of possibilities that could be her escape. As Charmian grapples with her urge to explore the forbidden, Jack’s increasingly reckless behavior threatens her dedication. Now torn between two of...