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Julian Kestrel Mysteries #2
A Broken Vessel
JULIAN KESTREL STALKS A DIABOLICAL KILLER THROUGH HIGH AND LOW LIFE IN REGENCY LONDON
London's notorious Haymarket district, Sally Stokes, a bold and bewitching Cockney prostitute, picks up three men one after the other and nicknames them Bristles, Blue Eyes, and Blinkers. From each of them Sally steals a handkerchief--and from one she mistakenly steals a letter that contains an urgent plea for help from a distraught young woman.
Luckily, Sally's brother is none other than Dipper, reformed pickpocket and valet to gifted amateur sleuth Julian Kestrel. After the writer of the letter is found dead, the authorities dismiss her death as suicide. But to Kestrel it looks like murder, and he forms an unlikely--but highly entertaining--alliance with Sally to track down the three clients. The two embark on a quest that leads them from a house of reclamation for fallen women to the abodes of England's highest-ranking families as they race to unmask a dangerous killer.
London's notorious Haymarket district, Sally Stokes, a bold and bewitching Cockney prostitute, picks up three men one after the other and nicknames them Bristles, Blue Eyes, and Blinkers. From each of them Sally steals a handkerchief--and from one she mistakenly steals a letter that contains an urgent plea for help from a distraught young woman.
Luckily, Sally's brother is none other than Dipper, reformed pickpocket and valet to gifted amateur sleuth Julian Kestrel. After the writer of the letter is found dead, the authorities dismiss her death as suicide. But to Kestrel it looks like murder, and he forms an unlikely--but highly entertaining--alliance with Sally to track down the three clients. The two embark on a quest that leads them from a house of reclamation for fallen women to the abodes of England's highest-ranking families as they race to unmask a dangerous killer.
289 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
About the author
Kate Ross
25 books118 followersKate Ross, born Katherine Jean Ross, was an American mystery author who wrote four books set in Regency-era England about dandy Julian Kestrel. The novels in the series are Cut to the Quick (1994), which won the 1994 Gargoyle award for Best Historical Mystery, A Broken Vessel (1995), Whom the Gods Love (1996), and The Devil in Music (1997), which won the 1997 Agatha Award for Best Novel. The Lullaby Thief (1997), a short story featuring Kestrel, is included in the mystery anthology Crime Through Time, edited by Miriam Grace Monfredo and Sharan Newman. Ross was also a trial lawyer for the Boston law firm of Sullivan & Worcester and a graduate of Wellesley College and the Yale Law School. She died of cancer in 1998.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 176 reviews
July 27, 2011
Meh. The mystery was OK, but I really didn't buy the relationship between our hero, Julian, and Sally, the prostitute sister of Julian's valet. It seemed kind of icky all around, given the power and class differential. And the part where the valet figured out they had slept together, and was HAPPY about it because it made him and his boss kind of like blood-brothers in some way? Eww. I'm also not a big fan of the Dr. MacGregor character. He's too much a caricature, and he doth protest too much (about everything) every time he makes an appearance, which I think his supposed to make him lovably irascible, but ends up just making him seem whiny.
November 22, 2021
I read Cut to the Quick almost six years ago and enjoyed it. The story suffered from what many debuts do, but I wanted to learn more about the elusive Julian Kestral.
He appeared to be a dandy, but his mind was sharp. Except for his love of fashion and the importance of proper clothes, he was not superficial. He cared for the underdog and, like other readers, I wanted to know what made him ’tick’.
Why I didn’t follow up with A Broken Vessel until now is anyone’s guess. That said, I was fascinated with Julian’s character once again. I enjoyed his insight, his dogged determination and the moments I read his thoughts. He had conversations with himself juggling the right or wrong of various situations. And, sometimes, I wanted to answer him.
I was glad to see Ms. Ross bring back the crusty but well-meaning Dr. MacGregor. It was important for Julian to have a trusted friend to bounce thoughts off of. Dipper was an important character, too. His working relationship/friendship with Julian offered a sort of balance.
The mystery had plenty of twists and I appreciated when Julian was on the page. As far as Sally was concerned, less so. I’ll continue with the remaining 2 stories, if only to see what I learn about Julian’s past. That, and because I enjoy historical mysteries.
He appeared to be a dandy, but his mind was sharp. Except for his love of fashion and the importance of proper clothes, he was not superficial. He cared for the underdog and, like other readers, I wanted to know what made him ’tick’.
