Sophie
is reading a mystery novel her new friend Jade has lent her. It’s a true story
about a spate of killings and features a gorgeous Victorian detective called Kenneth.
The next thing Sophie knows, she is in the middle of the mystery. Suffocated by
corsets, far from impressed with coach travel…and gazing into a handsome
detective’s eyes. Sophie has no idea who the killer is. But Kenneth has his own
theories, and for once, he really hopes he’s wrong.
Before I read First Bite, I wasn’t into vampires. Before I read Night Wolf, I wasn’t into werewolves.
But they really do make the most amazingly romantic
heroes. I’m so excited that there’s an adult version of Night Wolf. If it’s as different as Hot Blood is from First Bite,
it will be like reading a new story about Kenneth. If it is basically just a
sexed up version of Night Wolf, I’ll
get to read the same amazing, exciting story all over again.
The story is exciting and genuinely scary
as Sophie and Kenneth try to solve the mystery and keep their unusual secrets
from each other. Kenneth finds Sophie a bit forward, but he’s intrigued by her
and admires her intelligence, though he wishes she wouldn’t keep throwing
herself into danger the minute his back’s turned. Sophie thinks Kenneth is a
bit odd at times, but he’s handsome, kind
and intelligent, and when you’re a teenager from the 21st century,
guys like that are always worth a second glance.
There is so much I love in the book. Other
than Kenneth’s kisses, I can’t imagine anything more exciting than going to the
British premiere of Eugene Onegin. I
love that opera so much, it’s the perfect date as far as I’m concerned. It’s
such a shame Sophie and Kenneth had to leave during the second act. That’s the
best part. If it was during the third act, I wouldn’t have minded so much.
The only possible problem with the plot is
that I guessed a big part of what was going on, but it didn’t ruin it for me. I
had knowledge Sophie didn’t, so it’s understandable that she doesn’t know. You
miss the tension of not knowing what’s going on, but you get a different kind
of tension instead - when you’re desperate for the characters to find out
the truth before it’s too late. Sophie and Kenneth have a lot to lose if the wrong person is found guilty.
The opera parts were mostly accurate. Far too many writers don’t bother to do much research for their novels, so it’s great that Kira Lerner and Ira Madison have done so much. I think
the Onegin premiere was in the
rebuilt Olympic Theatre with a capacity of 2150 (rather than the original
building, which was less than half the size), so Sophie probably wouldn’t think
of the hall as small. But if Sophie can travel through time, why not someone
else? Maybe another time traveller delayed the rebuilding.
I know the book isn’t really about me,
so there are always going to be things that are unlike me (I would much rather
wear a Victorian gown than jeans and sneakers, but that probably really is just
me), but that means I am extra thrilled and delighted when something happens to
be right. Sophie says she has been to only a few operas, and her favourite is La bohème. I have been to over a hundred and my favourite is Don Giovanni (which I did indeed study
in music class, just as Sophie says in Night
Wolf). But La bohème was the fourth opera I saw, and at that time, it was my favourite. So BookByYou was right again.
I really love how the different parts of
the plot are woven together - La bohème is a lot of people’s favourite opera, but it also has a very
important role to play in the plot. So many things that seem insignificant at
the time become important later on. It’s very clever. Just like that sexy
detective of a Kenneth.
As is usually going to happen when there
are werewolves and murder mysteries all over the place, the book is quite
violent. I don’t like violent books as a rule, but this violence was a
necessary part of the plot, and I was so in love with the story (and Kenneth),
I don’t think anything would have made me stop reading it. (Except Kenneth on
my doorstep, perhaps.) The violence is horrible to read about at times, but
stick with it. The story is worth it.
When choosing names for personalisation, I
would avoid Nettie, Hollis, Mouse, Celestina and Giles. But that shouldn’t be
too much trouble for most people.
