I spent the morning at the auto repair shop and the afternoon at the unemployment office - what a day! But at least I got to read something good to take my mind off of everything.
Still Life With Murder by P.B. Ryan
(2003, 1860's Boston) 7/2/07
Grade: 4
After a childhood in poverty, Nell Sweeney has ended up as a governess in an upper class Boston household. But when Viola Hewitt’s son is accused of murder (although he was believed dead at Andersonville), she begs Nell to find out what really happened. Nell finds herself drawn into a world of opium addiction, crime and pain - a world she’d tried to escape.
A detailed depiction of the social world of upper class Boston in the late 1860’s. Nell is an interesting character, and her observations bring the setting to life. The author also brings in fascinating side issues - opium addiction among former soldiers, the horrors of Andersonville - and ties them neatly into a well drawn mysery. The main problem of the book is the character of Will - he’s just as interesting as Nell, but he’s kept at arms length throughout the book, and we don’t really see what draws him to Nell, or much about their relationship. Although I found the book interesting, it felt somewhat incomplete.
I find most "hybrid" books unsatisfying. I get frustrated because it feels like neither the mysery or the relationship is fully formed. The best part of this book was the deftly realized setting. The mystery was OK, but it was fairly simple and the resolution fell a bit flat. The relationship felt like just a taste - not enough to really get the full flavor and depth.
Back when I read mysteries, the ones I preferred were puzzle mysteries, like Agatha Christie. The reader has to figure out a complicated, detailed puzzle and put all the pieces together before the detective. But those types of stories don't seem that popular any more. So I'll stick with romance.
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