Felicity Carrol and the Perilous Pursuit: A Felicity Carrol Mystery

I avoid reviewing stuff I don't enjoy, but I also resist five-star ratings on principal. Only when I'm wowed do I go 5. And this is a wow. I read a TON of detective fiction, thrillers and popular fiction and this is the best opening scene I read in 2020, a year in which I read all the Jack Reachers and overall more than 50 novels. There's a lot to like here: Marcantonio's scenes are cinematic, carrying you along in action that builds your understanding of character. And what a character is Felicity. Without spoiling things too much, you can't help but be interested in a Victorian woman of means who has no patience for the bon ton and calmly makes her own explosives in an emergency. Honestly, that's not just the best opening of this year, it's my favorite opening scene in years. God, I hope somebody makes a movie of this. Any number of actresses would have great fun playing Felicity or even the other women who play important roles here. Pace is excellent, just enough exposition to unravel the tricky mystery but not the endless chatter less experienced novelists lard into their stories. Marcantonio is all about showing, not telling. If you're a fan of period dramas, from Bridgerton to Downtown Abbey, you'll get your kicks plying the streets of London during Victoria's Golden Jubilee. I'm no expert, but the details here seem well-researched. Best of all, they are always in service of plot. I love being reminded just how old parts of London are and what predated Hyde Park, for instance. The Arthurian legend weaves through this book, along with snippets of the Count of Monte Cristo and other heroes of the realm. You don't need to be an Anglophile or monarchist to love this yarn (Felicity is not), just a reader looking for strong characters and a great plot that includes a little romance, but on Felicity's intellectual terms. Hurrah for a great launch of a character for our times.