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Marion Lane #3
Marion Lane and the Raven's Revenge
The raven had struck. And thing was, she knew exactly who was next…
London, 1960. Marion Lane, a twenty-five-year-old apprentice detective at the elusive Miss Brickett’s Investigations & Inquiries, is busier than ever and determined to prove herself worthy of an official Inquirer badge. But when her dear friend and fellow detective Bill’s new girlfriend, Darcy, is targeted by a dangerous gang leader and seeks out the Inquirers’ help, Marion cannot help but get involved.
Just when Marion thinks she has the situation under control, Darcy disappears without a trace and the agency receives a package containing a dead raven, tangled in bloodied yellow twine, leaving everyone stumped. Everyone, that is, except for Marion. Because she’s seen this package before—on her mother’s doorstep, a month before her death.
With unforeseen twists peppered throughout, Marion Lane and the Raven's Revenge follows Marion’s most personal case to date, as she seeks to uncover not only who is behind these ominous packages, but how they are related to her mother’s mysterious death and secretive past.
London, 1960. Marion Lane, a twenty-five-year-old apprentice detective at the elusive Miss Brickett’s Investigations & Inquiries, is busier than ever and determined to prove herself worthy of an official Inquirer badge. But when her dear friend and fellow detective Bill’s new girlfriend, Darcy, is targeted by a dangerous gang leader and seeks out the Inquirers’ help, Marion cannot help but get involved.
Just when Marion thinks she has the situation under control, Darcy disappears without a trace and the agency receives a package containing a dead raven, tangled in bloodied yellow twine, leaving everyone stumped. Everyone, that is, except for Marion. Because she’s seen this package before—on her mother’s doorstep, a month before her death.
With unforeseen twists peppered throughout, Marion Lane and the Raven's Revenge follows Marion’s most personal case to date, as she seeks to uncover not only who is behind these ominous packages, but how they are related to her mother’s mysterious death and secretive past.
352 pages, ebook
First published June 6, 2023
77 people are currently reading
1511 people want to read
About the author
T.A. Willberg
3 books289 followersT.A. Willberg grew up on a small-holding in South Africa. At 27, she moved to Malta and wrote the MARION LANE mystery series. Her books have been named one of Amazon's "100 Best Books of 2021" as well as a Strand "Book of the Month", a LibraryReads pick and many more. They have been translated into multiple languages.
She has recently launched her own online writing course, which she hopes will help aspiring authors write, edit and publish their novels (more on this at tawillberg.com).
T.A. now lives between Europe and South Africa with her long-time partner, Will.
She has recently launched her own online writing course, which she hopes will help aspiring authors write, edit and publish their novels (more on this at tawillberg.com).
T.A. now lives between Europe and South Africa with her long-time partner, Will.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
August 11, 2023
One of my least favorite tropes is having a main character think that they are better off taking care of any given problem on their own, while lying to their friends about what they are doing. This was no exception, as I was frustrated at every turn with Marion, but given the ending, I'm hoping these stories will drop that particular mode.
June 20, 2023
3.5 stars. Would've been four, but there was a way-too-lengthy section of the main character (who is still a trainee) absolutely convinced (irrationally) that she is the linchpin to holding a situation together while the very experienced person keeps telling her to shut up / leave the scene and she stubbornly stays, and it just annoyed me.
June 17, 2023
MARION LANE AND THE RAVEN'S REVENGE by T.A. Willberg is the third in the series of the magical, steampunk gadget wielding, secret detective!
⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
I have really enjoyed following Marion Lane on her journey into Mrs. Brickett's, and how she had grown from a new apprentice to an almost Investigator in this installment. This tale involves a very personal attack to Marion in ways that affect all that she loves most. As Marion puts together the pieces of a missing girl and tries to take care of this growing problem on her own, she discovers that she needs all the people around her in ways she never imagined.
I fell in love with this mystery series and all its classic late 50's early 60's vibe with more current sensibilities and amazing magical gadgets! This mashup delighted me and the mystery was a whodunit of a superb quality. I had so much fun with Marion! This has been a really clever mystery series.