Why I didn’t follow up with A Broken Vessel until now is anyone’s guess. That said, I was fascinated with Julian’s character once again. I enjoyed his insight, his dogged determination and the moments I read his thoughts. He had conversations with himself juggling the right or wrong of various situations. And, sometimes, I wanted to answer him.
I was glad to see Ms. Ross bring back the crusty but well-meaning Dr. MacGregor. It was important for Julian to have a trusted friend to bounce thoughts off of. Dipper was an important character, too. His working relationship/friendship with Julian offered a sort of balance.
The mystery had plenty of twists and I appreciated when Julian was on the page. As far as Sally was concerned, less so. I’ll continue with the remaining 2 stories, if only to see what I learn about Julian’s past. That, and because I enjoy historical mysteries.
March 29, 2012
Julian Kestral is such a dandy that his style is copied everywhere, but his true gift is in sleuthing. When his valet's sister stumbles upon a chilling letter, he takes the case. The mystery is twisty and dark, and solved through a combination of legwork, wit and courage. I love the dialog in these books, which is snappy but always feels natural. The relationships between characters are my favorite part. Dipper and his master, Kestral, live together in a wonderfully symbiotic way, and his sister's cocky, forthright addition to their dynamic is adorable to read. Rare among mystery series, the characters from the first book's mystery (Dr.MacGregor, Philipa) pop up again in this book, which makes everything feel more realistic. (After sharing such intense emotions and experiences, it seems unlikely that they would all fall out of touch, just in time for another mystery to pop up, as generally happens.)
September 19, 2020
Reminded me of Charles Dickens but not at first. At first I was thinking Anne Perry, you know, one of those night time walks down a deserted London street, gas lights barely visible in the fog. Kind of lonely and ominous and then the sound of footsteps, muffled footsteps, yeah like that, and then the story begins. Yeah, like that, kinda.
Read a lot of those Victorian mysteries, kinda know where there going. Always enjoyable but predictable all the same. But as I read on the characters behaviors became sort of quirky and unpredictable and as the background stories began to emerge they slowly became intertwined. Nice people sometimes did bad things. The more the story went on the more twisted and mysterious their behavior and the plot.
So I thought who does this remind me of? Then it came to me Dickens. Not as good naturally, but good and a couple of hundred pages shorter.
As for me, I really enjoyed it. Because, ...it's good to be reminded of Dickens
Read a lot of those Victorian mysteries, kinda know where there going. Always enjoyable but predictable all the same. But as I read on the characters behaviors became sort of quirky and unpredictable and as the background stories began to emerge they slowly became intertwined. Nice people sometimes did bad things. The more the story went on the more twisted and mysterious their behavior and the plot.
So I thought who does this remind me of? Then it came to me Dickens. Not as good naturally, but good and a couple of hundred pages shorter.
As for me, I really enjoyed it. Because, ...it's good to be reminded of Dickens
February 28, 2022
Regency dandy Julian Kestrel is brought into a second mystery--this time by the sister of his valet, Thomas "Dipper" Stokes. Sally Stokes is a girl on the game, has been ever since their parents died and she and Dipper got separated. Dipper (his name from his pickpocketing ways) was rescued from a life of thieving when he lifted Kestrel's "ticker" and rather than prosecute the lad for taking his watch the gentry-cove decided to hire him as a servant.
When Sally has a busy night with three gents she names "Blinkers," "Bristles," and "Blue Eyes," she does what she always does--lifts a handkerchief as a bit of remembrance (the money the hankies bring in is even better for remembering...). Blinkers turns out to be a bit rough and leaves Sally bruised and battered after their encounter. Fortunately, she runs into her brother when she's back out on the street and he takes her home so he can have a doctor check her over. He doesn't expect his master to be at home, but Julian surprises them both and takes an interest in Sally's welfare. He also returns her property to her...the hankies and the money she had stored in her petticoat pocket had managed to fall out. But when he also hands her a letter found among the handkerchiefs, she claims no knowledge of it. It must have been caught up in the hankie when she lifted it.
