I have a guilty secret... I am addicted to Penny Vincenzi. One of only two fav authors that I have met in real life (hrmm see if you can guess the other), my addiction started completely by chance as I picked up a nice chunky book - "An Absolute Scandal" - to take away with me on holiday. Her style of writing and the way she draws her story to conclusion appealed to me immensely and it was to be the start of a collection of Vincenzi novels I would purchase over the next few years.
I chose to review one of her lesser known novels for you, Almost A Crime. This novel appealed to me for many reasons but one of the chief points of value for readers of the late 2000's. Although published in 1999 and based in the early nineties, this novel follows themes that are equally as relevant in this decade. Ms. Vincenzi winds together the issues of power marriages and the plight of the working mother, loyalty and exploitation, the definitions of charity and environmentalism all up into one tidy little package of intrigue and mystery. "Almost A Crime" has more of a thriller bent than some of her other novels and is quite a step apart from the Lytton Family saga series of ""No Angel", "Something Dangerous" and "Into Temptation", but is not a lesser novel because of it.
Something that does grate, which I am aware is a personal preference, is that I find it hard to read "period" literature set in decades through which I have lived myself. Outdated pop culture references disturb me and I think that it reduces my enjoyment of the novel - especially with the references in here to Princess Diana being a hot item for charities. Due to this, I can't say that my enjoyment of the novel was as complete as novels Penny Vincenzi has historically placed in the early 20th century. Therefore...
A rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars.
P.S. Thank you for all your lovely comments regarding my sunburn affliction - particularly as it was self-inflicted! You like me! You weally weally like me!
I chose to review one of her lesser known novels for you, Almost A Crime. This novel appealed to me for many reasons but one of the chief points of value for readers of the late 2000's. Although published in 1999 and based in the early nineties, this novel follows themes that are equally as relevant in this decade. Ms. Vincenzi winds together the issues of power marriages and the plight of the working mother, loyalty and exploitation, the definitions of charity and environmentalism all up into one tidy little package of intrigue and mystery. "Almost A Crime" has more of a thriller bent than some of her other novels and is quite a step apart from the Lytton Family saga series of ""No Angel", "Something Dangerous" and "Into Temptation", but is not a lesser novel because of it.
Something that does grate, which I am aware is a personal preference, is that I find it hard to read "period" literature set in decades through which I have lived myself. Outdated pop culture references disturb me and I think that it reduces my enjoyment of the novel - especially with the references in here to Princess Diana being a hot item for charities. Due to this, I can't say that my enjoyment of the novel was as complete as novels Penny Vincenzi has historically placed in the early 20th century. Therefore...
A rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars.
P.S. Thank you for all your lovely comments regarding my sunburn affliction - particularly as it was self-inflicted! You like me! You weally weally like me!
Sounds like an interesting read. I'll have to add it to my list! =)
ReplyDeleteI too love PV but my particular favourite is Windfall. Her books are 1000 pages long but you never want them to end.
ReplyDeleteI also love Maeve Binchy and an English author called Judith Lennox who is wonderful. I wrote her a fan letter via her publishers a few years ago and she sent me the loveliest email. I'm now a fan for life.
Keep posting!
Laura Essendine
Author – The Accidental Guru
The Accidental Guru Blog
The Books Limited Blog