This feature is in association with NetGalley.
Chasing Ghosts, Madalyn Morgan
Thanks to NetGalley and to Madalyn Morgan for an advance copy of Chasing Ghosts.
First of all I have to say how much I enjoyed this story. I enjoyed the history of it, I enjoyed the mystery of it, and I found it very well-written. Although it is a sequel, it does stand on its own, and I didn’t feel at all deprived at not having read China Blue first.
However, I do think Chasing Ghosts *may* be a slight spoiler for China Blue, especially if the characters’ lives were at risk in the first book. But until I have read that book, I won’t be certain.
There seems to have been a lot of research put into this story, or that’s how it felt. But I do wonder if the author wanted to portray the customs and habits of the time as there were several passages that didn’t seem to move the story or the characters along.
For example, there is one passage whereby two of the characters sit down and share a pot of tea … but they don’t say anything, they don’t interact, and they don’t do anything. Once they’ve enjoyed their cup of tea, they get up and walk away. And examples like that slowed the story down a little for me. We also had Claire applying lipstick or face powder twice within only minutes.
I got the feeling that the book was either edited or proof-read in instalments, as there were quite a few repetitive passages or the same information was repeated again that wasn’t for the benefit of any characters. This is why I think books should be proof-read in as few sittings as possible as the reader does forget what went before.
I did enjoy the book, though, and I will be searching out and reading more of Madalyn Morgan’s work.
