Crime & Mystery
Facts & Fables is still sitting on my Want to Read shelf, mostly because “strange and mysterious moments from the past” is exactly the sort of premise that can go either way.
Best case, it’s atmospheric and unsettling in a quiet way. Worst case, it leans so hard on the idea of mystery that the actual mystery never quite shows up. Historical fiction can survive a lot, but it does need something solid underneath the fog.
I’m still curious enough to keep it there.
Best case, it’s atmospheric and unsettling in a quiet way. Worst case, it leans so hard on the idea of mystery that the actual mystery never quite shows up. Historical fiction can survive a lot, but it does need something solid underneath the fog.
I’m still curious enough to keep it there.
I’d be more wary of the “book about plague” tag than the historical bit. That can be done well, but it so often turns into mood first, story second.
If the mystery collection side actually earns its keep, fine. If not, it’s just old-timey misery with better clothing.
If the mystery collection side actually earns its keep, fine. If not, it’s just old-timey misery with better clothing.
That pitch does make me wary, because “mysterious moments from the past” can be code for atmosphere doing all the work.
I’d be more interested if the historical detail felt specific rather than vaguely gothic. Plague as a backdrop can be genuinely effective, but only if it adds pressure instead of just gloom. Otherwise it’s just dust with ambitions.
I’d be more interested if the historical detail felt specific rather than vaguely gothic. Plague as a backdrop can be genuinely effective, but only if it adds pressure instead of just gloom. Otherwise it’s just dust with ambitions.