Review of Hattie Vavaseur

[ChrissyN13]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Hattie Vavaseur" by M. Rebecca Wildsmith.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Hattie Vavaseur by M. Rebecca Wildsmith is a supernatural mystery set in the 1920s. Hattie has just been to a funeral, although she can't remember whose when a mysterious but recognizable man chauffeurs her to a strange manor. Hattie seems to be having problems with her memory and is too proud to ask for help. All she knows is the room assigned to her in the manor is awful and decorated entirely in pink - a color that she hates but doesn't know why. Soon Hattie is whisked away to meet Vamelda, an occultist with a flare for drama when she discovers an unsettling truth. With the master of the mansion constantly asking strange questions and a room full of mirrors, it is up to Hattie and her friends to discover the secrets of Hattie's past to protect her future.

There are a lot of positive aspects to this book. M. Rebecca Wildsmith has a beautiful and sophisticated writing style making the words flow off the page. I had the opportunity to learn a couple of new words and terms. Each character in the novel was so well written in both their way of speaking as well as their mannerism that it was easy to distinguish one character from the other without having to call them by their name constantly. Hattie and Vamelda were such interesting characters that I enjoyed following them as they solved the mystery. I enjoyed the growing relationship between Hattie and the master of the mansion as they went from enemies to friends, as well as the wicked nature of the young Teddy.

The book was so well written that I only found one negative aspect to it. M. Rebecca Wildsmith occasionally used telegrams and journal entries to provide more information about what was happening when Hattie wasn't present. I felt this slowed down the progression of the mystery a bit and would have loved it if it was rather written into the story.

I would rate this book a 4 out of 4 due to the well-developed characters and the great mystery. There are quite a few plot twists that keep you guessing up until the end making you eager to finish the novel and see how everything is resolved. The novel seems to be professionally edited due to the lack of spelling errors and mistakes.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in a slow-developing mystery as well as to readers who have a good vocabulary and would like to challenge themselves with learning new words while reading.

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Hattie Vavaseur
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