Thank you so much to @parkrowbooks @harlequinbooks & @netgalley for letting me read this digital ARC and getting to share my thoughts! I am a bit late to share as this is out as of last week, but that means it is available now!
⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
I have really enjoyed following Marion Lane on her journey into Mrs. Brickett's, and how she had grown from a new apprentice to an almost Investigator in this installment. This tale involves a very personal attack to Marion in ways that affect all that she loves most. As Marion puts together the pieces of a missing girl and tries to take care of this growing problem on her own, she discovers that she needs all the people around her in ways she never imagined.
I fell in love with this mystery series and all its classic late 50's early 60's vibe with more current sensibilities and amazing magical gadgets! This mashup delighted me and the mystery was a whodunit of a superb quality. I had so much fun with Marion! This has been a really clever mystery series.
Thank you so much to @parkrowbooks @harlequinbooks & @netgalley for letting me read this digital ARC and getting to share my thoughts! I am a bit late to share as this is out as of last week, but that means it is available now!
October 10, 2023
3.5/5 stars
Honestly, this was definitely my least favorite book in the series so far…
Instead of evolving as a better, stronger character in this book, I feel like Marion went through a major character devolution instead. She saw in the past how working together helped bring cases to a close even easier and yet she insisted on lying to her friends and leaving them out of a situation they could have absolutely helped in. And then she just kept making everything worse and worse as the story went on and she somehow still ended up getting a job offer at the end of the book? Like how? By ignoring direct orders her boyfriend was beaten, a man was murdered, $5,000 was lost, and 2 more people were nearly killed …….. 🤯
If I wasn’t so invested in these books I don’t think I would have liked it at all honestly. I get wanting the main character to go through a tough time and have things to overcome but man did she just constantly screw things up by being overly stubborn.
Honestly, this was definitely my least favorite book in the series so far…
Instead of evolving as a better, stronger character in this book, I feel like Marion went through a major character devolution instead. She saw in the past how working together helped bring cases to a close even easier and yet she insisted on lying to her friends and leaving them out of a situation they could have absolutely helped in. And then she just kept making everything worse and worse as the story went on and she somehow still ended up getting a job offer at the end of the book? Like how? By ignoring direct orders her boyfriend was beaten, a man was murdered, $5,000 was lost, and 2 more people were nearly killed …….. 🤯
If I wasn’t so invested in these books I don’t think I would have liked it at all honestly. I get wanting the main character to go through a tough time and have things to overcome but man did she just constantly screw things up by being overly stubborn.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 16, 2023
A very disappointing end to a mediocre series. The world is fascinating, but the plot and the writing just can't keep up with it.
April 22, 2024
I have to agree with others on this series. There first book was intriguing and then it basically went down hill. The main character doesn’t learn from her mistakes and the school seems to be inefficient in teaching them anything about investigating. The plot of the mystery relies on Marion thinking she knows better than all her friends and needs to do everything by herself. Overall this was hard to finish and only did so because I hadn’t downloaded a new audio book and I have a long commute.
May 28, 2025
Slow burn. 2.5⭐️
August 9, 2023
The only thing I can say is that I'm devastated this the final chapter for Marion. Willberg has created a main character that has grown and developed with a phenomenal group around her. I wanted to see what happens next. Granted she does wrap everything up in a very satisfactory way, but I am not quite ready to abandon such an intriguing story!
July 11, 2024
Really felt like there had to be some way to get the end result without the trope of making the MC the idiot that causes the entire downfall of everything. So disappointing and to have that little bit at the end where everyone is all happy and it’s no big deal that their lives were completely rearranged? I don’t know if I’ll read another in this series if there even is another.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 17, 2024
An overall below-average ending for a trilogy after great momentum in the first two books. This had some character regressions and choices that didn't make sense and while I wanted the Inquirers to prevail, I also found my mind wandering and wished more of the information about Alice had been dripped in the earlier books.
November 21, 2023
harrowing!
I’d recommend reading these in order, simply because this hinges on a few mysteries set up from the very beginning.
It’s beautifully done, and took some unexpected turns.
