Name: From the Ashes
ISBN: 9781955207027

Sabrina Flynn

A suspenseful Victorian mystery with a strong female lead and a romantic detective duo in San Francisco's Barbary Coast.

From the Ashes

Colleen

3.5 Stars
 
*A well-researched historical mystery with gumption*


This book popped up when I was searching for a different one, but it sounded interesting. I was in the mood for Historical Fiction, and I always love Mysteries. Plus I’ve been neglecting Indie reads lately, so I needed something to balance out the best sellers.

Set in 1900, From the Ashes is the story of a private investigator named Atticus Riot returning to San Francisco after years spent running from his past. Still haunted by the death of his partner, Atticus is determined not to return to his old career but immediately becomes intrigued by a case where a young heiress was kidnapped and the family received two very different ransom demands.

The story was told through dual timelines: Atticus’s investigation and Isobel Kingston’s time leading up to her kidnapping. The non-chronological plot was not as bad as usual since the past timeline didn’t give away what would happen later on and the two timelines merged before the flip-flopping got tedious. 

The mystery element was standard but still engaging. Atticus was a smart and observant detective, although thankfully not just another hyper-observant Sherlock knock-off. He relied as much on dogged determination as his brains, so the reader can easily follow along with the clues. And between the short length and the easy-to-read story, I had no problem finishing this in a day. A lot of the character interactions were clearly setting up for sequels, but I am curious as to where the series will go.

Full of well-researched tidbits, the historical setting came to life. This also wasn’t the overly sanitized and romanticized type of Historical Fiction. There was plenty of classism, racism, and sexism in the story. And it was incorporated in a way that acknowledged the problems rather than just mentioning them for the sake of things.

The main thing I did not like was the set up for romance at the end. I plan on reading the next book in the series, but if the romance goes the direction that was hinted, that’s going to be a deal-breaker for me.


RATING FACTORS:
Ease of Reading: 4 Stars
Writing Style: 4 Stars
Characters and Character Development: 3 Stars
Plot Structure and Development: 3 Stars
Level of Captivation: 4 Stars
Originality: 3 Stars

From the Ashes

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