Review of 'A Lady in the Smoke' - By Karen Odden
Karen Odden’s debut novel, A Lady in the Smoke, captures your full attention from page 1. It is one of the most enthralling Victorian mysteries I have ever read and is so carefully and skilfully designed you never want it to end (though you do want to see the mystery solved!). It also includes a purposeful, delightful romance that defies the class system of the era—giving it an added injection of interesting drama.
A serious railway accident is at the heart of this crime/mystery and is rendered with such an expert hand, it is believable. The accident is a powerful scene and Karen’s writing talent (including attention to detail) makes you feel as though you are on the journey and at the disaster scene with the characters feeling every incident and emotion.
The very likeable leading female character, Lady Elizabeth Fraser, is on this ill-fated train. The level of strength and valour she possesses is seen as she pulls her mother and herself from the smouldering wreckage. In her efforts to survive the horrors around them, Elizabeth encounters a young railway surgeon, Paul Wilcox, who is assisting with the many victims. He saves her mother and tends to her own wounds. She feels an immediate bond with him through his caring attitude and feels drawn to help him with the wounded and proceeds to assist. Unfettered by the restraints of her title, she tirelessly attempts to make a difference.
Her bond with the young surgeon deepens as time progresses but her position in society means their two worlds are not compatible or approved. But Elizabeth is not a conventional woman of her time and ignores their status differences, keeps her secret and is seen by others as flirting with danger—especially when she is determined to help solve the mystery of the railway disaster. And whether it a true accident or a planned plot. She delicately tries to work outside the lines of Victorian etiquette--sometimes with success and other times not. As a modern reader, we happily cheer her on when she becomes a key figure in helping to unravel the accident/plot, aided by a newspaper man and eventually her lawyer cousin.
Karen perfectly dissects the crime, leading us through many sudden surprises and secrets of family, friends and foe and carefully weaves all the elements together during and after the court sessions to bring us to a satisfying end.
During the revelation process, Elizabeth also learns much about her mother’s pre-married life and marriage to her father, leading to a clear explanation of actions and reactions and provides a new understanding of her mother’s behaviour.
Love is the engine that powers the drama but revenge is the evil that attempts to derail the truth. Filled with edge-of-your-seat danger, daring moves and demanding choices—we are carried on a bumpy carriage ride through this exciting Victorian mystery.
The plot is riveting and the characters are well fleshed out and you care about them to the point you don’t want the story to end. I loved this book from cover to cover and highly recommend it. A 5 Star intelligent Victorian mystery. 🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋
Learn more about this award winning best selling author, Karen Odden, by visiting her fabulous website and exploring her books.
