by Belle Blackburn
Publisher: self-published
Page Count: 450
Release Date: October 4, 2012
Format: Kindle
How got: free copy from author
First attention getter: author's email
Synopsis:
From GoodReads:
Everybody, including her mother, believes that Kate's father committed suicide. Determined to prove otherwise, Kate sets out on a fascinating and sometimes hysterical journey through antebellum law and medicine. Set in 1860s Nashville and told with a biting wit, determined Kate finally discovers the truth - but at what cost? Will she ruin her own life trying to defend the life of her dead father?
My Thoughts:
Star Rating - 3
As a look at pre-civil war Tennessee and daily life during the time, this book excels. As a growing up tale of a young lady during this timeframe, also not a bad work. Yet as a mystery? This book fells flat.
Strongest feature is the time the author took in getting her details and setting right. From the prep of food, the ins-n-outs of the law, the gruesome details of medical practice and learning, how life was for a lady of leisure, and the beginning rumblings of the Civil War all contribute to a truly engrossing, detailed read.
The main lead, Kate, acted very human, and I could understand where she was coming from. Once her father dies, she becomes almost obsessed about certain goals, blinding her to other aspects of her life that could bring her happiness. I can understand the obsessive focus on one goal with the exclusion of others. And eventually, Kate’s eyes are opened.
Yet, on the journey to that eye-opening and through that obsessive laser focus, Kate often acted in ways that stuck in my craw and made me grit my teeth. While I can understand why she did some things, it still doesn’t make me like any more. I found it hard to sympathize with her at times with how she treated certain people. So she’s a toss-up.
As a mystery, complete letdown. The book focuses on other aspects of the story far more than it does as trying to solve the “crime” of Kate’s father’s death. What attempts there are at evidence gathering or getting justice were slap stick, laughable at best and cringe worthy at worst. I think the author could have written a more successful book focusing on Kate’s journey to healing or moving on with her life rather than trying to gain justice for her father’s fate. Her attempts are laugh worthy and not worth the paper/screen they’re written on.
Good setting details and a lead character that is humanly understandable, if not all that likable most of the time, make this a read that’s at least enjoyable for most of the time. While the mystery aspects were sorry, to say the least, they didn’t completely kill the book. Still, this book could have done with some more polish.
Note: Book received for free from author in exchange for an honest review.
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