‘Escaping From Houdini’ once again chronicles the trials and tribulations of Audrey Rose Wadsworth and Thomas Creswell, who, after the events of ‘Hunting Prince Dracula’ arrive on board the RMS Etruria to make their journey to America. However, what initially begins as an opportunity to relax and unwind from the dreadful events at their castle in Romani soon devolves into a manhunt for a mysterious killer who is directly tied t the Moonlight Carnival, an alluring troupe of actors each with their own agendas. As the days until their arrival on American shores dwindles insidiously, Audrey and Thomas desperately struggle to uncover the culprit of the dastardly murders, all while trying to contain their growing infatuation with one another and the threat of other individuals to the bond that is evolving from one that is strictly platonic.
Anyone who has read my past reviews on ‘Hunting Prince Dracula‘ and ‘Stalking Jack the Ripper‘ will be well aware that this series is one of my favourites of all time. ‘Hunting Prince Dracula’ still remains as my favourite novel of 2020, and I simply feel that both novels were perfectly composed of a satisfying blend of horror, humour and heart. But, if I’m being perfectly honest, this third installment in the series is simply far too derivative of the original two novels, and offers little more than a distraction rather than an engrossing read.I was actually very eager to begin this novel, as I frequently have been interested in novels that center around carnivals and circuses (read ‘Freeks’ by Amanda Hocking or ‘The Carnivorous Carnival’ by Lemony Snicket) but the novel fell flat also found that the eponymous character, Harry Houdini, was thoroughly dislikeable, and the way he seemed to continuously prey on Audrey only added to my sense of distaste. The only redeeming feature for the novel was Maniscalco’s undeniable wit and verbose talent when constructing written language, something which I hope that this series never loses.i also found that the revelation at the end of this novel about the killer’s true identity was in no way surprising, nor was it captivating, and if a reader fails to have this moment when the culprit is finally discovered in a mystery novel, I can safely say that an author has failed in their writing to create the atmosphere needed for a good whodunnit. I never thought that I would be able to critique a Kerri Maniscalco novel so blatantly, but this novel really disappointed me, and made me cautious about the next novel in the series, which I will pick up soon with hopes that it will whet my appetite better than this entry in the series.
Meet Me at the Intersection is a rich short story anthology written by a diverse range of Australian authors and lovingly edited by Rebecca Lim and Ambelin Kwaymullina. The anthology aims to showcase the experiences of marginalised groups through “own voice” stories, whose authors fit into those groups. The first thing about the anthology that …
The Bronze Key is the third instalment in the Magisterium series. Picking up a year after book three (The Copper Gauntlet), Callum and his best friends are now entering the third year of their magical training. Callum has now revealed the truth about his soul to his close friends, as well as his frenemy Jasper …
Eleni Hale’s Stone Girl is an incredibly powerful and honest story about the Australian foster care system. Drawing on elements of Hale’s own childhood, the novel is a confronting look into the troubling conditions faced by the children most in need of care. When twelve-year-old Sophie is moved to a foster home after the death …
The penultimate novel from the world of the Magisterium series is set one year after the events of The Silver Mask. Callum Hunt has been framed and is now residing in prison. But, after being broken out, Callum is captured and detained on an island out in the sea, forced to continue his study on …
Jakob Wegelius’ middle-grade novel The Murderer’s Ape tells the story of Sally Jones, an anthropomorphic gorilla working closely with a man known as ‘The Chief.’ Together, the two journey all around the coastlines and rivers of Europe and its surrounding areas aboard a grand sailing ship known as the Hudson Queen. When a midnight expedition …
Melissa Keil’s The Secret Science of Magic is a unique and compelling twist on the typical romance novel. Shift away from the typical “quirky” star-crossed lover archetypes, Keil has created the kind of relatable and complex character that exist in real life, but rarely ever play a starring role in the media. Sophia is so …
Book Review – Escaping Houdini by Kerri Maniscalco
Anyone who has read my past reviews on ‘Hunting Prince Dracula‘ and ‘Stalking Jack the Ripper‘ will be well aware that this series is one of my favourites of all time. ‘Hunting Prince Dracula’ still remains as my favourite novel of 2020, and I simply feel that both novels were perfectly composed of a satisfying blend of horror, humour and heart. But, if I’m being perfectly honest, this third installment in the series is simply far too derivative of the original two novels, and offers little more than a distraction rather than an engrossing read.I was actually very eager to begin this novel, as I frequently have been interested in novels that center around carnivals and circuses (read ‘Freeks’ by Amanda Hocking or ‘The Carnivorous Carnival’ by Lemony Snicket) but the novel fell flat also found that the eponymous character, Harry Houdini, was thoroughly dislikeable, and the way he seemed to continuously prey on Audrey only added to my sense of distaste. The only redeeming feature for the novel was Maniscalco’s undeniable wit and verbose talent when constructing written language, something which I hope that this series never loses.i also found that the revelation at the end of this novel about the killer’s true identity was in no way surprising, nor was it captivating, and if a reader fails to have this moment when the culprit is finally discovered in a mystery novel, I can safely say that an author has failed in their writing to create the atmosphere needed for a good whodunnit. I never thought that I would be able to critique a Kerri Maniscalco novel so blatantly, but this novel really disappointed me, and made me cautious about the next novel in the series, which I will pick up soon with hopes that it will whet my appetite better than this entry in the series.
RATINGS:
Writing: 10/10
Characters: 7/10
Plot: 4/10
OVERALL RATING: 6/10
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