This book was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 2.5
Hettie and Benjy Rhodes are former slaves and legendary members of the Underground Railroad who work part-time as self-declared detectives in a magical world based in Philadelphia in the antebellum era. The murder of a close friend kicks off the main mystery of the novel which sets upon a long and winding road to resolution. Ancillary mysteries surrounding missing persons (including Hettie’s sister) and kidnappings were weaved within the novel which showcased our protagonists' ability and honed their craft with each adventure.
This is a debut novel and while the premise piqued my interest, the execution was a bit disappointing. While I enjoyed the tidbits of American history that were sprinkled within the story, there were a few minor issues that detracted from the reading experience: There were a lot of characters to track. Whenever someone was introduced, I had to refer to my notes to ensure I understood their relationship to the main characters, their occupation, their magical skill(s), if any. The author had a habit of delving into a backstory as soon as someone new was introduced - while the info was helpful, it got to be a somewhat predictable interruption of the story’s cadence. Many of these characters were inconsequential and easily forgotten. The other nit was the pace and style of storytelling - I found it to be a bit slow and elongated with a lot of “telling.” Hettie and Benjy were sympathetic characters and noble in their efforts, but they weren’t endeared to me as much as I think the author wanted.
This was an earnest debut and I would be willing to consider her next release.
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