(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review).
(This review may contain spoilers).
After a bit of a halting start with this book when I first picked it up, I picked it up again some minutes later and found myself really drawn in. Having intended to read, at the most, 10% before going to bed, I was very surprised to find I’d reached 42% without conscious thought.
I felt that this was quite a unique twist on some of the more usual genres. It was good to see a strong main character who was likable and had issues of her own. There were some really good scenes and I really liked how determined Mira was to save Anthony, even with it being a lot more difficult at times.
I liked that the author showed the effect that the previous missing persons’ case had on Mira and it was also good to see that her home life wasn’t perfect. There were some very sweet moments where she talked with her daughter on the phone.
I found it really intriguing how Mira attached scents or tastes to what she sensed from people. I would have liked a bit more detail about how that exactly worked, but I thought it was a really unique idea and I very quickly figured out what each sensation meant as I picked up on the insights from the main character.
The whole concept of the Exhibition was a really cool one and I especially liked the whole concept of the paintings and their subjects being inside Anthony’s mind. Even though things turned out differently to the first assumption, it was interesting to see the role Mira took on when she entered the mindscape. I did like Tunny especially and I would have liked to see a bit more of him and Modesto. The witch was pretty scary, but I felt like I could understand her more by the end.
The mystery throughout this book was really engaging and I liked how it was linked in to what was happening with Anthony. I also liked how he didn’t fit neatly into a box for the doctors – I think people too often try to attach labels to people to define them.
There was quite a bit about the book that surprised me and kept me engaged in reading. I liked the hints of romance and I would really love to read more about Mira at some point in the future. It would also be good to see more of the other characters, too – I especially think there’s a lot more of Anthony’s story to be told, but it would be good to see more of Rachel and Jason, too.
Get a copy: The Mussorgsky Riddle
Ink of Blood 