Lynn Shepherd, the author of The Solitary House (read my review *here*), has written a new Gothic thriller A Fatal Likeness. The detective Charles Maddox makes another appearance when he is hired to look into some unfavorable documents regarding the Shelleys. Delving into the history surrounding Percy Bysshe and Mary Shelley, Maddox uncovers the macabre mysteries surrounding the famous literary couple.
Lynn Shepherd delights again with a well-plotted, chilling mystery regarding the celebrated and brilliant couple. Shepherd uses facts from history as well as the silences to fill in her own "what-ifs" and "might- have-beens" to create a wholly plausible explanation for the complex and unusual relationships between Shelley, Mary and Mary's step-sister Claire and the deaths of Shelley's first wife and children.
In A Fatal Likeness, Shepherd expertly captures the language from the Victorian period. Occasionally, the author's voice interrupts with bits of modern knowledge. It was awkward and my only real complaint with the book. The characters are equally devious and alluring and the story engaging. I enjoyed A Fatal Likeness and will surely read more novels from this talented writer.
** I received a complimentary copy of A Fatal Likeness in exchange for an honest review. **
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