Ask Me No Questions

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. *

Every once in awhile, I like to read a good traditional mystery. While I might not read many of them, I do watch a ton of mystery TV shows and have since I was a kid, so reading them can feel nostalgic. I absolutely love diving deep in and trying to guess the villians from the clues.

This book provides a great atmosphere while also giving enough clues to let the reader play along. It is an entertaining book and kept me guessing. The historical detail was rich and, to my knowledge, accurate and the characters really shined through because of it. This time period is one in flux where things are changing, so it was nice to read about different ways of living, fashion, and protests for change.
I liked Lady Dunbridge, but she could be a bit too stuffy for my tastes– this is totally a personal preference though and not something I'm holding against the book. As a character she is done well. Her friend Bev is one I didn't always have a handle on. Her personality seems to be different than what Phil keeps remembering. “She's so smart and clever” but then doesn't act it... almost ever. It was weird. Many of the other side characters I did really enjoy, especially those in Phil's care, which is a good thing since we will be seeing them more in the series.

I enjoyed the mystery, I enjoyed reading this, so why three stars instead of four? For some reason, it just didn't keep my attention. It was easy for me to put down. There were moments I was super into it, but most the time I wasn't deeply committed. This doesn't mean I don't think other people will like it!

If you like traditional mysteries and historical settings done accurately, then you should give this one a try! It is well worth trying out and I will probably read the sequel.