But which one? That becomes an important question because when the letter is read it's obvious that there's an urgent mystery to be solved. The letter is unsigned but clearly the woman who wrote it is in great distress. Sally tells Julian everything she can remember about the three men and he soon identifies one of them. Other clues lead him to the Rev. Gideon Harcourt's Reclamation Society--a "shelter" for fallen women. Sally volunteers to go undercover as a fallen woman looking to be saved, but they are too late. The author of the letter is found dead the very morning Sally presents herself to be reclaimed. What was to be a rescue mission is now a murder inquiry, but there are other mysteries surrounding the three men and the Society and Julian will need to sift the clues carefully to find killer.
I first read the Kate Ross books back in the 90s when they first came out and enjoyed them thoroughly. It has been very nice to revisit these books to see if they still stand up after about thirty years. And they do. The research is impeccable and Ross uses the lingo of the Regency period with ease. She also uses the phrases in such a way that the reader can easily determine what is meant from context and can be very comfortable with the language.
This outing gave us a fiercely independent young woman in Sally who helps the investigation in very definite ways that neither Julian nor Dipper could accomplish. She makes an excellent addition to the team of detectives and it isn't just Julian and Dipper who are sad to see her go at the end of the story. But she's used to being on her own and doing as she pleases and it's obvious she can't be tied down in one place for long.
The mystery itself is interesting and complex with a couple of side issues to muddy the waters nicely. One has to figure out which of the threads lead to the main issue (the woman who wrote the letter and later died) and which don't. Nicely done.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting portions of review. Thanks.
When Sally has a busy night with three gents she names "Blinkers," "Bristles," and "Blue Eyes," she does what she always does--lifts a handkerchief as a bit of remembrance (the money the hankies bring in is even better for remembering...). Blinkers turns out to be a bit rough and leaves Sally bruised and battered after their encounter. Fortunately, she runs into her brother when she's back out on the street and he takes her home so he can have a doctor check her over. He doesn't expect his master to be at home, but Julian surprises them both and takes an interest in Sally's welfare. He also returns her property to her...the hankies and the money she had stored in her petticoat pocket had managed to fall out. But when he also hands her a letter found among the handkerchiefs, she claims no knowledge of it. It must have been caught up in the hankie when she lifted it.
But which one? That becomes an important question because when the letter is read it's obvious that there's an urgent mystery to be solved. The letter is unsigned but clearly the woman who wrote it is in great distress. Sally tells Julian everything she can remember about the three men and he soon identifies one of them. Other clues lead him to the Rev. Gideon Harcourt's Reclamation Society--a "shelter" for fallen women. Sally volunteers to go undercover as a fallen woman looking to be saved, but they are too late. The author of the letter is found dead the very morning Sally presents herself to be reclaimed. What was to be a rescue mission is now a murder inquiry, but there are other mysteries surrounding the three men and the Society and Julian will need to sift the clues carefully to find killer.
I first read the Kate Ross books back in the 90s when they first came out and enjoyed them thoroughly. It has been very nice to revisit these books to see if they still stand up after about thirty years. And they do. The research is impeccable and Ross uses the lingo of the Regency period with ease. She also uses the phrases in such a way that the reader can easily determine what is meant from context and can be very comfortable with the language.
This outing gave us a fiercely independent young woman in Sally who helps the investigation in very definite ways that neither Julian nor Dipper could accomplish. She makes an excellent addition to the team of detectives and it isn't just Julian and Dipper who are sad to see her go at the end of the story. But she's used to being on her own and doing as she pleases and it's obvious she can't be tied down in one place for long.
The mystery itself is interesting and complex with a couple of side issues to muddy the waters nicely. One has to figure out which of the threads lead to the main issue (the woman who wrote the letter and later died) and which don't. Nicely done.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting portions of review. Thanks.
July 7, 2015
A disappointing sequel to Cut to the Quick. Much of the plot and narrative are spent away from the delightful Kestrel; as a secondary character, he feels more like a caricature than anything else, and .
The subject matter here is also darker than the previous Kestrel mystery. Ross centers A Broken Vessel around the sordid underworld of prostitution in Victorian London. Her writing on this topic is quite good -- informative and descriptive without being titillating or merely going for shock value. Which makes it even stranger to me that she chose to make Sally, the main protagonist of this mystery and sister to Kestrel's valet, a plucky prostitute trope. Sally's happy-go-lucky nature and seeming lack of concern re. her own prostitution were incredibly jarring when juxtaposed with the indictment the rest of the book was making against sex trafficking.
