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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A touching end to the series, December 27, 2007
This review is from: A Bucket of Ashes (Gilded Age Mysteries, No. 6) (Mass Market Paperback)
When is the last time you read a regency book with a hero who is addicted to opium and a heroine who's husband is in jail and has a past as a pick-pocket? Not to mention the herione's former lover who is a married man with a wife in an asylum. The characters are so well written and fleshed out that they get under your skin and you truly care about what happens to them.
This book is the last in the series. I honestly think that you can only truly appreciate the wonder of the storytelling in this book by reading the other books in the series first. As a stand alone book, I can see that others might feel the focus is on the characters and not the mystery. I would not have it any other way as I have been anxious to find out what happens to the characters.
I originally found these books at my library and quickly fell in love with the characters and the series. I then tried to buy the books for my own collection and re-reading. I was greatly disapointed that the early books are out of print. I managed to get copies on internet used book sites (one of which I paid over $20 for.) This series is so good that I would love to purchase the entire series as a gift for friends and family. If a publisher is reading this - please pick up these books for reprinting. With a little bit of marketing these books would sell like crazy.
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Winning Series Finale, December 11, 2007
This review is from: A Bucket of Ashes (Gilded Age Mysteries, No. 6) (Mass Market Paperback)
P.B. Ryan has accomplished what she set out to do six books ago. That is, to tell the story of Nell Sweeney, waif from Boston who became an adored governess by her charge, and every member of the family. It was a long and difficult struggle, but Nell conquered all the obstacles with panache.
Reading the series in sequence will make it much more enjoyable if you are a new fan of P.B. Ryan. The earlier books set the premise. They also introduce the reader to the powerful characters that are prevalent throughout the series.
The setting, during the gilded age - two decades prior to the turn of the last century, is filled with anecdotal information that absolutely delights. The writer takes the reader on the visual path of cumbersome skirts, unpaved streets, non-electric lighting and a rigid cultural perspective.
This series is wonderful and A Bucket of Ashes unites loose ends and leaves the reader most satisfied. Do not miss this series, this author and most of all, this book.
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11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good series, disappointing book, December 9, 2007
This review is from: A Bucket of Ashes (Gilded Age Mysteries, No. 6) (Mass Market Paperback)
I am generally a fan of the Gilded Age mysteries - the writing is pretty good, and the plots are satisfying, and I think Nell Sweeney is a great character. This installment was disappointing. It felt like it was written without the same care as the previous 5 books in the series, and the mystery felt very secondary to me. Although I very much enjoy the author's handling of the key personal relationships in this series, particularly the romantic tension between Nell and Will, I have always appreciated her ability to have her characters develop hand-in-hand with good plots, and this book did not deliver on this front.
While the outcome was very satisfying (and worth reading for this alone if you are a fan of these mysteries!), the process of getting there seemed choppy and way too fast - it's almost as if she had a check-list of Nell's issues in front of her and was resolving them as rapidly as possible in order to tie everything up neatly (too bad, as I've always appreciated her ability to leave pieces of Nell's life unresolved - seemed more true somehow). Not sure where she'll take the series from here (I feel like this could have been the final book), but I wouldn't recommend reading this unless you are a fan of this particular series. Definitely doesn't stand on its own.
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