Loved it! Had to read the prequel after hearing about the first official book in the series. Samuel... oh Samuel. But it shows the pain Alexander willLoved it! Had to read the prequel after hearing about the first official book in the series. Samuel... oh Samuel. But it shows the pain Alexander will feel, so it's uber appropriate. Love the writing style, the character portrayals, and the smolder beneath all the scenes. An author to follow, and you'll find yourself enamored with style and potential....more
An interesting mix of paranormal Gothic, mystery, and genealogical delight. But for me, the three modes didn't add up as well as needed. I liked it alAn interesting mix of paranormal Gothic, mystery, and genealogical delight. But for me, the three modes didn't add up as well as needed. I liked it all, but it was missing that charm, that underlying tension of "I must know what's going on." Loved solving the various generational gaps and missing relatives. But I also felt like the connection between the main character and her pseudo aunt and godmother was contrived. That said, I also knew where it was going in the long-run, so I held on, hoping it would pop at some point. I liked it... just wish there was something stronger to latch on to. I'll give the author's next book a chance again tho, as it has all the elements to be successful. Sometimes debuts in this genre aren't the author's amazing releases.... those come a bit later!...more
Easily 4.5 stars. First Elston read. Will definitely read more. So many sides to a series of events, and just when you think you know who the killer iEasily 4.5 stars. First Elston read. Will definitely read more. So many sides to a series of events, and just when you think you know who the killer is, things change course and you learn parts of a scene you missed, either because the character left it out, the time period wasn't clear, or the truth was hidden in the words without you realizing it. Alibis can easily be crafted, but knowing how to systematically break it down into pieces, so you can run that fine-tooth comb thru every uttered word, that's how you reveal the truth and stun your audience. Wish it were even longer, I didn't want to stop reading it. Couldn't give the full 5 stars because the motivation of one character was never clear because we never got their point of view except thru a few scenes / dialog... we needed the voice in their head to tell us why, why they did it....more