The Elixir of Eternal Life? Always a good subject for a novel and DeBruce gives it an interesting twist with her exotic setting in Prague and linking the idea with perhaps the most maligned of all people throughout history; the Gypsies.
One of my favorite aspects of the story was the opportunity to learn and understand more of the City of Prague and Romany legends relating to the gypsies. The basic premise of the story is an American girl, traveling to Prague in the mid-nineties after the "Velvet Revolution" to reclaim the family home, stolen by the Communist regime, on behalf of her sick mother. There are secrets buried beneath that home and many characters who want to get their hands on them. I won't say any more on the plot so as not to spoil it for readers, but suffice it to say, it is action-packed, very fast-moving and difficult to put down.
I did find the characters to be a little caricaturish, tending toward the extremes of personality, but that aside this was a compelling read that had me second-guessing myself constantly, always the sign of a good author. The twists (and there have to be plenty of twists in a book titled The Riddle of Prague) were cleverly constructed and well concealed.
I enjoyed this book and if you are a fan of mysteries with a dab of fantasy involved, I have no doubt you will enjoy it. This is the first book in a series based on the lead characters Hana, Alex, and David. I was certainly enthused enough by Book 1 to want to give Book 2 a look. I'm sure you will be too.
A very solid 4-Stars for The Riddle of Prague by Laura DeBruce, from this reviewer.
One of my favorite aspects of the story was the opportunity to learn and understand more of the City of Prague and Romany legends relating to the gypsies. The basic premise of the story is an American girl, traveling to Prague in the mid-nineties after the "Velvet Revolution" to reclaim the family home, stolen by the Communist regime, on behalf of her sick mother. There are secrets buried beneath that home and many characters who want to get their hands on them. I won't say any more on the plot so as not to spoil it for readers, but suffice it to say, it is action-packed, very fast-moving and difficult to put down.
I did find the characters to be a little caricaturish, tending toward the extremes of personality, but that aside this was a compelling read that had me second-guessing myself constantly, always the sign of a good author. The twists (and there have to be plenty of twists in a book titled The Riddle of Prague) were cleverly constructed and well concealed.
I enjoyed this book and if you are a fan of mysteries with a dab of fantasy involved, I have no doubt you will enjoy it. This is the first book in a series based on the lead characters Hana, Alex, and David. I was certainly enthused enough by Book 1 to want to give Book 2 a look. I'm sure you will be too.
A very solid 4-Stars for The Riddle of Prague by Laura DeBruce, from this reviewer.
Do go and check out The Riddle of Prague, here on Amazon:
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