Anyone read this and want to share thoughts? I can’t decide whether I liked it or not! I read a review that said it was like Downton Abbey meets Ocean’s Eleven and I am a huge fan of Downton Abbey. I waited months for my turn with the ebook from the library… and overall found it a let down. I guess the story entertained me and I wanted to keep reading, and I became semi-invested in at least one character, and usually that’s really what I mostly expect out of a book. But I dunno, I just can’t get over what I didn’t like…
First and foremost, I found the plan for and execution of the robbery absolutely ridiculous. Literal acrobatics to steal artwork? A silly amount of men and carts and crates and rope and pulleys, and only one single footman with use of his eyes who noticed anything amiss at all?
I didn’t find the ending all that satisfactory either, at least not for all the characters. I found there were things mentioned or hinted at in the story that never came up again or mattered at all or had any explanation. Ambiguity in an ending is one thing but this wasn’t that, really.
Also just examples of poor writing/errors such as things like “She looked in her direction for the first time” when on the previous page they’d made a point of saying she was staring at her. Or having the wrong character say something and then respond themselves.
And a personal disappointment for me, I didn’t find it like Downton Abbey at all besides the obvious, characters being housekeepers, house maids, etc. It didn’t immerse me in a different time period/”world”. And sort of related, can’t exactly articulate this thought, but for a novel set in London written by a British person, it doesn’t “feel” English at all let alone turn of the century English. I can’t really explain what I mean by that but I think others who read both British and American books will know what I mean by “the feel” of the difference. That’s not necessarily a fair thing to criticize the book for but I had it in the back of my mind the whole time especially since I was looking for it to feel like Downton for me.
I dunno, what’d you think of it?
by ChestyLaroux87