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

Blog Tour: Beauty of the Beast by Rachel L. Demeter: A Book Review

Beauty of the Beast by Rachel L. Demeter Fairy Tale Retellings, #1 Publication Date: March 15, 2017 Genres: Historical Romance, Fairy Tale Retelling, Gothic Romance, Adult 🌹 Buy 🌹 Amazon US Amazon UK Amazon CA B&N Kobo iBooks 🌹 Book Blurb 🌹       Experience the world’s most enchanting and timeless love story—retold with a dark and realistic twist.      A BEAST LIVING IN THE SHADOW OF HIS PAST      Reclusive and severely scarred Prince Adam Delacroix has remained hidden inside a secluded, decrepit castle ever since he witnessed his family’s brutal massacre. Cloaked in shadow, with only the lamentations of past ghosts for company, he has abandoned all hope, allowing the world to believe he died on that tragic eve twenty-five years ago.      A BEAUTY IN PURSUIT OF A BETTER FUTURE      Caught in a fierce snowstorm, beautiful and strong-willed Isabelle ...

The Woman in the Camphor Trunk (Anna Blanc Mystery #2) by Jennifer Kincheloe: A Book Review

The Woman in the Camphor Trunk (Anna Blanc Mystery #2) Author: Jennifer Kincheloe Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance, Mystery Publisher: Seventh Street Books Release Date: 2017 Pages: 304 Source: This book was given to me by the publisher and the audiobook was given to me by Audiobookworm Promotions blog tour in exchange for an honest review Synopsis: In early-1900s Los Angeles-- an era of courting, ragtime, suffragettes, and widespread corruption-- a socialite turned police matron tracks down the murderer of a white woman in Chinatown, while trying to prevent the outbreak of a bloody tong war.      Los Angeles, 1908. In Chinatown, the most dangerous beat in Los Angeles, police matron Anna Blanc and her former sweetheart, Detective Joe Singer, discover the body of a white missionary woman, stuffed in a trunk in the apartment of her Chinese lover. If news about the murder gets out, there will be a violent backlash against the Chinese. Joe and Anna work to solve th...

Interview With Gabriella Saab

        Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing author, Gabriella Saab. She is the author of The Last Checkmate  and Daughters of Victory . She has recently published  Survivor's Guild , which tells the story about of two Titanic survivors. One of them is a wealthy heiress, and the other is a Lebanese immigrant. They are tasked with finding the mother of a baby boy whom they have saved. In this interview, we discussed the Titanic as well as the events that were going on in Lebanon during that time. Thank you, Mrs. Saab! What inspired you to write The Survivor’s Guild? I’m half Lebanese, and while attending a conference through the Southern Federation of Syrian Lebanese American Clubs, I learned about the Lebanese aboard the Titanic . I never knew there were Lebanese aboard the ship, so it was the perfect opportunity to explore a lesser-known side of the story we all know. But I didn’t want to tell a story of only the Titanic ; I wanted to know what li...