Search - The Dead Travel Fast

This book was very similar to Raybourn's other novels that center around Lady Julia Gray. Theodora travels to Transylvania to work on a book and offer support for a former school friend. While there, she meets an enigmatic count (who may or may not have some connection to vampires) and deals with a murder.

Not a bad book and the atmosphere was well done. A little spooky and creepy. The hero, the count, was an interesting and flawed character.

My only complaint was that it followed exactly the same story arc as the writer's previous works. Smart lady, dead body, gorgeous enigmatic man, suspicion, romance, mystery solved, happy ending. (Although in her previous books, you had to wait a while for the happy ending.)

Good to pass the time, but ultimately forgettable.

The dead may travel fast...but this books storyline did not. When you try, over a three day period, to read a book and it's better than a soporific at putting you to sleep, you know this is not the book for you. If the author was aiming for Gothic, she missed it by a mile. The story needed more suspense and less mundane triviality. When I reached a third into the story, and neither knew NOR cared what the mystery was, I knew it was time to quit. I'll try this authors Lady Julia books-this series I'll skip.

2 stars.

I really enjoy the Victorian mysteries this author writes, so when I saw this title I figured I'd give it a try. I didn't like it as much as her Victorian tales. It's an atmospheric Gothic tale set in Rumania. I think part of the genre is for the reader to not completely know what is going on (are the monsters real or just the stuff of legend?) but I found that perspective irritating rather than spooky. With so many books today assuming the monsters are real for the sake of the story, this one that leaves the question open wasn't that much fun.

Enjoyed this Raybourn gothic story. The mystery wasn't obvious and kept me guessing and Deanna Raybourn writes more interesting characters and better dialogue than your average romance novel.

Those of you who are familiar with Deanna Raybourn’s work know how she can create a gripping story that easily pulls you in, and this one is no exception. For those who have not yet read her novels, I hope to persuade you to do so as soon as you are able.

When I first heard that Deanna was going to write a novel that did not feature her beloved Lady Julia Grey, I was disappointed to say the least. I should not have allowed myself to doubt her, because this is certainly on par with a Lady Julia novel. While it started off a little more slowly, I soon found myself wrapped up in the characters and unwilling to put the book down. I even once looked over at my empty water glass, and though I was thirsty, I didn’t want to take the time to fill it.

To read the rest of my review, please visit:
http://www.dorolerium.com/?p=1958