Amazon Review:
In 1910 Toronto, while other bachelor girls perfect their domestic skills and find husbands, two friends perfect their sleuthing skills and find a murderer.
Inspired by their fascination with all things Sherlock Holmes, best friends and flatmates Merinda and Jem launch a consulting detective business. The deaths of young Irish women lead Merinda and Jem deeper into the mire of the city’s underbelly, where the high hopes of those dreaming to make a new life in Canada are met with prejudice and squalor.
While searching for answers, donning disguises, and sneaking around where no proper ladies would ever go, they pair with Jasper Forth, a police constable, and Ray DeLuca, a reporter in whom Jem takes a more than professional interest. Merinda could well be Toronto’s premiere consulting detective, and Jem may just find a way to put her bachelor girlhood behind her forever–if they can stay alive long enough to do so.
My review:
I thought this book was fun and exciting. I liked all the dialogue between characters especially Jem & Ray. It made it lighthearted and fun while they search for the murderers. I can’t decide who I like better so I just have to pick both girls. I do like the Jem & Ray’s story a bit more then Merinda & Jasper’s. I am sure that Merinda & Jasper’s story will be told more in future books. They are determined to solve this crime and won’t let anything stand in their way. I thought Jem’s story wrapped up quicker then I would have thought since It was a series.
I was sad though when the book ended and I have to wait to read book 2. I don’t know a lot about Toronto’s history and enjoyed reading the author’s notes about which historical parts was true and which she made up.
My only thing was the footnotes. It just seemed to be extra information that expanded on the story but wasn’t as necessary to the plot. I was reading it on an e-reader so I would turn the page and there would be this note in red that seemed random at first. It took me a bit to figure out that it was a footnote. I think that if I was reading it in paperback form, it would not be as confusing.
I thought it was interesting that very few people seemed to mind that they went around town with no escort while dressed as women or the fact that they were wearing pants.
I enjoyed this book immensely! I recommend this book to my family and Friends!
Check out her website: http://www.a-fair-substitute-for-heaven.blogspot.com
I got this book from netgallery for my review.
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