The subject matter here is also darker than the previous Kestrel mystery. Ross centers A Broken Vessel around the sordid underworld of prostitution in Victorian London. Her writing on this topic is quite good -- informative and descriptive without being titillating or merely going for shock value. Which makes it even stranger to me that she chose to make Sally, the main protagonist of this mystery and sister to Kestrel's valet, a plucky prostitute trope. Sally's happy-go-lucky nature and seeming lack of concern re. her own prostitution were incredibly jarring when juxtaposed with the indictment the rest of the book was making against sex trafficking.
June 8, 2013
****SPOILER ALERT****
This one was a supreme disappointment. I found Julian's relationship with Dipper's sister totally unbelievable. This very particular gentleman that needs his bed sheets changed daily is going to slide between them with a street walking prostitute? I didn't buy it. The mystery wasn't even ultimately resolved through superior detecting, but from a complete babbling confession by the perpetrator while being held at gunpoint. Unfortunately, I have already ordered the other two in the series. I hope they are an improvement.
This one was a supreme disappointment. I found Julian's relationship with Dipper's sister totally unbelievable. This very particular gentleman that needs his bed sheets changed daily is going to slide between them with a street walking prostitute? I didn't buy it. The mystery wasn't even ultimately resolved through superior detecting, but from a complete babbling confession by the perpetrator while being held at gunpoint. Unfortunately, I have already ordered the other two in the series. I hope they are an improvement.
August 2, 2013
Implausible but entertaining linked mysteries, heavy on unlikely coincidences and mistaken identities.
Also, dick jokes.
April 10, 2012
Our Dandy detective Julian Kestrel discovers his manservant sneaking a prostitute into the house - only the prostitute is Dipper’s sister, who’s just been beaten up by a client and who has just stumbled across a Mystery. (Busy night.) Julian becomes unaccountably interested in both the girl and the Mystery, and detecting hijinks ensue.
This is a pleasant enough read, but it lacks the charm of the first book. Julian has less personality here and we are not given any further insight into his character, despite continuing lectures from the curmudgeonly country physician about how Julian is wasting his life. In the first book Julian felt mysterious; in this book he seems merely to be poorly characterized.
I felt no chemistry between him and the plucky prostitute. The mystery itself was complex and fairly interesting, but it concluded with a long spill-my-guts-at-gunpoint scene, which I usually find implausible.
I have the next book lined up, and I hope it’s better than this one.
This is a pleasant enough read, but it lacks the charm of the first book. Julian has less personality here and we are not given any further insight into his character, despite continuing lectures from the curmudgeonly country physician about how Julian is wasting his life. In the first book Julian felt mysterious; in this book he seems merely to be poorly characterized.
I felt no chemistry between him and the plucky prostitute. The mystery itself was complex and fairly interesting, but it concluded with a long spill-my-guts-at-gunpoint scene, which I usually find implausible.
I have the next book lined up, and I hope it’s better than this one.
June 22, 2016
Though not quite as strong as Cut to the Quick, I still really enjoyed this book. We learn a bit more about Julian Kestrel than we knew in the first book, and the continuing development of his character and others from the first book is one of the great pleasures of reading this.
In this novel, we see a different side of 1820s England than that featured in many novels. The heroine, Sally Stokes, is Dipper's sister and works as a prostitute in London. She likes to steal handkerchiefs as souvenirs of her clients and it is one of these thefts that gives her more than she bargained for as one handkerchief contains a note from a woman who appears to be held against her will. She ends up in the care of Dipper and Kestrel, and they all find themselves on the trail of the mysterious author of the note. If only they could figure out which client's handkerchief it came from....
The mystery in this book takes readers through the underworld of London, with its thieves, reformers, prostitutes and a dark underbelly of human trafficking thrown in. I found myself alternately moved by the plight of some of the victims in this piece and respectful of the determination and grit of the survivors of that world. The mystery in this book is itself a fantastic puzzle, but there's also a sobering reminder that the glittering world of Regency dukes and ladies came at a terrible price. The ultimate villain of this piece is a little too much on the evil mastermind side for my tastes, but it's still a strong book overall.
Having read this novel, I have to admit that I'm a bit sad to know that there are only 2 Kestrel books left to go and then there will be no more. :(
In this novel, we see a different side of 1820s England than that featured in many novels. The heroine, Sally Stokes, is Dipper's sister and works as a prostitute in London. She likes to steal handkerchiefs as souvenirs of her clients and it is one of these thefts that gives her more than she bargained for as one handkerchief contains a note from a woman who appears to be held against her will. She ends up in the care of Dipper and Kestrel, and they all find themselves on the trail of the mysterious author of the note. If only they could figure out which client's handkerchief it came from....