It helps greatly if you care about the characters; reading this as a stand-alone might make that difficult, as this doesn’t offer chances to get to know a few of the characters.
I enjoyed this greatly, and was just as puzzled as the main character, which is rare for me - I’m usually a few steps ahead, so this was very refreshing!
I’d recommend reading these in order, simply because this hinges on a few mysteries set up from the very beginning.
It’s beautifully done, and took some unexpected turns.
It helps greatly if you care about the characters; reading this as a stand-alone might make that difficult, as this doesn’t offer chances to get to know a few of the characters.
I enjoyed this greatly, and was just as puzzled as the main character, which is rare for me - I’m usually a few steps ahead, so this was very refreshing!
September 6, 2023
Cute and sad the series is at an end. :(
May 6, 2023
I really was really fond of the first book of this series, Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder, for the fantastic premise of a vast underground private spy agency Miss Brickett’s Investigations and Inquiries hidden below a neglected London bookstore, and its quirky characters. Marion, a new recruit, is a compelling protagonist, possessing almost genius mechanical talents, along with being kind, vulnerable, and carrying overstuffed emotional baggage packed full with a difficult childhood and adolescence. I liked the second book, Marion Lane and the Deadly Rose, for its further development of the backstory of the agency, wonderful spy gadgets, and its timely plot, touching on relevant topics, such as the danger of mob rule, disinformation, and political polarization, though the ending felt quite rushed in relation to the weight of the issues raised. Book 3, however, Marion Lane and the Raven’s Revenge, did not live up to the promise and premise of the other two, and instead of deepening our understanding of secondary characters, just shunted them to the side while choosing to focus on Marion’s repeating behavioral loop of charging into dangerous situations with rather astonishing naiveté, given the plots of the previous two books. It suffers from the lack of plot devices that go beyond trotting out some very cool spyware and storylines that too closely resemble each other (hint: Marion gets knocked around quite a bit, again and the once solid agency is in trouble, again, and only she can save her friends, again). This time the agency gets involved with the murder of a local philanthropist who has previously received a gruesome package of a dead raven; others have received them, including one shoved into one of the secretive letterboxes of Miss Brickett’s. And there is a weird connection with Marion’s past to this macabre message. The agency has also been invaded, err visited, by representatives of the equivalent German spy school. On the surface it is for a friendly exchange of ideas, though it seems to be a one-way exchange. There is also a high stakes fight club match of rival insect spyware: but perhaps there is something more sinister going on, as evidenced by the strange behavior of the visiting German inventor/spymaster. Oddly, there is no mention of any post war acrimony toward Germany, or even acknowledgement of the war, though this takes place only 15 years after the end of the WW2 .
Bill, Marion’s BFF, is in love, and at wit’s end to hide his true vocation from his very inquisitive girlfriend, who has some tall order secrets of her own. And can Marion really commit to her dreamboat American detective boyfriend and he to her and do we really care? Maybe not so much, at least unless he grows a pair of dimensions to his character. But there is another murder or two and yes, Scotland Yard is stumped, especially when Miss Brickett’s undercover establishment is in peril of going belly up. The big reveal comes early, with smaller reveals sprinkled throughout, but they don’t quite hang together. And the ending again felt very hurried, as though the mystery writer’s 5-minute warning bell went off. The gadgets are fantastic though, as is the book’s cover art. Unfortunately, I broke the rule and judged the book by its cover. I’m still rooting for Marion though; hopefully, the next book will live up to its captivating packaging.
Bill, Marion’s BFF, is in love, and at wit’s end to hide his true vocation from his very inquisitive girlfriend, who has some tall order secrets of her own. And can Marion really commit to her dreamboat American detective boyfriend and he to her and do we really care? Maybe not so much, at least unless he grows a pair of dimensions to his character. But there is another murder or two and yes, Scotland Yard is stumped, especially when Miss Brickett’s undercover establishment is in peril of going belly up. The big reveal comes early, with smaller reveals sprinkled throughout, but they don’t quite hang together. And the ending again felt very hurried, as though the mystery writer’s 5-minute warning bell went off. The gadgets are fantastic though, as is the book’s cover art. Unfortunately, I broke the rule and judged the book by its cover. I’m still rooting for Marion though; hopefully, the next book will live up to its captivating packaging.
