The Music Makers by Alexandra Walsh
Timeshift Victorian Mysteries Book#2 (Standalone)
Genre: Women’s Fiction, Dual Timeline, Contemporary, Historical
3.7 Stars
One Liner: The historical timeline worked better.
Eleanor Wilder goes back to Pembrokeshire from London to start afresh. After falling sick and being hospitalized, she’s too weak to manage the business in the bustling city. Her love for theatre and theatrical costumes made her a successful businesswoman, and she can easily continue it online from her parent’s house.
The trip back home brings back her interest in tracing the ancestors. The name Esme Blood calls to her soul. In fact, Eleanor finds that nature is giving her the necessary clues to know what happened to Esme.
Back in 1875, Esme Blood is a young girl born to a teenage mother who left her in a fortune tellers’ tent and vanished. Esme only has a doll to call her own. She’s lucky that Rose and her husband have adopted and loved her like their own.
But Esme’s life is not easy. Each time she finds that happiness is within reach, something happens that makes things worse. Is Esme’s life only about uncovering secrets and yearning for a happy ever after?
How is Esme connected to Eleanor apart from the obvious family link? The Tarot cards show hope. Is it possible to hope for love and find it too?
The Music Makers is the second book in the series and pretty much follows the same format as the first one. The heroine has the urge to find out what happened to a certain ancestor and is helped by diaries written by the ancestor.
What Worked for Me:
- I’ve been fascinated by tarot cards since I was in high school. Tarot cards are an intrinsic part of the book. So that’s a definite plus. One day, I’m going to learn how to read tarot cards.
- Esme is a strong character. Though her decisions seem a little rash at times, she sees them through and doesn’t give up.
- Eleanor is smart, sensible, and loving. The way she handles her illness and her business was a treat to read.
- A majority of the historical track is interesting and engaging. Lynette, Aaron, Cassie, etc., were intriguing in their own way.
- The shift between past and present is clear and doesn’t cause any confusion.
- The use of Victorian theatre throughout the book was consistent and artful. In fact, I loved the role of theatre and tarot cards more than music (which went on and off).
- There’s no need to read book one to read this. It works as a standalone.
What Didn’t Work for Me:
- The connection between Eleanor and Arthur wasn’t explored properly. In dual timelines, one timeline suffers, and this book is no exception.
- There are too many characters again. But this time, they come towards the end and create confusion. Since it happens at a stage where the story picks up speed and races towards the conclusion, it gets overwhelming.
- The relationships reminded me of Ekta Kapoor’s daily soaps (Indians will know what I mean). I was tempted to round down to 3 stars. But such convoluted relationships are not new (I’ve read enough Regency and Victorian books to know that as a fact), so I let it go.
To sum up, The Music Makers is a good continuation of the series. While I enjoyed it, I wouldn’t call it the best. Still, I’m looking forward to reading the next one.
Maybe the author will use a new technique to reveal the past in book three. Diaries are convenient but can get boring if they are used multiple times in the same series.
Thank you, NetGalley and Sapere Books, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
#TheMusicMakers #NetGalley
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