pickOxford 1881, & Rhiannon (Non) Vaughan is one of the first female students allowed to attend lectures at the university, although they are not yet allowed to sit the exams. Non had an unconventional upbringing as the daughter of a ship's Captain, & she chafes under the expectations that women have to avoid showing that they are just as capable of academic study as the men, & that they are just attending in order to 'catch a husband'.
pickI thoroughly enjoyed this book. It‘s beautifully written and well researched. I loved the setting, it was very visual. I particularly loved the addition of a tandem tricycle - it made me smile every time it was mentioned. Non was a fantastic character, she was a brilliant model for women‘s rights in the Victorian era. Basil was another fascinating character, he had his own secret. I was gripped from beginning to end. Recommended. #Pigeonhole
so-soI probably would have rated this higher, but it was slow in parts, and the female protagonist absolutely got on my last nerve. 🤣 Yes, she was proactive regarding women‘s rights at Oxford University (1881), but she actually couldn‘t seem to have a civil conversation with anyone. The male lead was fine until later in the book he took an opposite stance from what I had expected from him. This revolves around counterfeit/dangerous/false advertising🔻
panTrying hard to think of something positive that I could say about this Victorian crime novel proved to be very difficult. There was a couple of moments where I felt the story may have been coming alive but this only lasted for a couple of paragraphs. The inquest after the murder of a student from Oxford was the best part of a rather dreary story, a story that had an abrupt unfulfilling ending. The Epilogue rounded off a book that I didn't enjoy.
I am posting one book per day from my extensive to-be-read collection. No description and providing no reason for wanting to read it, I just do. Some will be old, some will be new. Don‘t judge me - I have a lot of books. Join in if you want!
#ABookADay2023
A Bitter Remedy: A Totally Compelling Historical Mystery | 
The narrative is told from both both Non's & Basil's point of view in alternating chapters. The characters are interesting in that they both have to hide their true selves in order to navigate the halls of Oxford, but whilst Non is a bit of a spitfire, Basil is rather apathetic until near the end. The mystery itself came close to stalling a couple of times but it picked up again. 8mo
3.5🌟
Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6309638274
Read 1st - 7th April 2024
#ReadAway2024
@Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES 8mo