December 11, 2023
I am disappointed that T.A. Willberg has said this is the last book in the series. I loved these books, and I want more. That being said, there were some things that niggled at me over the course of the first two books, and flat-out bugged me in this last one. Mainly, Marion's "savior" complex. I understand why she has trust issues, and I understand wanting to protect her friends. I can even understand her conflicted feelings about the organization she works for, and why she would hesitate to trust them even though she loves working there. I don't understand not involving her friends even when she has to realize that doing everything on her own is basically a suicide mission, or how she can have such confidence in her ability to fix everything when often she just kind of bumbles along and makes things worse before they get better. I would have liked to have seen a book where she grows as a person and sees the strength in relying on others. Still loved the series though! My favourite books of 2023.
June 19, 2023
I really enjoyed the first 2 Marion Lane novels. So it was a bit of a disappointment reading the finale to this trilogy.
June 10, 2023
Rating : 1,5 ⭐
This book recycled too many plot lines from the other books in the series to ever feel like an original story. In my opinion, the ending felt really jarring, it definitely needed more build up in order to feel satisfying. Instead, I was just wondering how these characters could simply accept this outcome, and how the author expected to the readers to be okay with the way things went down. I feel like this book needed more thought put into it to become a more coherent end product.
This book recycled too many plot lines from the other books in the series to ever feel like an original story. In my opinion, the ending felt really jarring, it definitely needed more build up in order to feel satisfying. Instead, I was just wondering how these characters could simply accept this outcome, and how the author expected to the readers to be okay with the way things went down. I feel like this book needed more thought put into it to become a more coherent end product.
August 5, 2023
I really enjoy this series and anxiously await the next installment. But…..this is my least favorite so far. Marion is proving herself to be arrogant and self centered, thinking she needs no one else to help her solve problems. In my mind, it’s these qualities that have led to the bigger problems of her friends and her employer. Marion, it’s time to grow up!
December 9, 2023
I really liked the first two but this one wasn't quite as good. If I could, I would probably give it 3.5 but I don't want to round up since the other books were 4's. I just was annoyed and Marion's stubbornness this time. I know that's her main trait in general but this time might have gone a little far. I do still hope for more in this series though so that should say a little something.
August 16, 2023
This book had ups and downs. There were times when i couldn't get into it and times when I couldn't put it down. I always love a spy/detective/mystery. I was a little disappointed with the main antagonist the motivation just wasn't there for me but I did enjoy Marion's character.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 13, 2023
I like Marion but I wish she would talk to her friends first instead of diving head first and then talking to them after the mess is even bigger. Again.
August 10, 2024
Author is clearly a Harry Potter fan.
April 12, 2024
I don’t want to be disappointed, but I am? Solid 3.5 but I find myself unenthusiastic about the way this series ends. It wasn’t bad but it wasn’t what I wanted it to be.
July 16, 2024
Least appealing of the three books I've listened to on this series. Lots of situations that were overly contrived and deceptive. But overall an enjoyable story.
July 16, 2024
Least favorite of the 3 but still want a #4.
August 9, 2024
3 Stars
*If this is the end of the series, it’s an underwhelming conclusion*
This is the third book in the Marion Lane series and possibly the last. I am unclear on that point. (More on that later.)
In 1960, London, twenty-five-year-old Marion Lane is a junior investigator with a secret organization that investigates strange cases.
This installment is set a year after the previous book though in many ways, it did not feel like much time had passed. I was still invested in the characters. Though as a side note, I got tired of so many descriptions of the characters smoking.
Power struggles are still occurring within Miss Brickett’s Investigations & Inquiries and are only exacerbated by a visit from their German mirror agency. At the same time, Marion starts receiving threatening portents tied to other murder cases.
For an end-game type story, the villain didn't feel dangerous enough. The plot also felt like less of a mystery than the previous books. More of the book is about stopping the villain rather than investigating. That really changed the tone of the story. Unfortunately, I liked the “investigating with cool almost-Steampunk gadgets” parts of the series a lot more than the “stop the villain while isolating myself from the other characters for the sole reason of dragging the plot out” parts.
