Review of Hattie Vavaseur
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Steinkar
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Review of Hattie Vavaseur
[Following is a volunteer review of "Hattie Vavaseur" by M. Rebecca Wildsmith.]
In Hattie Vavaseur M. Rebecca Wildsmith creates a title character who is at once brilliant and befuddled. At the opening of the book, Hattie is impatiently waiting for a taxi, after attending a "bleak and somewhat sentimentally false" funeral. As she watches the people leave the ceremony, she realizes she recognizes no one. This is the first indication that Hattie suffers from severe memory loss, which will plague her throughout the novel. Eventually, she winds up living in a scary old mansion, owned by a mysterious master of the house, who is charming but volatile. Desperately needing to make sense of things, she reluctantly visits a vivacious psychic, Miss Vamelda Anstruthers, who vows to help Hattie recover her memory. In doing so, these two strive to solve multiple mysteries connected to Hattie’s: Mr. Carrington, a man looking for his own murderer; Beatrice Bothell, a woman trying to save the reputation of her fiancé; the mysterious master of the house, a man struggling to make sense of the chaos of his life; and Miss L. Campbell, who stole away the only man Hattie had ever loved. Hattie and Vamelda’s adventures zigzag their way through paranormal experiences until they finally fit all the pieces into the puzzle, bringing Hattie’s past and present crashing together.
I love this book! M. Rebecca Wildsmith is a master storyteller, talented enough to create a mystery set in the 1920s that actually sounds like it was written then. Her use of archaic language and classic style harkens readers back to the mysteries of Agatha Christie and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, scattering just the right combination of clues and red herrings to keep us guessing all the way through. And I appreciate her many allusions to classic pieces of literature and mythology: Sherlock Holmes, Lilliputians, Isis, Shakespeare, etc. I also like the good vs evil archetype set in the paranormal world of the afterlife and psychic powers. While good guys and bad guys are usually easy to discern, the blurred lines between reality and the supernatural add an additional layer to this mystery. There is also a romantic subplot that is very well crafted to add a touch of intimacy without any overt sexuality. And the book was obviously professionally edited, allowing readers to fully engage with the mystery without interruption or distraction.
But Wildsmith’s greatest strength lies in character development. Although Hattie is outwardly brusque at times, she is also clever and loving. Wildsmith’s choice of a third person limited point of view allows readers to focus specifically on Hattie’s story, but it also allows Wildsmith to play with her descriptions of Hattie in ways that a first-person narration wouldn’t permit. I especially enjoy Wildsmith’s use of humorous hyperbole in her portrayal of Hattie’s many quirks: "Revulsion echoed through her. Hattie had always possessed a prejudiced repulsion to the color [pink]." Even the delightfully peculiar supporting characters are well-drawn. Without this attention to entertaining characters, the suspense of the mystery might have dwindled, as there are no "action scenes" that modern mysteries use to advance the plot.
There is nothing that I can personally label as negative. Some readers might turn away from the classic style and antiquated vocabulary because they require more time and effort from the reader, but I found them both impressive and entertaining.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars! The storyline is clever, and the characters are charming. I will certainly look for more books written by M. Rebecca Wildsmith, who knows how to spin a yarn worth my time.
There is nothing vulgar or offensive in the novel. However, with its unusual use of language, I think this book is aimed at adults or perhaps teens with advanced reading levels.
******
Hattie Vavaseur
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
In Hattie Vavaseur M. Rebecca Wildsmith creates a title character who is at once brilliant and befuddled. At the opening of the book, Hattie is impatiently waiting for a taxi, after attending a "bleak and somewhat sentimentally false" funeral. As she watches the people leave the ceremony, she realizes she recognizes no one. This is the first indication that Hattie suffers from severe memory loss, which will plague her throughout the novel. Eventually, she winds up living in a scary old mansion, owned by a mysterious master of the house, who is charming but volatile. Desperately needing to make sense of things, she reluctantly visits a vivacious psychic, Miss Vamelda Anstruthers, who vows to help Hattie recover her memory. In doing so, these two strive to solve multiple mysteries connected to Hattie’s: Mr. Carrington, a man looking for his own murderer; Beatrice Bothell, a woman trying to save the reputation of her fiancé; the mysterious master of the house, a man struggling to make sense of the chaos of his life; and Miss L. Campbell, who stole away the only man Hattie had ever loved. Hattie and Vamelda’s adventures zigzag their way through paranormal experiences until they finally fit all the pieces into the puzzle, bringing Hattie’s past and present crashing together.
I love this book! M. Rebecca Wildsmith is a master storyteller, talented enough to create a mystery set in the 1920s that actually sounds like it was written then. Her use of archaic language and classic style harkens readers back to the mysteries of Agatha Christie and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, scattering just the right combination of clues and red herrings to keep us guessing all the way through. And I appreciate her many allusions to classic pieces of literature and mythology: Sherlock Holmes, Lilliputians, Isis, Shakespeare, etc. I also like the good vs evil archetype set in the paranormal world of the afterlife and psychic powers. While good guys and bad guys are usually easy to discern, the blurred lines between reality and the supernatural add an additional layer to this mystery. There is also a romantic subplot that is very well crafted to add a touch of intimacy without any overt sexuality. And the book was obviously professionally edited, allowing readers to fully engage with the mystery without interruption or distraction.
But Wildsmith’s greatest strength lies in character development. Although Hattie is outwardly brusque at times, she is also clever and loving. Wildsmith’s choice of a third person limited point of view allows readers to focus specifically on Hattie’s story, but it also allows Wildsmith to play with her descriptions of Hattie in ways that a first-person narration wouldn’t permit. I especially enjoy Wildsmith’s use of humorous hyperbole in her portrayal of Hattie’s many quirks: "Revulsion echoed through her. Hattie had always possessed a prejudiced repulsion to the color [pink]." Even the delightfully peculiar supporting characters are well-drawn. Without this attention to entertaining characters, the suspense of the mystery might have dwindled, as there are no "action scenes" that modern mysteries use to advance the plot.
There is nothing that I can personally label as negative. Some readers might turn away from the classic style and antiquated vocabulary because they require more time and effort from the reader, but I found them both impressive and entertaining.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars! The storyline is clever, and the characters are charming. I will certainly look for more books written by M. Rebecca Wildsmith, who knows how to spin a yarn worth my time.
There is nothing vulgar or offensive in the novel. However, with its unusual use of language, I think this book is aimed at adults or perhaps teens with advanced reading levels.
******
Hattie Vavaseur
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Latest Review: Justified Means by Cher Smith
