The writing is fine. Well done even. No grammar errors and it makes sense. The plot was so boring, slow, and drug out, the author counted on the shock factor of the last twenty to thirty pages to carry the whole story. This style did not work for me at all.
Claire was not my favorite character, I did not really care if she lived or died but I did like the side characters. How each one was set up with their distinct personalities. Noah was my favorite he seemed like a normal male but Claire hated everything about him. The anonymous parts were sinister and perfectly paced.
Despite being a shorter novel it was the perfect length for the story. No unnecessary filler or boring parts where the story drug on. The writing was fine and typical of Mrs. McFadden. I did figure out most of the mystery it was still enjoyable.
Sylvia is desperate and desperate people will do what they have to do to survive even taking a job when her senses tell her that is not a good idea. Sylvia being young and gullible really worked in favor of the story line. I was able to figure out 99% of the mystery which never happens with Mrs. McFadden's books. Perhaps I have just read enough of her work to figure out her style or that this was early work of hers she had not refined her plots yet.
Despite figuring out the mystery I was entertained and enjoyed all the aspects enough to read it in about twenty-four hours.
Etheldreda is an intense character, full of flaws, dreams, and ambition. She was a enjoyment to read about and learn about how she thought as she worked on scheming her way to the top of the social ladder.
The writing was smooth and flowed easily. It was not in old English but I still felt like I was standing looking at a historical manner or watching ladies walk by with their fancy dresses and feathers in their hair. The story fit well and even though a loose retelling of Cinderella not ends were left loose.
