Consequences of Sin: An Edwardian Mystery

by Clare Langley-Hawthorne

Book Overview

Fast paced and richly detailed, "Consequences of Sin" is the stunning first novel in a new Edwardian mystery series featuring the young heiress Ursula Marlow. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0143112937
• ISBN13: 9780143112938
• Release Date: February 2008
• Publisher: Penguin Books
• Length: 262 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.7" x 7.3"

Customer Reviews

A mastefully woven plot! Highly Recommended. H. Dennison, Los Angeles, CA.

This book came highly recommended and, to my delight, went far beyond my expectations. Lovers of Edwardian mysteries will enjoy getting to know Ursula Marlow--a feisty, unconventional heroine who is determined to prove a fellow-suffragette is innocent of murder. Born into a world of upper-class privilege, Ursula rebels against her peers yet at the same time, uses her connections to get what she wants. She's an interesting character who is intelligent and passionate while possessing a stubborn streak that shocks her father and fiancée. The plot is masterfully woven with plenty of surprising twists. It makes for compelling reading, especially when Ursula is drawn into a dark world that eventually exposes a chilling family secret. I really felt the writer had done her research. I'm British and one of my pet peeves is historical inaccuracy. The sense of time and place is so vivid that at times, I felt I was living in Edwardian England and traveling down the Orinoco! Clare Langley-Hawthorne has adeptly planted seeds for a sequel--I'm eager to find out just what will happen between Ursula and her Rochester-like guardian. A must read!

consequences of sin

I was more than pleased with "Consequences of Sin." This series has much promise; the main character, Ursula Marlow, is only just beginning to grow. She wants to rebel against Edwardian society but seems to lack the complete confidence to make her rebellion sincere. The mystery itself was crafted very well, & I finished this book in one day. There was enough action to keep the plot moving along & a twist ending. I was also interested in the obvious references to "Heart of Darkness" in the later half of the narrative.

a very engaging read

Given that this debut novel and first installment in a series by Clare Langeley- Hawthorne features an Oxford educated young woman of the money classes, who is also a suffragette, comparisons are bound to be made between this new series and Gillian Linscott's excellent Nell Bray series. Being a fervent fan of the Nell Bray series, and given that I really enjoyed "Consequences of Sin" my verdict is that while there are more differences than similarities between the two series, there is much to enjoy about "Consequences of Sin" and that there is much about Ursula Marlow that Nell Bray fans will approve of and take to. While Ursula Marlow's father, the self-made industrialist wants his only daughter to marry well and settle down, Oxford educated Ursula (who also happens to be a suffragette) wants to decide her own fate, without any parental pressures. And when a fellow suffragette, Winifred Stanford-Jones, and close friend finds herself accused of murder, Ursula decides to do all in her power to help Winifred, much to her father's dismay. And when in the course of her investigations, Ursula discovers that Winifred may be taking the fall for some kind of vendetta against her father and his business associates, Ursula's resolve to discover the truth and absolve Winifred only strengthens. If only she can get her father and his lawyer, the maddening Lord Wortham, to see that she is no longer a child to be placated and soothed... Like the other reviewers, I stayed up all night to finish this book. "Consequences of Sin" may not be the most suspenseful read of the month, but the author has cleverly layered her book with enough intriguing plot twists to keep things humming and interesting, and so kept me happily ensnared till the very last page. Add the absorbing storyline to the book's taking and engaging heroine, and you have a novel that pleases on every level. So that while "Consequences of Sin" did not quite compare vintage Nell Bray novel, "Consequences of Sin" still was a very good read, and I for one, am eagerly looking forward to the next installment in this series.

Sinfully Delicious

If you've got anything crucial to do, I suggest you do it before sitting down with Consequences of Sin! Once you get into it... there goes your weekend. This one is a little gem, packed with international intrigue, well-researched history, a little love, a marvelous touch of humor, and enough dead bodies to keep you guessing. Toss in the wonderfully appealing, sharp, yet naïve Ursula Marlow and you've got a book that, in the end, leaves you eager to find out what sorts of sinister mischief will come in book two! Hats off to Langley-Hawthorne for a smashing debut.

The Consequences of Sin Can Be Pleasurable

"Consequences of Sin" is a wonderful read that kept me up all night. There is no easy way to categorize this book which is both a satisfying mystery and a historically true romance. The author, Clare Langley-Hawthorne, understands the complexity of divided loyalties. Her heroine, Ursula Marlow, is an Oxford graduate, a rich heiress, and an aspiring suffragette living in Edwardian England. She is a young woman who must deal with a world where the rigid societal hierarchies based on class, wealth, and gender are only beginning to be questioned. The death of her friend's lesbian lover not only sets up the plot of this fascinating mystery, but details the choices that a young spirited woman must make as she leaves a cosseted world of privilege. This is an immensely satisfying book where love, commitment, and passion must all be weighed against the strict conventions of a country that has yet to be touched by the upheavals of the First World War.