I went into this one expecting fluff and nonsense, with more than a little eye-rolling on my part. By 100 pages in, I stopped the eye-rolling, as I suspected the authors were making me do it deliberately.
I loved that the characters were morally interesting, working to their own codes, which may or may not have anything to do with the law. The crime-mystery was complicated and, although I may have had an idea of the who and why behind it, the what and how still remain a little slippery. The book had a lot of heart - there were some genuinely sweet moments - and the authors' take on social and economic issues were done with a light touch. And my knowledge of banking history is just a tad stronger than when I started out!
I still got my fix of smugglers, marshlands, crime-solving vicars, pistols and chartreuse wall-coverings, but they came with a substantial helping of thought, history and heart.
I loved that the characters were morally interesting, working to their own codes, which may or may not have anything to do with the law. The crime-mystery was complicated and, although I may have had an idea of the who and why behind it, the what and how still remain a little slippery. The book had a lot of heart - there were some genuinely sweet moments - and the authors' take on social and economic issues were done with a light touch. And my knowledge of banking history is just a tad stronger than when I started out!
I still got my fix of smugglers, marshlands, crime-solving vicars, pistols and chartreuse wall-coverings, but they came with a substantial helping of thought, history and heart.