The mystery in this book takes readers through the underworld of London, with its thieves, reformers, prostitutes and a dark underbelly of human trafficking thrown in. I found myself alternately moved by the plight of some of the victims in this piece and respectful of the determination and grit of the survivors of that world. The mystery in this book is itself a fantastic puzzle, but there's also a sobering reminder that the glittering world of Regency dukes and ladies came at a terrible price. The ultimate villain of this piece is a little too much on the evil mastermind side for my tastes, but it's still a strong book overall.
Having read this novel, I have to admit that I'm a bit sad to know that there are only 2 Kestrel books left to go and then there will be no more. :(
August 25, 2011
The second in the 4 book Julian Kestrel series of mysteries set in 1820's England.
This series of books have some of the more interesting and creative mysteries and solutions. I have yet to guess the culprit before the conclusion. The mysteries tend to be constructed of many small mysteries, in this case lots of unknown identities, that must be solved before reaching the ultimate solution.
I didn't think that the characters introduced in this book were as interesting as the first book and that knocked it down a few notches. Sally was your stereotypical plucky heroine which I think to me seemed even more like a charicature because she spoke in cockney slang.Which is likely completely realistic for her character but for some reason I have a hard time taking it seriously. And while I like that the author tries to include a little romance in her books - the relationship between Sally and Julian was just odd and made little sense in light of Julian's character.
This series of books have some of the more interesting and creative mysteries and solutions. I have yet to guess the culprit before the conclusion. The mysteries tend to be constructed of many small mysteries, in this case lots of unknown identities, that must be solved before reaching the ultimate solution.
I didn't think that the characters introduced in this book were as interesting as the first book and that knocked it down a few notches. Sally was your stereotypical plucky heroine which I think to me seemed even more like a charicature because she spoke in cockney slang.Which is likely completely realistic for her character but for some reason I have a hard time taking it seriously. And while I like that the author tries to include a little romance in her books - the relationship between Sally and Julian was just odd and made little sense in light of Julian's character.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 10, 2017
So disappointed in this! I finally found a new mystery series that I thoroughly enjoyed...then this. I could not buy Sally's character nor picture her with Julian Kestrel. He seemed almost like a different character. The line about "this is the one thing she can give me" was complete crap. You should not sleep with a woman who has been abused and used for sex for most of her life just because she wants to give it to you and you're "noble" (and lustful) enough to take it.
The mystery was interesting and unraveled well. I just didn't like the split POV. I miss "Cut to the Quick."
The mystery was interesting and unraveled well. I just didn't like the split POV. I miss "Cut to the Quick."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 23, 2013
Somewhat disappointing second book in the series. I'd hoped for more development of the two main characters in this one - individually and their relationship - but instead there's a mostly uninteresting side character who does much of the detecting. I still liked it, but I don't think it's even as good as the first, let alone better.
June 14, 2015
Horrible dialogue that sounds like it was assembled with constant reference to a Cockney thesaurus, and a mystery that requires such a level of coincidence that it made my eyes roll.
January 9, 2024
I think this book was quite enjoyable, but nothing outstanding. The story was interesting, and the plot was twisted with mystery. I liked that every potential plothole was resolved by the end, and unlike many other stories, it wasn't a picture-perfect ending (since *spoiler* Sally did not stay to live with our "hero" of the story Julian). Still, since all my questions that arose one after another in the continuation of the story were answered by the end, it was quite satisfying. The plot, in general, was quite interesting, the story revolving around the life of a prostitute and uncovering problems within this working environment that weren't apparent before. I was truly emotionally stirred when finding out about the main problem or plot of the story. I appreciate that the book doesn't hide the truly ugly parts of society and still represents the good in people who are willing to change not only society but also themselves for the better. Unfortunately, the story wasn't as captivating as I had hoped but was otherwise a relatively enjoyable read. Therefore, I only gave it three stars.
August 26, 2017
This book is filled with suspense from start to finish. I enjoyed all of the characters, their relationships and the plot development. The mystery itself was quite complex which held my interest. The author's style is so eloquent, it's a pleasure to read. I'm looking forward to the next in the series!
September 4, 2020
This is a solid historical mystery series. Good character development, a likeable protagonist and a story that keeps your rapt attention.
