The Icarus Plot by Jenny Schwartz my review
Review Courtesy of April Hollingworth
Wonderfully brilliant. This is the first book I’ve read by Jenny Schwartz, and I devoured it. I was transported back into Victorian London, and I loved every minute of it. A must read story and a must read author. The story is wonderful, filled with danger and intrigue, in a time where a child going missing is thought nothing of. Where a woman of knowledge and determination are unusual, never mind an Earl wanting to help! Add all of that into a plot ripe with mystery and you come up with this fantastic story, where the monster has a name and it’s called The Metal Man. Loved it.
Opening Scene:
“She’s a little girl. Five years old, if that, and you’re not going to look for her? You’re not a man, you’re a mouse. A worm.”
The Review:
Ivana Marsh is searching for missing children. Someone in Victorian London is stealing them. A monster the kids whisper about and call The Metal Man. So when an Earl walks into her special toy shop, she owns and runs, she has no time to entertain him. But as he insists on helping her find the missing children, she allows him to come with her. Exploring places best left alone, it’s a good thing the new Earl of Somer is a noted explorer. With the two of them working together, what possibly could go wrong?
Notable Scene:
“Thank you, Lucy. I have a customer. A man.”
A strange comment to add, he thought.
But it must have served its purpose because Miss Marsh replaced the receiver on its brass hook without further conversation.
“May I help you?” She moved away from the telephone and stood behind the counter. She didn’t look wary or nervous, but she definitely wasn’t welcoming.
He sighed for his idle thoughts of dalliance. “Miss March, perhaps you remember me from the police station?”
“No.”
“My name is Andrew Grier, Earl of Somer.” He presented her with his card. Their fingers brushed: his gloved, hers ungloved. “The police sergeant said you might be able to help me with a problem. It seems we’re both looking for a lost child.”
Miss March glanced at his card, then tapped it against the counter. Her fingers were slender and well-kept, the nails trimmed short. “Not to be rude, my lord. But why would the Earl of Somer be looking for a child?”
FTC Advisory: Victoria Joy Stolte through Book Ninja Reviews provided me with a copy of The Icarus Plot by Jenny Schwartz. Kindle Edition. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
