The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter
Mary Jekyll, alone and penniless following her parents’ death, is curious about the secrets of her father’s mysterious past. One clue in particular hints that Edward Hyde, her father’s former friend and a murderer, may be nearby, and there is a reward for information leading to his capture that would solve all of her immediate financial woes. But her hunt leads her to Hyde’s daughter, Diana. With the assistance of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, Mary continues her search for the elusive Hyde, and soon befriends more women, all of whom have been created through terrifying experimentation: Beatrice Rappaccini, Catherin Moreau, and Justine Frankenstein. When their investigations lead them to the discovery of a secret society of immoral and power-crazed scientists, the horrors of their past return. Now it is up to the monsters to finally triumph over the monstrous.
I was impressed by how well Goss wove such varying personalities together as she told the story of Mary Jekyll. Or rather, as Catherine wrote it, with contributions from Mary and the other girls. The idea of these five young ladies coming together to solve the mystery of the secret society their fathers/creators were members of was delightful. I was pleased when Mary invited the others to live with her and they created their own society called the Athena Club. The ending left me eager to see what adventures Mary, Diana, Beatrice, Catherine, and Justine get up to in the next book!
Although this book starred Mary, I like how the other girls’ stories of how they came to be were shared. I liked Mary the most, but perhaps that’s because she was the main protagonist of Strange Case. I think it would be interesting to read the next book from Catherine’s perspective. From the snippets readers saw, she seemed quite the character!
My only complaint was the moments the girls would insert themselves in the story and have conversations that were outside what was going on in the story Catherine was writing. Sometimes it worked, but other times it would take me out of the narrative, and I found it hard to get back into it. I got used to it, but I would have found the story more enjoyable if I didn’t have to deal with the random inserts.
The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter is an entertaining story that will delight mystery lovers.
The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter Rating: ★★★★
I was impressed by how well Goss wove such varying personalities together as she told the story of Mary Jekyll. Or rather, as Catherine wrote it, with contributions from Mary and the other girls. The idea of these five young ladies coming together to solve the mystery of the secret society their fathers/creators were members of was delightful. I was pleased when Mary invited the others to live with her and they created their own society called the Athena Club. The ending left me eager to see what adventures Mary, Diana, Beatrice, Catherine, and Justine get up to in the next book!
Although this book starred Mary, I like how the other girls’ stories of how they came to be were shared. I liked Mary the most, but perhaps that’s because she was the main protagonist of Strange Case. I think it would be interesting to read the next book from Catherine’s perspective. From the snippets readers saw, she seemed quite the character!
My only complaint was the moments the girls would insert themselves in the story and have conversations that were outside what was going on in the story Catherine was writing. Sometimes it worked, but other times it would take me out of the narrative, and I found it hard to get back into it. I got used to it, but I would have found the story more enjoyable if I didn’t have to deal with the random inserts.
The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter is an entertaining story that will delight mystery lovers.
The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter Rating: ★★★★