Publication Date: 12th Dec 2023
Genre: Historical Cozy Mystery (Political)
3.5 Stars
One Liner: A decent read inspired by true events (I'm not the target audience)
1804 New York City
America’s beloved Alexander Hamilton dies after a duel with Aaron Burr. His son, Alexander Jr., is a suspect in the murder of a witness of the duel. Eliza is grieving but trying her best to get justice for her dead husband and save her eighteen-year-old son from life in prison (or death). She needs to dig out the truth, save the family from debts, and protect the family.
With eight children to support, Eliza decides to sell homemade lace and is drawn into the mysterious network of widowed lacemakers. She also realizes that the women can help her find the truth about her dead husband. Of course, it’s easier said than done with a killer intent on doing anything to keep secrets safe.
The book comes in the third-person POV of Eliza Hamilton and Alice Rhodes.
Disclaimer: I had no idea this was a retelling of a real-life story with famous people when I requested the book. I did wonder if it was inspired by something when I began reading. The author’s note at the end provided more information and mentioned what was fiction and what was real. Then, I read Eliza’s Wikipedia page. The book makes a little more sense now.
My Thoughts:
A new window managing her family affairs and investigating her influential husband’s death felt like a great premise to read, especially when set in the early 19th century. We see the constant restriction she has to face for being a woman. The book gets the male condensing tone spot on.
The women here are quite competent and have the means to gather information and get things done. We also see the differences in lives between the rich and working class. Of course, privilege doesn’t always help, and Eliza learns how to navigate both worlds.
There are many characters, some mentioned without much information or backstory. The network of widowed women is a great addition. I wouldn’t have minded if they had a bit more focus.
The pacing is quite slow. I expected it in the beginning but soon realized it would be the same throughout. I also started to lose interest. Eliza, despite everything, didn’t make me root for her. It’s more of an issue with the writing rather than the character (or person).
Then, I began to speed read, and that did the job. I enjoyed the book a lot more without missing a single clue or development. Either the pacing has to be improved, or the filler has to be trimmed.
The mystery was okay and kept me interested. The plot development to solving the mystery wasn’t great (not my favorite trope). The resolution happened quite fast and easily, almost like the story needed to end in limited pages afterward.
To summarize, The Lace Widow is a decent read for me, but I am not the target audience. People who know the Hamiltons and the musical will enjoy this more. The author is a fan of the musical, so the book might appeal to like-minded people.
Thank you, NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books, for the eARC.
#NetGalley #TheLaceWidow
No comments:
Post a Comment