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Read advance reader review of A Murder at Rosamund's Gate by Susanna Calkins, page 4 of 5

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A Murder at Rosamund's Gate by Susanna Calkins

A Murder at Rosamund's Gate

A Lucy Campion Mystery

by Susanna Calkins

  • Critics' Consensus (0):
  • Published:
  • Apr 2013, 352 pages
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Page 4 of 5
There are currently 29 member reviews
for A Murder at Rosamund's Gate
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  • Juli S. (Portland, OR)
    A bit of a disappointment
    I had high hopes for this one but it ended up leaving me feeling a bit disappointed. It felt a bit slow, particularly at the beginning. The characters were a bit flat. It felt a little disjointed and didn't flow well. It was almost like two different stories featuring the same characters with the part about the plague simply inserted between two sections of the mystery story. I doubt I'll read more of this series.
  • Lisa B. (Denton, TX)
    Great historical detail!
    I was looking forward to reading "Murder at Rosamund's Gate" because it sounded just like my kind of story. I found the historical detail outstanding and meticulously researched. However, overall I found the plot slow moving and the mystery somewhat predictable. I think it would have been a stupendous read if it had picked up the pace a little.
  • Gail L. (Maitland, FL)
    A Murder at Rosamund's Gate
    For a first novel, the book was well researched; however, the plot was slow and I had to push myself to read from beginning to end. The characters were not developed enough to my liking. The author has potential and the way she ended the book, it seems there will be more to come regarding Lucy. Will not be recommending this book to others but will want to read her next book to compare them.
  • Jacquelyn H.
    Historically interesting
    I found this book tedious and almost decided to put it aside but the author's knowledge of setting was very instructive telling all the unusual and unsanitary conditions of the 17th century, upper class household customs and conditions leading to the days of the plague so I stuck with it. My main problem was with slow plot development and characters who did not create interest. There was plenty of opportunity for tension but, somehow, it never developed for me. I would not recommend it to my reading groups but feel the author's potential is good. A tighter and faster moving plot would have helped.
  • Freya H. (Phoenix, AZ)
    A Murder at Rosamund's Gate
    This book, although entertaining, didn't really show
    me anything new or exciting. The plot was predictable, the characters you've met many times before, and the ending was no surprise. I would not recommend it to my book club.
  • Loren B. (Appleton, WI)
    just ok
    I usually enjoy historical mysteries and was looking forward to this novel as it takes place during a time period I had not read about before. The history behind the plot was interesting but I found the characters to not be very well-developed, and the mystery itself as well as the "romance" to be rather trite.
    Over all this just an OK read - I've read worse, but also better. The author has potential and perhaps the next book will be better.
  • Leslie D. (Le Roy, NY)
    A letdown
    As the leader of a discussion group that enjoys historical mysteries, I had high hopes for this new author. An interesting premise and lots of historical details, though, were marred by uneven writing. The flow of the story was slowed by an overabundance of parenthetical phrases, awkward transitions between scenes, and a lack of character development. I stopped too often to remark on imprecise word choices to be able to enjoy the story.

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