Finished chapter 5.

Things are getting interesting, but I could have done without the description of the execution. Gratuitous, much?

I keep taking too long with my books for BL-opoly and Snakes and Ladders so I haven't been able to fit in much of this book. I'm sorry.

So, I've had two extremely busy weeks, but the time it took me to finish this book was still too much. But finally I made it (hooray for weekends).

As for the book itself, after a very slow start (as you might have already guessed from my previous posts) the book found its footing and a good pace, and it became a thoroughly enjoyable historical mystery, if just a bit more violent than I would have expected.

One thing that at times pulled me out of the reading is that the author has clearly done a lot of research on the history and many more aspects of the period he's writing about (as the impressive amount of notes peppered throughout the book), and he wants to show off his knowledge; for me at times it was interesting and other distracting, though admittedly it depeneded on whether I cared for the argument he was talking about.

This is a series I'm genuinely curious to read more of, if only to see if the issues with the writing were a one off, or if the different pacing and style were intentional and the author was building up to something else.

Still, whenever I was able to sit down and enjoy the book for more than an hour at the times, I had lots of fun. And kudos to themis-athena for providing incredible visual references to help get into the story.

I'm really enjoying this.

However, this is such an odd story. We - the readers - know that part of the story that is being spun is false, so for the last I don't know how many chapters, I just wanted to shake Sydney and tell him to get a grip.

Alicia felt vaguely hurt. Edward wasn’t in the spirit of the thing at all. ‘You’d think there was something illegal about what we’re doing.’

Edward gave a laugh. ‘Darling, there is. And it’s worse with the police in it.’

‘If I do what you suggested, I won’t be able to see you or be with you for months and months.’

That was true. Edward was silenced for a moment, torn.

Alicia went into the kitchen to attend to the dinner.

Hah! Well, at least it sounds like Sydney and Alicia deserve each other. This story also has a hint of Double Indemnity in it. 

This is delicious. 

I have no idea where this is going.

This is an unusual story. I think the rural English setting does something to tone down the intensity of the underlying dysfunctional relationship. 

Sydney is a total psycho, tho.

And I definitely do not trust the sense of calm in this story. Not one bit.

There is something brewing, and my guess is that it is about to be unleashed.