Tears of Pearl by Tasha AlexanderBook 99 of 100 for the 100+ Reading Challenge
Book 2 of 4 for the RIP IV Challenge
Series: Book 4 of ? (Lady Emily)
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed the first three books in this series which I read earlier this year: And Only to Deceive, A Poisoned Season, and A Fatal Waltz. It is so hard to review a book in a series without giving anything away from the others, so I'll try and keep this as spoiler-free as possible.
As Lady Emily travels on the Orient Express headed to Constantinople, there is an incident on the train involving a member of staff from the British embassy. When she arrives in the city and a member of the sultan's harem is brutally murdered, she believes there is a connection. As she investigates, she gains access and insight into the sultan's households, but the intrigue and treachery continues, putting Lady Emily's life in danger.
I really enjoyed the setting for this installment. I think the historical fiction element of this book was especially well-done. I knew very little about the sunset days of the Ottoman Empire in a unique city that bridges the Western and Eastern worlds, but Alexander's descriptions were rich in detail and I learned quite a bit. The mystery/suspense was mostly ho-hum (I figured out the murderer pretty early on, I just didn't have the motive), but the romance element was flat.
Overall, I liked this book, just not as much as the others in this series (which I wholeheartedly recommend). There is usually at least one book in a series which falls a little short compared the others, and I'm hoping this is the one. I'm looking forward to reading more of Lady Emily's adventures in the future.
Source: Purchased
4 comments:
The premise sounded good. Sorry this one did not meet your expectations. I liked And Only to Deceive by this author.
Every series I've ever read has a book or two that doesn't quite measure up. Hopefully the next book in this series will get back on track.
I'm a fan of the first three books in the series, too, so I'm looking forwarding to reading Tears of Pearl. The Ottoman Empire sounds like an interesting setting. Thanks for the review.
I just reread the first three... and read the Emily's Wedding excerpt (?) found on Tasha Alexander's website, so I'm ready for this one!
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