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Dark romance

A fine balance does a wonderful job of making you feel like you know all the characters by the end, their desires, motivations, strengths, weaknesses and all the things in between that make us human. It’s also gives a wonderful context of India at a particular time in history.

All set in Somerset, brilliant crime novels

Historic moving Realistic

Historic moving Realistic

Historic moving Realistic

Taken from a 5⭐️ review. A woman hires private investigator Arthur to find out what happened to her missing husband. But what he discovers is something far bigger and the real pleasure of the book is watching him piece it all together, step by step. At its core, it’s a crime mystery, but the surrounding world adds a lot more to the story. It’s set in Gildcleft, a completely invented place, and the writing is so descriptive and lively that I could picture it perfectly just from the page. That’s something I often find tricky, so it really stood out to me. The magic is handled just as smoothly: the characters are human, some with special gifts, and their abilities drive the story without taking over or becoming tangled in needless complexity. I couldn’t put it down and read it in a single night. I was invested in the world and the characters and constantly found myself thinking ‘just one more chapter’. The characters are what make it special. They’re flawed, but never dysfunctional, mostly just trying their best. That made them easy to believe in. Arthur, in particular, is a great companion: capable and trustworthy, but not perfect. The writing lets you follow his thoughts so closely that you get a real feel for how he works and how he sees the world. The mystery is nicely balanced. There are enough clues to keep you guessing alongside Arthur, but not so many that the answer arrives early. The case he’s hired to crack wraps up by the end, while the bigger picture, the society itself and its hidden secrets, is left open to explore futter.