The ending did not feel satisfactory. As I mentioned, I am not sure if this is the end of the series or not. If there are more books, I won't be as disgruntled about the end. If this was the last book, then it was an underwhelming end that left me with too many questions. It had one of those ambiguous endings that either was setting up for a spinoff series or just ending things on a hurried, lackluster note.
So this review comes with a caveat: if this is truly the end of the series, then I am disappointed by the way things were terminated. If there will be more books in this world though (that hopefully delve deeper into the world and fill out the potential of that world), then I would be eager to read them. My disappointment with this installment is not enough to discourage others from picking up the series. But the disenchanting ending will temper my enthusiasm about recommending this series as a whole.
RATING FACTORS:
Ease of Reading: 4 Stars
Writing Style: 3 Stars
Characters and Character Development: 3 Stars
Plot Structure and Development: 3 Stars
Level of Captivation: 3 Stars
Originality: 3 Stars
*If this is the end of the series, it’s an underwhelming conclusion*
This is the third book in the Marion Lane series and possibly the last. I am unclear on that point. (More on that later.)
In 1960, London, twenty-five-year-old Marion Lane is a junior investigator with a secret organization that investigates strange cases.
This installment is set a year after the previous book though in many ways, it did not feel like much time had passed. I was still invested in the characters. Though as a side note, I got tired of so many descriptions of the characters smoking.
Power struggles are still occurring within Miss Brickett’s Investigations & Inquiries and are only exacerbated by a visit from their German mirror agency. At the same time, Marion starts receiving threatening portents tied to other murder cases.
For an end-game type story, the villain didn't feel dangerous enough. The plot also felt like less of a mystery than the previous books. More of the book is about stopping the villain rather than investigating. That really changed the tone of the story. Unfortunately, I liked the “investigating with cool almost-Steampunk gadgets” parts of the series a lot more than the “stop the villain while isolating myself from the other characters for the sole reason of dragging the plot out” parts.
The ending did not feel satisfactory. As I mentioned, I am not sure if this is the end of the series or not. If there are more books, I won't be as disgruntled about the end. If this was the last book, then it was an underwhelming end that left me with too many questions. It had one of those ambiguous endings that either was setting up for a spinoff series or just ending things on a hurried, lackluster note.
So this review comes with a caveat: if this is truly the end of the series, then I am disappointed by the way things were terminated. If there will be more books in this world though (that hopefully delve deeper into the world and fill out the potential of that world), then I would be eager to read them. My disappointment with this installment is not enough to discourage others from picking up the series. But the disenchanting ending will temper my enthusiasm about recommending this series as a whole.
RATING FACTORS:
Ease of Reading: 4 Stars
Writing Style: 3 Stars
Characters and Character Development: 3 Stars
Plot Structure and Development: 3 Stars
Level of Captivation: 3 Stars
Originality: 3 Stars
May 17, 2023
ARC provided by Harlequin Trade via Netgalley for an honest review.
I enjoyed this third installment in this historical mystery series that is part James Bond and part 1940 detective noir. I love the characters, and the gadgets and the stories, while perhaps a bit formulaic, have kept me on the edge of my seat and turning those pages.
Marion is once again finding herself in the middle of a mystery that not only involves the agency this time, but her best friend Bill. This mystery is also connected to Marion’s past and the reasons behind her mother’s death. We learn a lot more about Marion’s childhood and how that relates to her development into the person she is today. While I have seen some growth in Marion over the two books, I wish we could see her being a little bit less impulsive and feeling like she is the only one who can protect her friends and save the agency. She tends to make things worse instead of better even when things all work out in the end.
Even though it is Bill’s new romance that starts the whole mystery, there was not as much attention on Marion’s friends and her own romance as there was in the first two books. I would very much like to see more of her friends and learn more about their histories and how they ended up at Miss Brickett’s Investigations.
