Prepare yourself to be highly entertained by this delightful book! "12 Days at Bleakly Manor" by Michelle Griep is the first book in the "Once Upon a Dickens Christmas" series. Ms. Griep fills her story with danger and mystery, leaving the reader guessing as to what will happen next!
"12 Days at Bleakly Manor" is a mix of Charles Dickens's "Bleak House", Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None", and pure genius. I love BBC's version of "Bleak House", so I was excited to pick this book up. I've never read "And Then There Were None", but I didn't feel like I was missing anything by not having read the book. It was fun for me to pick up the "Bleak House" nods throughout the story. Ms. Griep reminds me of Dickens in the way that she shows and describes the conditions of prisons, the plight of the poor in Victorian England and the unfair and corrupt justice system.
This story is a fast-paced read with amazing characters and a gothic, mysterious setting. Ms. Griep employs great descriptions and word pictures. There is a darker side to the goings-on at Bleakly Manor. I appreciate how Ms. Griep gives the readers a helpful list and description (at the back of the book) of the Victorian Christmas traditions that are mentioned in the story.
If you think the people at your Christmas get-togethers are crazy, check out this group at Bleakly Manor! Some of the characters have very funny and weird idiosyncrasies and eccentricities, which makes the story all the more interesting. With everything going on in the house and mystery looming everywhere, can the characters trust that God is in control?
"12 Days at Bleakly Manor" is a novel of second chances and choosing between revenge and forgiveness. There is a theme of trust and a strong faith element. I very much enjoyed this book!
Content: This is a clean read. There is a scene where a man is in prison and the conditions are described vividly, which might make sensitive readers uncomfortable. It also mentions that a character swears, but the word is not actually used.
Rating: I give this book 4.5 stars.
Genre: Christian historical fiction; Victorian England; Mystery
I want to thank Michelle Griep, Shiloh Run Press and Barbour Publishing for the complimentary copy of this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I express in this review are my own. This is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s CFR 16, Part 255.
About the Author:Michelle Griep is an author, blogger, and occasional super-hero when her cape is clean. You can visit her at https://michellegriep.com/.
To purchase the book, click here.
No comments:
Post a Comment