Skip to main content

Lost in The Shadows by Sydney Bristow: A Book Review

Lost In The Shadows
Author: Sydney Bristow
Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery and Suspense, Thriller
Publisher: CreateSpace
Release Date: 2015
Pages: 286
Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis: Imagine a time when love was not only discouraged, but also considered irrelevant. When women had no legal rights. When the only way for women to secure a bright future was by taking “the dark leap” into marriage. Sound far-fetched? Welcome to Boston on the eve of the Revolutionary War. 

     Grace Galloway always regretted never finding time to meet prospective suitors. She was too busy caring for her siblings. Until she meets a wealthy politician who makes her realize that romance is truly worth fighting for. But then someone plunders her financial assets, leaving her family bankrupt. And when the lone suspect turns up dead, the authorities target Grace for the crime. Now she is forced to prove her innocence while in pursuit of the true thief. 

     After her husband’s ship explodes, Lorelai Loudon saves her spouse from a lynch mob. The result: he abandons her, plunging Lorelai into a lifetime of debt she cannot repay. So she seduces someone who can help with that endeavor…the same man that Grace has fallen in love with. Meanwhile, Lorelai pursues the criminal who destroyed her husband’s ship in an effort to regain her wealth. But she has no idea that the guilty individual is one of her closest allies.

     Infatuated with a charming smuggler, but forced to marry a man she loathes, Hannah Halliwell uncovers evidence that either man could be the one who murdered her mother. Consumed with vengeance, she sets off a series of events that force all three women to rely on one another to rebuild their lives, search for true love, and identify the mastermind who triggered their misfortunes.

     My Review: Three friends in Boston are experiencing their own misfortunes. Grace finds that someone has stolen her family’s money and is bankrupt. It is assumed that the person who did this is dead, and that Grace is the suspect for the crime. Lorelai’s husband's ship explodes, leaving her with many debts. Hannah’s mom has been murdered. Soon they realize that each of their misfortunes are connected, and together they find out who is the true mastermind.

     I really tried to like this book. With the main character whose name is very similar to mine, a historical mystery, and a thriller, how could I not? Sadly, it was not for me. I did not like the main characters, and a lot of them made ruthless actions to each other. It felt like a historical version of Mean Girls. I felt their rivalry to be unnecessary. I really didn’t understand their weird friendship. If they were sincerely wanting to be friends with each other, then why did they have to do mean things to the other and to themselves? One of the example is that Lorelai married Grace’s true love for money, not only stealing happiness from Grace, but also for herself knowing that her husband would never love her in return because his heart belongs to another.

     Overall, this book was a depressing and frustrating read. There were also some disturbing scenes in this novel. One example is Hannah’s husband frequently abuses her. As for the mystery part, it was a disappointment. There was not much suspense and mystery build up that made it thrilling. I felt the plot dragged so that I really did not care who the suspect was. Instead, I just wanted the book to end. I did think that the author painted a good setting of the city of Boston on the brink of the Revolutionary War. Other people who are into historical thrillers may like this book. However, this book was not for me. With immature and dislikable characters and a slow dragging plot, this novel will be easily forgettable.

Rating: 2 ½ out of 5 stars

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post by Allison Pataki: A Book Review

The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post Author: Allison Pataki Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: Ballantine Release Date: February 15, 2022 Pages: 381 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: Mrs. Post, the President and First Lady are here to see you. . . . So begins another average evening for Marjorie Merriweather Post. Presidents have come and gone, but she has hosted them all. Growing up in the modest farmlands of Battle Creek, Michigan, Marjorie was inspired by a few simple rules: always think for yourself, never take success for granted, and work hard—even when deemed American royalty, even while covered in imperial diamonds. Marjorie had an insatiable drive to live and love and to give more than she got. From crawling through Moscow warehouses to rescue the Tsar’s treasures to outrunning the Nazis in London, from serving the homeless of the Great Depression to entertaining Roosevelts, Kennedys, and Hollywood’s biggest stars, Marjorie Merriweath

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn: A Book Review

The Rose Code Author: Kate Quinn Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: Harper Collins Release Date: 2021 Pages: 635 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: 1940, Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire.        Three very different women are recruited to the mysterious Bletchley Park, where the best minds in Britain train to break German military codes.       Vivacious debutante Osla has the dashing Prince Philip of Greece sending her roses – but she burns to prove herself as more than a society girl, working to translate decoded enemy secrets. Self-made Mab masters the legendary codebreaking machines as she conceals old wounds and the poverty of her East-End London upbringing. And shy local girl Beth is the outsider who trains as one of the Park’s few female cryptanalysts.       1947, London.        Seven years after they first meet, on the eve of the royal wedding between Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip, disaster threatens. Osla, Mab and Beth are estranged,

Iceberg by Jennifer A. Nielsen: A Book Review

  Iceberg Author: Jennifer A. Nielsen Genre: Children, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Adventure Publisher: Scholastic Release Date: March 7, 2023 Pages: 317 Source: My State Public Library Synopsis : As disaster looms on the horizon, a young stowaway onboard the Titanic will need all her courage and wits to stay alive. A thrilling tale from New York Times bestselling author Jennifer A. Nielsen!     Hazel Rothbury is traveling all alone from her home in England aboard the celebrated ship Titanic . Following the untimely death of her father, Hazel’s mother is sending her to the US to work in a factory, so that she might send money back home to help her family make ends meet.     But Hazel harbors a secret dream: She wants to be a journalist, and she just knows that if she can write and sell a story about the Titanic ’s maiden voyage, she could earn enough money to support her family and not have to go to a sweatshop. When Hazel discovers that mother didn’t send her with enough money for