Even with Marion dashing off to save everyone at the drop of a disruptor, I still really enjoyed the story. It was very well plotted and the twists were well done. The pacing was also well done with some of the action happening at breakneck speed, and then have some down time to get ready for the next action part. I really liked the ending, although I am a bit worried that there may not be more books coming? It is left open enough that there is room for a continuing story, but I would be ok with it ending there as well.
If you enjoy the old detective stories from the 40’s and enjoy reading about quirky characters and fun gadgets you really must give this series a try. It is full of a lot of fun, fast paced mysteries with some unexpected twists and a female protagonist that will always be there to save the day.
https://elnadesbookchat.com/2023
I enjoyed this third installment in this historical mystery series that is part James Bond and part 1940 detective noir. I love the characters, and the gadgets and the stories, while perhaps a bit formulaic, have kept me on the edge of my seat and turning those pages.
Marion is once again finding herself in the middle of a mystery that not only involves the agency this time, but her best friend Bill. This mystery is also connected to Marion’s past and the reasons behind her mother’s death. We learn a lot more about Marion’s childhood and how that relates to her development into the person she is today. While I have seen some growth in Marion over the two books, I wish we could see her being a little bit less impulsive and feeling like she is the only one who can protect her friends and save the agency. She tends to make things worse instead of better even when things all work out in the end.
Even though it is Bill’s new romance that starts the whole mystery, there was not as much attention on Marion’s friends and her own romance as there was in the first two books. I would very much like to see more of her friends and learn more about their histories and how they ended up at Miss Brickett’s Investigations.
Even with Marion dashing off to save everyone at the drop of a disruptor, I still really enjoyed the story. It was very well plotted and the twists were well done. The pacing was also well done with some of the action happening at breakneck speed, and then have some down time to get ready for the next action part. I really liked the ending, although I am a bit worried that there may not be more books coming? It is left open enough that there is room for a continuing story, but I would be ok with it ending there as well.
If you enjoy the old detective stories from the 40’s and enjoy reading about quirky characters and fun gadgets you really must give this series a try. It is full of a lot of fun, fast paced mysteries with some unexpected twists and a female protagonist that will always be there to save the day.
https://elnadesbookchat.com/2023
June 12, 2023
Marion Lane and the Raven's Revenge is the third book in T. A Willberg's absolutely wonderful Marion Lane series.
First off - how about that cover? It's spot on for the series. The first two books are blue and red. Now, you could read this latest entry without reading those first two, but you'd be missing a really good thing.
I love this series. Why? Well, what's not to love? How about a hidden detective agency below the streets of London, an eclectic group of 'Inquirers', wondrous, magical gadgets that aid in investigations and a spunky female lead character you'll love? The name of the agency, Miss Brickett’s Investigations & Inquiries, conjures up time and place and a different method of crime solving. The 1960 time period is perfect.
The settings are so well described and it's easy to imagine what London is like in 1960 - and the hidden spaces down below.
This latest crime opens the door to more of the many secrets at Miss Brickett's. But, it also brings dire danger to the front door for Marion, her friends and her colleagues.
This series is fresh, engaging and addictive. My inner sleuth happily imagines being an Inquirer on the case with Marion. Great plotting, wonderful characters whose lives keep moving forward. There's much more in store for Marion and et al. Can't wait!
First off - how about that cover? It's spot on for the series. The first two books are blue and red. Now, you could read this latest entry without reading those first two, but you'd be missing a really good thing.
I love this series. Why? Well, what's not to love? How about a hidden detective agency below the streets of London, an eclectic group of 'Inquirers', wondrous, magical gadgets that aid in investigations and a spunky female lead character you'll love? The name of the agency, Miss Brickett’s Investigations & Inquiries, conjures up time and place and a different method of crime solving. The 1960 time period is perfect.
The settings are so well described and it's easy to imagine what London is like in 1960 - and the hidden spaces down below.
This latest crime opens the door to more of the many secrets at Miss Brickett's. But, it also brings dire danger to the front door for Marion, her friends and her colleagues.
This series is fresh, engaging and addictive. My inner sleuth happily imagines being an Inquirer on the case with Marion. Great plotting, wonderful characters whose lives keep moving forward. There's much more in store for Marion and et al. Can't wait!