It's somewhat reminiscent of Bruce Alexander, who was a master.
It's somewhat reminiscent of Bruce Alexander, who was a master.
August 16, 2014
me: so the book
is set in 1825
but was written in the 1990s i guess
so like i am not demanding that all attitudes be the same
but the main character
i liked him in the first one
but in this second one
the sister of his manservant shows up
and she's a prostitute
and all of them act like this is no big deal
and while i can see maybe the manservant and the sister wouldn't care, the main guy is waaaaaaaaaay too ok with it
i dont care how enlightened he is, he'd be weirded out by it
also i am pretty sure they are going to sleep together and it's irritating me
bro: yeah... i'm sorry but i'm pretty sure everyone would freak the fuck out if a prostitute showed up. to the point where even in reality i wouldnt be suprised if the BROTHER got fired because his sister was a prostitute
me: yeah.
i mean, the manservant is a former pickpocket, which is unlikely but i can accept, but main dude would be seriously not ok
he acts like prostitution was a lifestyle choice for her
bro: well wouldnt it be easy to hid the pickpocket thign too?
me: oh well the met when the manservant was picking the main dude's pocket
bro: o
me: yeah
i mean
it's not realistic
but its not so bonkers i can't accept it
but the prostitute thing is just nutty
even if he allows he around, he wouldn't be all like "she can be my girlfriend"
bro: i like how you describe it as everyone accepting that as if it was a lifestyle choice
me: also the idea that someone living the life she would lead at that time would not have a million diseases is frankly absurd
[Later]
me: k
this book is seriously annoying me
bro: :-/
me: he can't make snide remarks about prostitutes one minute and then get all "it's a perfectly fine profession" literally the next
bro: ah..... yeah....
that's an awfuly large contradiction
me: plus he just went off on a things about how dueling is gentlemanly and noble
which is outdated in 1825
bro: so he's really big on the honor thing?
lol
and very old fashioned :-P
me: yeah
like half of him is more progressive about sex than modern people
and the other half is behind the times on shooting people
bro: LOL
or alternatively an author wrote a book based on preconcieved ideas
me: yeah... i think she picked 1825 because she wanted the war with france to be over so people could travel again, but she set everything like it's about 1810
bro: ah, i see
me: except that her main dude is SUPER ahead of the times about prostitutes
this is so weird
bro: LOL
are they going to get together at the end / by the end?
do you see it going there
me: oh, they just banged
i'm annoyed
i dont think she's going to stick around
bro: are you kidding????
me: she's too "wild" and "free" for that
bro: omg
whatever
not when there's the very real danger of being homeless and starving
me: becuase prostitution is apparently way more free than living with an upper class guy who doesn't beat you
bro: you cant just, go get a job at walmart whenever you want
LOL
me: this whole thing was just a massive miscalculation i feel
its not even like this prostitute is particularly interesting
i could maybe suspend my disbelief a bit more if she was
but so far she acts like a modern teenage girl of average intelligence
bro: well, its' like those star wars reviews, you can bend things, but once you turn the laws of physics into a cartooney reality we lose our belief
me: yes, exactly
anyway
there's 2 more books after this and i've gathered this is the worst one
bro: ah
me: i also dont THINK she shows up again
she better not
like we better pretend this never happened
the other thing too is that in the 1st book the mystery was interesting because there was on the one hand a lack of science (no idea who any blood belongs to because there's no scientific tests, and there's not really formal police force in england, and psychology isn't a science yet) but the lead guy is very logical and just keeps asking questions
this one, they just keep dashing around randomly, and prostitutes
bro: oh
the first one sounds pretty good
i mean, all that's true
me: right
it was pretty neat, and the main character was sensible and sometimes witty
and now he's kinda a doofus
like, i liked that in the first one he asked a lot of practical questions
so far in this one no one has questioned how the victim got the letter out of the asylum, and that seems like a really obvious thing to ask to me
which leads me to believe the author decided she wanted him to bang his valet's sister, and then tried to think of a mystery after that
it's basically a mess
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 14, 2020
I was so disappointed in this book! I read the first book in this series, "Cut to the Quick," and one other one whose title escapes me, but I remember liking them both very much, so I was excited to get this book. However, it let me down, big time! For one thing, I couldn't get past hating the ridiculous early 19th century street slang that runs through the entire book like a virus! Here are some of the worst examples: "Don't blow the gab," "stow your forks," & "Had he a mouse on his dial?" GAG!
