Tell me a story… of lost souls
The House on Vesper Sands by Pariac O’Donnell
Publishing date: October 18, 2018
Date read: June 28, 2021
London, 1893. A seamstress jumps to her death from the window of the home of a wealthy man. After investigating the scene, Inspector Cutter of Scotland Yard discovers that a message has been stitched into her skin. His young sidekick, Gideon Bliss - a divinity student who, through a case of mistaken identity, ends up working with Cutter - wants to investigate the case of a missing girl he knew from his past. But as they begin to dig deeper, the connections between the two cases become apparent, and nothing is quite as it seems.
This is a hard book to categorize. I'd say that it best fits into gothic mystery, with a touch of the supernatural for good measure. It's not your thrill-a-minute murder mystery that I worry the reviews might be hinting at. It's a definite slow burn. The mystery is interesting and certainly kept me intrigued, but I think it's important to go into this book knowing what you're getting into, rather than be disappointed because you were expecting something fast-paced.
The real draw for me here was the characters. Aside from his bouts of love-sickness (which got a little old), I thought that Gideon Bliss was wonderful. Both Cutter and Bliss had a wonderful dry humor that played off each other really well. I wanted more of Bliss's police reports (as odd as that might sound), and loved his take on the mystery from an outsiders perspective. I don't know if O'Donnell has any plans to write a sequel to this book, but I would read it as long as these two characters are at its center. It reminded me a bit of the character relationships in The Alienist, a book that I also really enjoyed.
I also have to mention the other lead character - Octavia Hillingdon, a young journalist who wishes to leave behind the women's society column and finally pursue a story that matters. I thought Octavia was a strong character, and the chapters that featured her were enjoyable. I just wanted her more involved with the main storyline. (Another reason why I would like to read a sequel.)
Overall, an enjoyable gothic mystery with wonderful characters and a decent plot. Could have been a bit better, but the characters made this one for me.
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Trigger warning: murder, suicide