Category: Literary Criticism

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Review: The Villainous Viscount Or The Curse Of The Venns by Lucinda Elliot

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: The Villainous Viscount Or The Curse Of The Venns by Lucinda Elliot

This is a new author for me and frankly I only agreed to read this novel because of the tag line: “An appreciative satire of the cliches of classical Gothic”.

I love Gothic romances. I lived for Gothic romances as a little girl and as I’ve gotten older I cannot tell you how much I love them. It’s embarrassing.

So how could I pass up this book about Gothic romances? I couldn’t!

When Clarissa Greendale inherits the fortune of disreputable uncle she hardly knows, she does not expect to find herself forced into marriage with an aristocratic fortune hunter and wild, brawling, debauched social outcast.

Not only that, but her name featured some way down on the list of eligible heiresses he planned to court. Still,Clarinda has always found Harley Venn set off the most unmaidenly tinglings in her; that is one consolation…
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Review: This Side of Murder (Verity Kent #1) by Anna Lee Huber

by The Lit Bitch7 Comments on Review: This Side of Murder (Verity Kent #1) by Anna Lee Huber

As many of you know, I binge read almost all of Anna Lee Huber’s books this year. I love the Lady Darby books and I also loved her Gothic Myths book as well!

Huber rapidly became a favorite author of mine and I was eager to read her latest book series about Verity Kent. I saw a lot of this book on Twitter so I tried to procure a copy before it’s release but sadly I waited too long! So I had to resort to my local library….which I waited like 3 weeks for it to come in.

By then I had almost lost interest in reading it but when I found that I couldn’t renew it because there were other holds, I figured I better get to reading!

England, 1919. Verity Kent’s grief over the loss of her husband pierces anew when she receives a cryptic letter, suggesting her beloved Sidney may have committed treason before his untimely death.

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Review: Bloodstains with Bronte (Crime with the Classics #2) by Katherine Bolger Hyde

by The Lit Bitch3 Comments on Review: Bloodstains with Bronte (Crime with the Classics #2) by Katherine Bolger Hyde

Full disclosure, I decided to review this book because of the catchy title. I am a huge Bronte lover and I am easily swayed by all things Bronte.

But, after the initial excitement over the title evaporated, I was left with a book that I wasn’t sure I was going to love. So it sat on my review calendar for a few weeks and I was not looking forward to reviewing it but I knew the time was coming.

So I picked it up to start on a cold rainy morning (which suites anything Bronte related) and went to town. After about 3 pages I had a renewed excitement to read this book…it is set in Oregon (my state!).

And if I am being honest, I haven’t found a lot of Oregon writers that I love….let a lone books that are set here. It rains too much and people just aren’t chomping at the bit to write about anything in Oregon Basically it’s rare to find a mainstream book that is set in Oregon so I was thrilled to have something familiar to read!

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Review: Murder on the Orient Express (Hercule Poirot #10) by Agatha Christie

by The Lit Bitch1 Comment on Review: Murder on the Orient Express (Hercule Poirot #10) by Agatha Christie

A few years ago I read one Agatha Christie novel and found that while entertaining, it wasn’t as good as I had hoped. I found the language and some of the literary devices dated and a little boring.

However, like many many many readers I wanted to see the Murder on the Orient Express movie which sparked a renewed interest in this classic crime novel.

I did go see the movie before I actually read the book, mostly because I didn’t think I would have time this year to fit it into my review schedule but after seeing the movie, I wanted to read it even more. Mostly because I wanted to see how much Hollywood had changed the book to suit current trends in the film industry.

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Review: Stalking Jack the Ripper (Stalking Jack the Ripper #1) by Kerri Maniscalco

by The Lit Bitch1 Comment on Review: Stalking Jack the Ripper (Stalking Jack the Ripper #1) by Kerri Maniscalco

Having a library card is the best thing in the world. After seeing this book on a few Instagram pages, I was lured in by the cover and title.

I wasn’t really sure I wanted to buy it though so I put a hold on it at my local library. After waiting three weeks for it to be returned, I was finally able to pick it up!

This is one of those times that I am so thankful for library cards.

Seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth was born a lord’s daughter, with a life of wealth and privilege stretched out before her. But between the social teas and silk dress fittings, she leads a forbidden secret life.

Against her stern father’s wishes and society’s expectations, Audrey often slips away to her uncle’s laboratory to study the gruesome practice of forensic medicine. When her work on a string of savagely killed corpses drags Audrey into the investigation of a serial murderer, her search for answers brings her close to her own sheltered world (summary from Goodreads).
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