A Portrait Of Death
by Rhen Garland
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I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Synopsis:
In the quiet English village of Marmis Parva, a weekend house party is organised by a society hostess and all the top names are invited.
But this is no ordinary party.
Two men are savagely murdered during the course of the first evening and a young man, presumed dead, returns home after two years imprisonment in South Africa bringing with him proof of treason.
Detective Chief Inspector Elliott Caine’s long-awaited holiday in the Lake District is cancelled as he is brought in to investigate the peculiar nature of the murders. More bodies are discovered and Elliott has to manoeuvre between high society, Government protocols, and the heinous nature of the crimes if he and his old friend Detective Sergeant Abernathy Thorne, are to catch the sadistic killer, and the traitor lurking amongst them.
When Caine’s past comes back to haunt him, will his judgement be too clouded to focus on solving the crime?
Will the Boer spy’s identity be uncovered before they can flee?
How are these murders connected to another in New York?
Review:
When guests show up for an ordinary weekend party, a double murder is the last thing they expect. Instead of getting his promised vacation Detective Chief Inspector Elliott Caine gets called in to investigate the gruesome murders. As the bodies start to pile up Caine must work with Detective Sergeant Abernathy Thorne to keep the body count as low as possible while they catch the murderer and keep the past in the past. With a dip into the supernatural A Portrait of Death is a murder mystery that will keep you hooked until the end.
What I loved most about this book was the writing. A Portrait Of Death is set in the 1800's. Throughout the book the author keeps us totally captivated in the Victorian era. It was like stepping out of 2019 and jumping back into 1899. The writing was very descriptive and it was easy to envision the settings and situations that were described. I really enjoy books set in the Victorian era. There's something about the overall feel of that time that draws me in completely and this book captured it so well and I was just hooked. Ball gowns, servants, a dinner party that ends with murder, what more could you ask for?
I found Rhen Garland was able to create an entire cast of interesting characters. While I can't say I was able to "relate" to them, I had a great time sitting back and reading about them. They were entertaining, charming and true to era. This is one of those books that creates a movie inside your head, where the details are so splendid that reading it feels like watching a movie.
If you're looking for something to take you back in time while still fulfilling your need for a suspenseful murder mystery this book will most likely be for you. The murders are gruesome but the details aren't so graphic as to turn off any individuals who aren't into the gore.
Purchase Links:
UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/PORTRAIT-DEATH-Versipellis-Mysteries-Book-ebook/dp/B07M8W6LLB
US - https://www.amazon.com/PORTRAIT-DEATH-Versipellis-Mysteries-Book-ebook/dp/B07M8W6LLB
Author Bio
She enjoys the countryside, peace, and Prosecco and the works of Ngaio Marsh, Glady Mitchell, John Dickson Carr/Carter Dickson, Agatha Christie, and Terry Pratchett.
"I watch far too many old school murder mystery films, TV series, and 1980s action movies for it to be considered healthy."
"A Portrait of Death" is a murder mystery thriller with paranormal touches set in late Victorian England and is the first book in the Versipellis Mysteries Series.
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Not my thing, but maybe my husband would like this one.
ReplyDeleteOh a British murder mystery is such a fun thing to read every once in awhile...especially at this time of year. Glad this was a good one for you!
ReplyDeleteOoh I think I'd like this one! Love a good murder mystery.
ReplyDelete-Lauren
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