March 16, 2023
I've read the other 2 books in this series and was excited for the next installment. This series should definitely be read in order. I've enjoyed the whole cast of characters in all 3 books and always felt like the collaboration and relationships between characters was really well written. So it was fun to get an update about everyone in book 3! However, this book mostly focused on the main character and her internal thoughts. It made sense considering the content of the book, but was less fun. It also felt like the author was trying to wrap up all the loose ends from the series and throw some light on mysteries from the past so it became a little unwieldy and implausible (although it is a series about an underground detective agency in London, so maybe plausibility is besides the point).
If you've read the first two books, it's definitely worth finding out what happens and getting some of the backstory filled in. I felt like the resolution was a little too tidy and Marion (the main character) was acting too much on her own, but I still enjoyed the book and definitely wanted to know what would happen.
*I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
If you've read the first two books, it's definitely worth finding out what happens and getting some of the backstory filled in. I felt like the resolution was a little too tidy and Marion (the main character) was acting too much on her own, but I still enjoyed the book and definitely wanted to know what would happen.
*I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 7, 2023
I was very excited to receive an ARC for 'Marion Lane and the Raven's Revenge'! I have the first book in the series 'Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder', but have yet to read it. (My TBR feels like it is 800 books deep at the moment.) As I read 'Marion Lane and the Rave's Revenge', I was very pleased that I didn't seem to be missing much by not having read the two previous books in the series.
I think the author did a very good job at alluding to things that happened previously, but didn't make the current story rely upon them. I definitely think that one could read this as a standalone, but I think one might want to go ahead and read the first two books in the series. I know that I will be doing that straight away! (This is why my TBR is the way that it is.)
This was a pretty quick read. I started it on the plane to Santa Fe two days ago and have already finished it. (Only read in the evening.)
I love the idea behind this secret detective agency. I like the time period it is taking place, as well. This story felt fast paced to me and it was enjoyable to read. Marion is a loveable character who means well, but often gets herself (and others) into trouble.
If you are in the mood for a fun mystery, then I would definitely recommend this book (and series)!
I think the author did a very good job at alluding to things that happened previously, but didn't make the current story rely upon them. I definitely think that one could read this as a standalone, but I think one might want to go ahead and read the first two books in the series. I know that I will be doing that straight away! (This is why my TBR is the way that it is.)
This was a pretty quick read. I started it on the plane to Santa Fe two days ago and have already finished it. (Only read in the evening.)
I love the idea behind this secret detective agency. I like the time period it is taking place, as well. This story felt fast paced to me and it was enjoyable to read. Marion is a loveable character who means well, but often gets herself (and others) into trouble.
If you are in the mood for a fun mystery, then I would definitely recommend this book (and series)!
September 11, 2023
I think this may have been the last book in this series, and unfortunately, it was probably my least favorite one. The story was great as always! But Marion Lane was incredibly frustrating in this book. She was beyond stubborn - to the point that she constantly put herself and others in unnecessary danger. Her refusal to listen to others (especially regarding her safety and that of others') was directly responsible for some serious injuries and/or deaths. She never once learned from her mistakes.
The ending was also a little bit abrupt. We got just enough of an update on the important people, a short look ahead, and then it just ended. Not that the book really needed to be any longer, but I think we needed a little bit more. No spoilers, but there's a person Marion interacts with at the end, who has about one line, and then the book ends. This person wasn't a new character, but they weren't necessarily expected either. We got one line from this character and zero explanation, and I think more was needed.
I'm still glad I read the book and finished the series (I think), but I'm also kind of glad it's over.
The ending was also a little bit abrupt. We got just enough of an update on the important people, a short look ahead, and then it just ended. Not that the book really needed to be any longer, but I think we needed a little bit more. No spoilers, but there's a person Marion interacts with at the end, who has about one line, and then the book ends. This person wasn't a new character, but they weren't necessarily expected either. We got one line from this character and zero explanation, and I think more was needed.
I'm still glad I read the book and finished the series (I think), but I'm also kind of glad it's over.
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