One Bear's Opinion -- Book Review

Face Down O'er the Border by Kathy Lynn Emerson

This is the last book in the Susanna, Lady Appleton series of historical mysteries.  Overall, I have enjoyed the series, but this book felt like the last one the author wanted to write.  It had such potential, but the final execution was lacking.  In the end, it was a good thing the series is finished, because this was a disappointing book, and not one to indicate that another visit with the characters would be welcome.

The main mystery could have been so much better, but the author went down too many wrong paths and allowed too many sub-plots to cloud the main story.  By spending too much time on building the sub-plots that were never resolved, the author did not do the main mystery justice, and in the end had the investigator hastily solve it in the classic mystery plot device of confronting the killer with the knowledge but no proof.

It was a disappointing ending for a book with such a great beginning.  It left me wanting more, but at the same time glad the author decided to end the series.  I am not sure if the characters had their own minds, or simply that the author tired of them and turned her attention to other endeavors, but whatever the reason, the familiar characters were not themselves and it showed.  Though the over-arcing storyline was mentioned, nothing was finalized and the characters were left hanging, in a plodding kind of existence waiting for a final resolution.  There were not even blank pages at the end of my copy of the book for me to write my own ending for the characters.

I missed the discussions of poisons which were a larger part of the earlier books in the series, as Lady Appleton is an herbalist and an expert in poisons.  The only mention of anything approaching a medicinal herb was a poppy syrup that was administered to a suspect to keep him sedated while a plan was put into action.  There was such potential to bring that part of her character to this book.

On the whole it was a disappointing end to a series and not really worth the time it took to read.  It will certainly not make new readers want to search for the earlier books in the series.  I had hoped for a better visit with old friends.

One Bear's Opinion:  One Lukewarm Cup of Weak Lipton Tea

Happy Reading Everyone, 
Oliver