It may even be authentic, but it doesn't matter because instead of enhancing the historical aspect of the book, it was distracting in the most irritating way possible.
In the other Kate Ross books that I enjoyed, I do recall being fond of Julian Kestrel, the central character, and he turned out to be the only saving grace in this episode. I find him to be well-drawn, believable and likable, which is far more than I can say of any of the others in this story!< Another thing that jarred on me was the relationship which developed between the prostitute, Sally, and Julian. If he were to remain true to his personality as drawn in the book, then it is completely unbelievable that he would lose his fastidious heart to someone as shop-worn and grimy as someone like Sally would be, given her circumstances. A reader could believe that he might admire her pluck and cheekiness, but it simply doesn't work to think that they would ever achieve a serious romantic attachment!>
There are plenty of plot twist and turns before the wrap-up. In the words of the book on page 269: "The officers were astonished and a little giddy at this parade of plots and counterplots, mistaken identities and misplaced trust." However, it did have more substance to the solution than many other mysteries using this time period as a background. Unfortunately, Ms. Ross does not leave well enough alone, but must give us that most hoary of Regency figures: "the repentant rake." My advice? Unless you are Georgette Heyer, leave that subject alone because it's been done to death and no one believes in it anymore, if they ever did!
It may even be authentic, but it doesn't matter because instead of enhancing the historical aspect of the book, it was distracting in the most irritating way possible.
In the other Kate Ross books that I enjoyed, I do recall being fond of Julian Kestrel, the central character, and he turned out to be the only saving grace in this episode. I find him to be well-drawn, believable and likable, which is far more than I can say of any of the others in this story!< Another thing that jarred on me was the relationship which developed between the prostitute, Sally, and Julian. If he were to remain true to his personality as drawn in the book, then it is completely unbelievable that he would lose his fastidious heart to someone as shop-worn and grimy as someone like Sally would be, given her circumstances. A reader could believe that he might admire her pluck and cheekiness, but it simply doesn't work to think that they would ever achieve a serious romantic attachment!>
There are plenty of plot twist and turns before the wrap-up. In the words of the book on page 269: "The officers were astonished and a little giddy at this parade of plots and counterplots, mistaken identities and misplaced trust." However, it did have more substance to the solution than many other mysteries using this time period as a background. Unfortunately, Ms. Ross does not leave well enough alone, but must give us that most hoary of Regency figures: "the repentant rake." My advice? Unless you are Georgette Heyer, leave that subject alone because it's been done to death and no one believes in it anymore, if they ever did!
July 10, 2014
Not as entertaining as the first book. Mostly because the POV was split between Julian and Sally, and I couldn't stand Sally. Her relationship with Julian felt all kinds of forced. I kept hoping (rather uncharitably) that she'd be bumped off. And Julian spent a good part of his chapters talking with Dr. MacGregor, who's incredibly whiny and annoying. His gruff doctor shtick was tolerable while Julian was in the country, but it made no sense for him to show up in London just so Julian can bounce theories off him. That role could have been filled by Dipper just as well.
Call me a snob, but I like Regency novels because of their portrayal of a glitzy world, and this book was too low-class. Plus, now that I think of it, the resolution of the mystery was a bit of a cop-out. Good writing, terrible characters and events. Next book is apparently better, so fingers crossed.
Call me a snob, but I like Regency novels because of their portrayal of a glitzy world, and this book was too low-class. Plus, now that I think of it, the resolution of the mystery was a bit of a cop-out. Good writing, terrible characters and events. Next book is apparently better, so fingers crossed.
September 4, 2010
As much as I love these books, there is something inherently sad about reading them. I know that with each passing book--as I am falling more and more in love with this series--I am getting closer and closer to the end.
I am now halfway finished and am trying to decide: should I rush forward and buy the next book, or should I wait awhile and try to draw out concluding this series as long as possible?
This book itself is every bit as charming as its predecessor. I thought Sally was a delightful character and the interactions between her and Julian were both humorous and sweet.
Dipper as always was a delight.
*sigh* And my question above, should I wait or should I keep reading?, is one I probably shouldn't have even asked. I'm likely to be on my way over to AbeBooks to try to find the next in the series as soon as I post this 'review'.
I am now halfway finished and am trying to decide: should I rush forward and buy the next book, or should I wait awhile and try to draw out concluding this series as long as possible?
