Skip to main content

The Sleuth of Blackfriars Lane Review

 Happy Friday Friends :)

I pray today finds you all doing well, and I'm so thankful you've taken the time to drop on by The Preppy Book Princess today for another book review.

I'm Kirby, and I'm so happy you're here!

Unfortunately, I've come down with a cold over the past few days, and my energy levels haven't been quite what they usually are. I've had lots of time for reading, but not a lot of energy for blogging, so I haven't had as many posts on here as usual this week.

However, for today's post I wanted to jump on here and share my review of an upcoming April release.

I hope you'll all keep reading down below for today's full review.


The Sleuth of Blackfriars Lane by Michelle Griep:



Source: Publisher via NetGalley

Publication Date: Barbour Fiction

Publication Date: April 1st, 2024

Genre: Christian Fiction/Historical Fiction

Series: Blackfriars Lane


Synopsis:


Wife. Mother. Homemaker. Detective. Kit Forge wears many hats, and if that’s not enough, she’s partnered with her father to open a new detective agency. It’s hard to be all things to all people, but Kit never shies away from the impossible. Despite her hard work and good intentions, some things fall through the cracks.   Namely, her husband.   But Jackson barely notices. He’s too busy putting out his own fires. As the new chief inspector of a busy London station, he must salvage the disaster left behind by the former police chief—an obstacle made all the harder when the superintendent breathes an ultimatum down his neck.   Against her father’s advice, Kit takes on a case involving a missing child, one in which she and Jackson become a little too emotionally involved. . .and end up endangering their own little girl in the process.   Can Kit and Jackson learn that just because they can say yes doesn’t mean they should?  

(synopsis from goodreads)



My Review:

I adored Michelle Griep's 2023 release, Man of Shadow and Mist. I was mesmerized by her beautiful writing style, and I couldn't wait to give another one of her books a try. Even though I hadn't read the first two books in this series, I went into it with high expectations, as certainly it was going to be as great as her last release was! Unfortunately, that ended up not being the case, and while I would still love to read more of her books in the future, I won't be picking up any of the other titles in this series unfortunately.

What I Liked:

The author has a unique way of setting up her mysteries, and I enjoy how thoroughly she's able to immerse the reader in its unfolding. While I had my suspicions, everything still came together in a way that left me quite surprised, and I always enjoy when an author is able to accomplish that.

It's always obvious to the reader that Michelle Griep spends copious amounts of time researching the historical time periods she's writing about, and I enjoyed leaving this title with many new to me tidbits about this time in history. It kind of had a Dickens-esque vibe for much of the story, and I thought that was pretty fitting.

Lastly, I adored Charles and Martha. Their romance was sweet and swoon worthy, and showcased the big hearts they had for each other and the world around them. Their story ended up being my favorite part of the book.

What I Didn't Like:

Unfortunately, this one ended up being nothing like what I was expecting, and mainly that was because of the following two reasons.

First, I'm sorry to say that I couldn't stand the main character, Kit. She was manipulative, selfish, rude, and willing to step on anyone or anything to accomplish what she felt she deserved to. It got monotonous pretty quickly to hear her constantly talk about she has no homemaking capabilities, and that it was basically Martha's responsibility to raise her child and/or provide her family with their meals and treats. This perhaps wouldn't have been the biggest deal, but the way she comes across during these passages is like she feels she's too superior to be bothered with such responsibilities, and like she thinks she's too good to have to bother with such things.  I ended up feeling like a lot of what goes wrong with the mystery plot never would have happened in the first place if she had just been willing to listen to anyone else's opinion besides her own. I'm sorry to say that her character never ended up growing on me, and I felt that she showed next to no character growth or remorse by the end of the story.

And lastly, I couldn't believe the amount of unnecessary content that the author felt inclined to include. The sexualized tension between Kit and Jackson seemed to go on and on in certain passages, and the reader begins to get the impression that Kit is manipulating her husband sexually to get what she wants from him. Kit's constantly "cussing like a sailor" in her words, and there's many passages about drugs, alcohol, and even some brazen references to prostitution.

All in all, I can't really recommend this one because of the content issues, and I would highly recommend checking out some of the author's other titles outside this series.

It wouldn't stop me from picking up another of her books, but I will definitely not be reading any more titles from this series.

Final Rating: 3/5.


Thanks so much to Barbour Publishing for allowing me to read and review this title!


I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary advance reader copy of this novel from the publisher (Barbour) via NetGalley. I was not required to give a positive review, and all thoughts and opinions are my own.


Thanks so much for reading guys! Have a great rest of your weekend :)



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

First Line Friday: Carolina Breeze

Happy Friday Everyone :) I hope you're all having a great week! Mine has actually been pretty good. We've had some really nice days, and my husband and I were finally able to put our garden in, and various flowers and the like. We've also had a couple of lovely, rainy days as well, and I love how green everything is looking in our yard right now. For today's post, I'm excited to once again be linking up with the lovely Hoarding Books  for another edition of First Line Friday. This fun weekly meme simply consists of sharing the first line of the book you're currently reading. For this week's first line, I'm going to be sharing from Denise Hunter's recently released title that I ended up absolutely loving. Carolina Breeze by Denise Hunter: About The Book: A jilted bride. A struggling innkeeper. And a romantic mountain getaway that changes everything. Rising Hollywood star Mia Emerson is looking for a safe place to land in the wake of a public breakup a

First Line Friday: Just As I Am

Happy Friday Everyone :) I hope you're all having a great week, and looking forward to the weekend. Since it is Friday, it's time once again for First Line Friday, which is hosted over at Hoarding Books. For today's first line, I'm going to be featuring a recent debut novel that I had the opportunity to read and review. About The Book: Adeline Rhodes has spent years locked away in a New Orleans apartment controlled by her criminal boyfriend. After a daring escape, she realizes just how far she has grown from the things in which she once believed. Declan King has lived a life of solitude and duty for the U.S. Army. When the deaths of his grandparents bring him home to his family farm, he is forced into contact with people who know too much about his past to simply leave him alone. When Adeline’s past catches up to her, the two strangers find themselves thrust into a fake relationship to protect Adeline from her vengeful ex. As their chance meeting begin

First Line Friday: Courting Mr. Emerson

Happy Friday Everyone :) Since it is Friday, I'll once again be participating in First Line Friday which is hosted by Hoarding Books .  For this week, I'm going to be sharing the first line from Melody Carlson's newest book, Courting Mr. Emerson. About The Book: When the fun-loving and spontaneous artist Willow West meets buttoned-up, retired English teacher George Emerson, it's not exactly love at first sight. Though she does find the obsessive-compulsive man intriguing. Making it her mission to get him to loosen up and embrace life, she embarks on what seems like a lost cause--and finds herself falling for him in the process. A confirmed bachelor, George vacillates between irritation and attraction whenever Willow is around--which to him seems like all too often. He's not interested in expanding his horizons or making new friends; it just hurts too much when you lose them. But as the summer progresses, George feels his defenses crumbling. The quest