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A review by sergek94
A Lady in Shadows: A Madeleine Karno Mystery by Lene Kaaberbøl
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
During a tumultuous time in France, a young lady was found brutally murdered in an alleyway corner in the city, with her stomach cut wide-open, and her insides sprawled out. No one cares about this woman, because she is one of the many prostitutes in the city who are looked down upon by the general population. What makes this murder quite peculiar is that there were no signs of struggle on her body. Could it be that this was not a murder, but an illegal abortion procedure gone wrong? Or is there something much darker behind this lady's death?
Madeleine Karno is tasked by the police force to try and solve this mystery. She is an astute detective who is highly observant and analytical, who has a masterful knowledge of human anatomy. Not only that, but she is the first female to have been accepted as a student at a university in her city. Madeleine has a lot to prove, living in a society that is misogynistic and discriminatory towards women. To top it all off, she also has to struggle with the fact that the man she is engaged with is bisexual, and one of his previous male lovers is back in the picture and is extremely hostile towards Madeleine.
More than the mystery aspect of this novel, I appreciated Madeleine's storyline regarding her willingness to break gender norms and to prove herself as an equal to men in the highly masculine space of academia. Additionally, the novel is full of interesting information on the anatomy of human beings and animals, such as octopuses. The author has done good research on the topics she wrote about, and this is an intellectually stimulating read.
The mystery aspect of the novel was alright, but nothing spectacular in my opinion. We can easily guess who the culprit is in my opinion, and the reveal at the end wasn't something that really moved me, though it was still done decently enough.
I would recommend this novel if you're interested in reading about an intelligent and astute woman trying to make it in 19th century France, even if the mystery portion itself isn't very grabbing.
3 stars.
“If Mama had lived, ... I hope she would have supported and approved of her daughter’s ambitions to accomplish something in this life. She taught me to read when I was five years old. If she knew what I was doing now, if she knew that I had been accepted at the university—the university , Papa—don’t you think she would have been just a little bit proud?”
Madeleine Karno is tasked by the police force to try and solve this mystery. She is an astute detective who is highly observant and analytical, who has a masterful knowledge of human anatomy. Not only that, but she is the first female to have been accepted as a student at a university in her city. Madeleine has a lot to prove, living in a society that is misogynistic and discriminatory towards women. To top it all off, she also has to struggle with the fact that the man she is engaged with is bisexual, and one of his previous male lovers is back in the picture and is extremely hostile towards Madeleine.
More than the mystery aspect of this novel, I appreciated Madeleine's storyline regarding her willingness to break gender norms and to prove herself as an equal to men in the highly masculine space of academia. Additionally, the novel is full of interesting information on the anatomy of human beings and animals, such as octopuses. The author has done good research on the topics she wrote about, and this is an intellectually stimulating read.
The mystery aspect of the novel was alright, but nothing spectacular in my opinion. We can easily guess who the culprit is in my opinion, and the reveal at the end wasn't something that really moved me, though it was still done decently enough.
I would recommend this novel if you're interested in reading about an intelligent and astute woman trying to make it in 19th century France, even if the mystery portion itself isn't very grabbing.
3 stars.
“If Mama had lived, ... I hope she would have supported and approved of her daughter’s ambitions to accomplish something in this life. She taught me to read when I was five years old. If she knew what I was doing now, if she knew that I had been accepted at the university—the university , Papa—don’t you think she would have been just a little bit proud?”