This book itself is every bit as charming as its predecessor. I thought Sally was a delightful character and the interactions between her and Julian were both humorous and sweet.
Dipper as always was a delight.
*sigh* And my question above, should I wait or should I keep reading?, is one I probably shouldn't have even asked. I'm likely to be on my way over to AbeBooks to try to find the next in the series as soon as I post this 'review'.
October 30, 2013
This book lacked the charm of CUT TO THE QUICK, and much of that had to do with these problems: 1) overly & needlessly complicated plot that suffered from a lack of elucidation; 2) certain characters were insufficiently fleshed out; and 3) the most problematic, the multiple point of view approach (necessary to this novel) that left Julian Kestrel as a secondary character in a novel in which he was supposed to be the protagonist. The game gal, Sally, Dipper's sister, is the real sleuth and this novel is really her vehicle. The novel itself is an exploration of the sordid world of prostitution in 1824 London that ran the entire social hierarchy. In its own way it's a taut novel, one that needs to be accepted upon its own merits. However, if you are expecting Julian Kestrel to be central to this story, he's not, and you'll be disappointed.
February 8, 2013
In this volume, Ross visits the seamy underside of London society - the world of prostitutes, thugs, and reformers. In the 1830s, it's never far away from the 'high society' that lives just down the road.
Much of the point-of-view is not Kestrel's but of Sally Stokes, his valet's sister. The three of them work to unravel the mystery of a letter that Sally, er, found. As usual, the truth is complicated, and arrived at partly by accident, with side issues and more than one tragedy unfolding.
Ross seems to believe that most murderers are somewhat deranged - not an unreasonable position, I think, but from a narrative perspective not entirely satisfactory. Perhaps one of these days I'll figure out why that is.
Much of the point-of-view is not Kestrel's but of Sally Stokes, his valet's sister. The three of them work to unravel the mystery of a letter that Sally, er, found. As usual, the truth is complicated, and arrived at partly by accident, with side issues and more than one tragedy unfolding.
Ross seems to believe that most murderers are somewhat deranged - not an unreasonable position, I think, but from a narrative perspective not entirely satisfactory. Perhaps one of these days I'll figure out why that is.
July 15, 2015
Broken Vessel is the second book in the Julian Kestrel mystery series. I found it to be just as enjoyable as the first one even though I wasn't crazy about him sleeping with the prostitute. This one actually kept me guessing longer than the first one did. I thought I had it figured out and then I thought I didn't, only to find out I was right to begin with. It was very well done. I was able to get to know and like Julian and Dipper even more in this book. I would like to know more of the mystery surrounding Julian's past and as this series was left unfinished due to the death of the author, I'm hoping some of that is revealed in the remaining two books in the series.
August 12, 2016
I like when there is a bit of romance in my mystery novels. Unfortunately for me, I don’t care for romance between a venerated leader of the ton (who is elegant, handsome and charming) and an unabashed Cockney-speaking two-bit Haymarket prostitute (who is missing teeth). I don’t find these mental images to be agreeable.
Other than that, it was a well written story and I enjoyed the mystery part of it.
Other than that, it was a well written story and I enjoyed the mystery part of it.
March 4, 2013
In A Broken Vessel, Ross divides the amateur detective work between Kestrel and a new character, Cockney prostitute Sally Stokes, to mixed effect. The buoyant but vulnerable Stokes is compelling, but she’s mired in a frequently depressing, degrading mystery, and her presence tends to flatten Julian into a stalwart white knight, which isn’t his most interesting look.
July 20, 2010
I dearly needed a novel and this filled the bill. But lordy, what an anachronistic bundle of romance among the Dickensian grime. The dialogue is handled well. But the characters in this strictly proscribed historical social setting seem to have very little awareness of class or morality.
April 29, 2021
I think I like this better than the first one in the series (which was kind of a locked room mystery). Nice to revisit the characters. I plan to read number three next. Goodreads says I haven’t read number four, but maybe I just didn’t record it? I’ll find out when I get there!
February 9, 2014
very hard to buy into. a prostitute and the man-of-the-moment in English 19th century society? I don't think so. the best part of the book was the street language, which was fun to decipher -- and pretty accurate.
November 24, 2008
Though still a good book, my least favorite? Why? Umm, probably because I didn't like Sally. Why? Umm, probably because I was jealous.
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