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Deception's Daughter (Martha Beale Mysteries)
Critics raved about The Conjurer, the first in Cordelia Frances Biddle’s superb historical mystery series. Now Philadelphian heiress Martha Beale is back in a second thrilling installment laced with fast-paced intrigue and exquisite period detail.
When the daughter of one of Philadelphia’s finest families disappears, Martha Beale becomes the unwilling liaison between t
...moreHardcover, 288 pages
Published
August 19th 2008
by St. Martin's Minotaur
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I liked this book better than the 3rd in the series, though I thought there were some loose ends and explanations that could have been included. Like Stokes Senior's death came about abruptly - I wasn't clear on his plan for the Beale children. Also, who was the blonde woman in the opening scenes with the baby, and did she actually drown? Kelman's departure in the 3rd book seems kind of sudden now, though it is set up in this book. I thought the history and character developement were good h...more
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This gripping book is filled with historical facts and mystery enough to keep the pages turning. Not only is the story compelling, but the sense of time and place is satisfying and alarming. I really felt like I was there and glad that I was born in a much later time.
This is a better Mystery than I am giving it credit for, no doubt, but the writing style bothered me, making it hard to get into. The issue was that all verbs happened in the present tense - "she walks to the window, she ties the ribbon," etc, etc. This is a stylistic choice, but it is rarely used in genre fiction, and seems especially odd since it was a historical mystery.
That said, there is decent characterization, a good plot, and it does give some atmosphere of early Ph...more
That said, there is decent characterization, a good plot, and it does give some atmosphere of early Ph...more
Equal to a poor romance novel
Lots of atmosphere.Not a cozy
The second of Biddle's series, it's ok. Historical Philadelphia is enjoyable once more, but the characterization is a bit heavy-handed and the plot can't quite seem to make up its mind. I suspect this series will become one of those where if I happen to see a new entry on the new books shelf, I'll pick it up, but I doubt I'll be reserving it to ensure reading it.
Suggested for fans of Day's Fremont Jones and Thompson's Gaslight mysteries- but with a few reservations.
Suggested for fans of Day's Fremont Jones and Thompson's Gaslight mysteries- but with a few reservations.
This was not as much focused on the mystery as the time and place, and the relationship between the two protagonists. Clearly there will be more books in the series, and I, for one, will be looking for them.
Getting the time and place right is, I have come to see, very important to me, and Ms. Biddle does that very well.
Getting the time and place right is, I have come to see, very important to me, and Ms. Biddle does that very well.
Very cool mystery w/ a touch of romance. Beautifully evokes the 1840's Philadelphia (much better than most historical romances)
An okay New York City mystery set in the 1840s. Interesting because author comes from old, old New England family.
Our book club's first attempt at a mystery. The plot held me, but the writing seemed overdone.
An excellent historical mystery series to which I'm anxiously awaiting the next book!
The language the author uses can be quite cumbersome in parts. Maybe it's my journalism background that makes me want to edit her words. I want her to be more concise and less flowery in the action. Description and period language is great for setting the mood but when it comes to this story it needs to be toned down a bit. All in all, the plot is nice and moves along at a good pace (despite the language usage) and it is a good entertaining story.
Jane(Janelba)
marked it as wishlist
Shashanise
marked it as to-read
Amy Dorrell
marked it as to-read
Dolly
marked it as to-read
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Cordelia Frances Biddle is a member of one of Philadelphia's oldest families. She co-wrote Murder at San Simeon with Patricia Hearst and writes the Nero Blanc crossword puzzle series with her husband, Steve Zettler. This is her second in the Martha Beale series; the first, The Conjurer, is now available in paperback."
More about Cordelia Frances Biddle...
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