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| Final Rating: 1.7/5 |
Sometimes a book involves all the details that spark a reader's interest but then ends with disappointment and unfortunately that's how I felt as I closed the cover on Frog Music- disappointed. With a true unsolved mystery and crime of California during the 19th century, characters that included: a French soiled-dove who once performed as an equestrienne for a french circus, her kept companions and a controversial woman who made her way in the world catching frogs for restaurant kitchens- this sounded like quite a read. Sounded like but Frog Music seemed more of a sordid ditty than a captivating risqué chorus.
Unlike other reviewers I did not mind the time changes within each chapter nor did I mind the sprinkling of french words in the dialogue. Easily the interesting points of the novel for me were the historical details concerning the epidemic of smallpox during the 19th century, the physical effects of Rickets, the morally corrupt practices of "baby farms", a few memorable era songs and their origins, the mystique of burlesque and french history. No I believe what ultimately disappointed me were the slips in dialogue that ventured over into the modern tone, washed out characterizations, the ending and the predictable answer of the why and who of the central murder mystery. But perhaps what left this reader disenchanted with this title may amuse other readers and that's wonderful. So if the potential reader doesn't mind predictability, shifting tones and impressions and wants to read a historically detailed murder mystery set to the sweltering heat wave of California during the 19th century Soyez mon invité.
-Reviewed in August 2014, review written August 2014/ copy of FROG MUSIC borrowed from local library
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