Well, I usually like a mystery set in historical time. This was set in London, around the time of Jack the Ripper. I was disappointed in it. A book that was supposed to be a mystery was more like a juvenile mystery. The characters thought out loud, more than was necessary to me. The writing wasn't cohesive to me. It skipped around a bit. Also, there was a lot of talking about sex in the book.

People are disappearing in the Mission area of London. Dr. Neillands' wife and daughter have been gone 2 years. They just disappeared and hunts the Mission area at night. One night he comes upon Savannah and takes her home. This begins what I thought would be a good book. I will say that the last 2 chapters were better and that's why I gave it 2⭐ instead of 1 🌟.

Thanks to Netgalley for the Kindle version of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I liked Savannah as a character and really enjoyed her adventure in this book. The other characters were great and I really enjoyed the mystery going on in the book.

This book was mysterious but other than that I found it to be average. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I enjoyed reading this book. I like historical mysteries and this one was very interesting. I thought it was well written and easy to follow.
Many thanks to BooksGoSocial and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

A chilling narrative.

Smith captures grotesque charm and haunting poignancy in a manner that complements the oddly romantic, emotionally intense and intricate elements that are symbolic of the many facets of life.

Every reader – young or old – will definitely find moments that will strike a chord within them.

It’s a book that will have one uneasy yet reluctant to leave it unfinished. Quite outstanding for Mr. Smith’s first novel.

I received a complimentary copy of Conduct in 'A Minor' from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

This novel was just okay in my opinion. I really didn't bond with any of the characters or get so involved in the plot that I had any trouble putting it down. Quite a bit of it was not even very believable and some of the phrasing, dialogue, and situations seemed to be a bit out of context for the time period. Interesting enough, but unfortunately not notable.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

The Synopsis of this had me very interested. Historical fiction – tick, Synopsis – tick, Cover – tick. Unfortunately it just didn’t work for me. Overall there was much promise, but not much delivery – not for my taste at least. The plot was a bit Mills and Boon, but perhaps a more grittier version

Huge, huge apologies to the author but not my cup of tea.

Thank you to the author, publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.

Description
Haunted by a mysterious melody, seventeen-year-old Savannah Briggs, orphaned and homeless, faces a life of loneliness and danger on the streets. Nearly killed in a savage attack, she is saved by the enigmatic Isaac Neillands, medical doctor and professor of anatomy. Neillands, who has skeletons of his own, takes Savannah into his home to heal from her wounds. As time passes, she becomes a member of the family, but has Savannah found safety or merely exposed herself to greater danger in the house of this seeming gentleman? Is the minor melody a guide, curse or madness? What is the secret of Conduct in “A Minor?”

My Review
Conduct in "A Minor" is a great novel full of mystery and suspense! Highly recommend this story if you are looking for an engaging well written story.

Samatha Briggs has become an orphan at the age of 17 years. Her mother died and she is alone. She has no home and o one to get help. Samatha is attacked by three boys.She is fighting them when a man comes to her aid. He takes her home and attends to the broken glass in her foot. He is a surgeon who teaches anatomy at the medical school. He has lost his wife and daughter but can’t believe that they are dead even though it has been two years. Will the doctor find his wife and daughter? He has Samatha go to his daughter’s bedroom to get a good night’s sleep and a chance to bathe inn the morning. Much to her surprise, she ends up living with the doctor. Due to her beauty his friend thinks he is using her for his sexual pleasure which he isn’t. He thinks of her as a daughter. He tells his fellow doctors and others that she s his niece who has lost her parents and has taken her in. It is a secret between the doctor and Samantha. Will the secret be found out? If so, what will happen?

The novel deals with death, trust, love ad hope. It also deals with criminal mental illness. The mystery is written expertly.. I kept wanting to know what was going to happen next. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a fairly quick read and it kept me engaged to the end. It follows the story of Savannah, who has lost both of her parents. She becomes desperate but not enough to turn to prostitution. She is living on the streets so people assume that she is. It isn't long before she encounters some men who want to harm her. She is rescued by a doctor, whose wife and daughter disappeared several years prior. He takes her into his home, initially to recover but then permanently. She poses as the doctor's niece but when it is learned that she is not, assumptions about her identity abound. I don't think the music is well enough explained or plays a prominent enough part to have that as the title of the book.

The story for this one just didn't do it for me at all. The voice to this sounded more like young adult with adult themes. I ended up putting it down around 60 pages. I just couldn't slug through all the writing.

Savannah's mother had just passed away. At the age of 17, Savannah was now an orphan - she took to the streets but not to be a prostitute, as many others had done. No, Savannah stayed in abandoned houses and on park benches, eating when possible. A number of times she found herself vulnerable to men but mostly she was able to run away to a "safer" place. Once a particularly nasty group had hurt he badly.

A stranger, Doctor Neillands, helped Savannah through the tousle and gave her first aid at his home Since the doctor's wife and daughter disappeared 2 years ago - he is lonely - so Savannah stays there (to some as his niece), yet it is apparent that he thinks of her as his daughter - Candace - but he called her "Allie". During this time, Savannah is besotted with Alexander, the Dr.'s assistant...

A twisty kind of read, best noted through the historical aspect.

Enjoyable!

Many Thanks to BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for a different kind of read.

I really wanted to like the book. The synopsis pulled me in, just the right amount of mystery, and a historical time period had me all sorts of excited. Oh, and the cover is beautiful.
However, the story just didn't do it for me. Nothing really flowed and pieces of the story were very choppy. But most of all, the narrative was extremely juvenile. Characters thought out-loud more than they needed to in order to get a point across. So it was kind of like reading the story with an echo. The focus seemed to be more on the idea of sex than the actual plot, which was super disappointing.
I do think the book has potential and certainly could have been a gripping story, but I think it needs a ton of refining.