Review of Hattie Vavaseur

[Aaryaa Sharma]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Hattie Vavaseur" by M. Rebecca Wildsmith.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Hattie Vavaseur written by M. Rebecca Wildsmith is an exciting murder-mystery set in the early twentieth-century England. Filled with unexpected twists and turns, along with a dash of humour and a sprinkle of romance, this book definitely keeps the reader engaged till the very end.

After attending a funeral, Hattie Vavaseur, an old woman with no close relatives or friends and a declining memory, ends up in a carriage that takes her to a mysterious mansion of which she has no recollection. Too embarrassed to admit that she is losing her memory, she decides to stay and gather clues on the purpose of her stay. Unfortunately, the owner turns out to be even more mysterious than the situation. Soon afterwards and quite reluctantly, Hattie gets acquainted with shocking truths about herself which only lead to more questions. As the climax of the story approaches, Hattie is forced to revisit events from her past which turn out to be a part of something far more sinister than she could have ever imagined.

Hattie Vavaseur is one of those books that are so engrossing that you want to read them in one sitting. The characters are interesting and diverse. Even though the people go through character growth, their base character traits remain consistent throughout the story which makes their growth believable. Despite the various plot twists, the story never gets erratic. In hindsight, you realise that all the clues to solve the mystery were right under your nose the whole time.

Just like black-and-white videos create an illusion of being set in the past, the tone of this story is also similar to those of twentieth-century books, making you feel like you are experiencing everything with the characters in 1920 England. The language is really easy to understand and does not complicate the narration.

I would rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. I loved reading it. And though confusing at some points, the plot was enjoyable and unique. The book was very well-edited with almost no typos or grammatical errors. The ending, though resolute, left scope for a sequel, one that I would be very interested in reading.

This book has mystery and supernatural elements along with crime and humour along with a little romance. As a result, it is an ideal read for enthusiasts of various genres. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy reading books written by writers like Agatha Christie or Daphne du Maurier.

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Hattie Vavaseur
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