For What It's Worth


Thursday, January 8, 2015

Review: Suspicion by Alexandra Monir



22533415A modern-day twist on the classic thriller, Rebecca, with a dash of the supernatural, a powerful romance, and a deadly family mystery.

“There’s something hidden in the maze.”

Seventeen-year-old Imogen Rockford has never forgotten the last words her father said to her, before the blazing fire that consumed him, her mother, and the gardens of her family’s English country manor.

For seven years, images of her parents’ death have haunted Imogen’s dreams. In an effort to escape the past, she leaves Rockford Manor and moves to New York City with her new guardians. But some attachments prove impossible to shake—including her love for her handsome neighbor Sebastian Stanhope.

Then a life-altering letter arrives that forces Imogen to return to the manor in England, where she quickly learns that dark secrets lurk behind Rockford’s aristocratic exterior. At their center is Imogen herself—and Sebastian, the boy she never stopped loving.


Combining spine-tingling mystery, romance, and unforgettable characters, Suspicion is an action-packed thrill ride.

Goodreads | Source: Finished copy provided by the publisher in exchange for my honest review

Review:
I had read quite a few 1 star reviews for this book. I was kind of terrified to read it. Also, I’ve never read Rebecca. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing (as most of the negative reviews were as a result of comparing it to the original) or a bad thing (I had no idea what was going & maybe I would have if I read Rebecca).

Suspicion is a thriller with paranormal elements, romance and a bit of princess makeover thrown in. I’ve read several books this year that have tried to combine mystery with other elements – Made for You by Melissa Marr and Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick come to mind.

I find when there are more than 2 or 3 different genres/themes mixed together, the bigger story starts to fall apart and that happened here.

We meet 10 year old Imogen Rockford as her family visits the Rockford Manor. This sets up her relationship with her cousin Lucia, her crush on family friend Sebastian, the class differences aspect and the paranormal elements.

After a tragic event at the manor during that visit we shift to 7 years later. Imogen’s parents are dead and she’s living happily with her adoptive family in NYC. She receives word that the last of the remaining Rockford’s have passed away and she’s now the sole heir and needs to return to the estate to takeover.

I don’t know. I enjoyed each separate thing in regards to Suspicion. Imogen needs to take lessons to be lady of the manor, her unusual powers spark to life once she arrives, she’s reunited with her friend/crush Sebastian, there’s a murder mystery, possibly ghosts. Separately it’s all kind of cool but all together in one book? Not so much. No one thing has time to be developed and then the twist ending throws even the meager world building into chaos.

Like I mentioned earlier - I haven't read Rebecca - so maybe it needed to end that way but there were so many better directions it could have gone in.

I didn’t dislike it as much as some readers did – I was entertained and read it it one evening but I find that a lot of these genre mash-ups just don’t work for me.

*You can check out my friend Jen’s review over at YA Romantics. She has read Rebecca and has a breakdown comparing the two if you need a little help deciding if this book is for you.

P.S. That cover is gorgeous in real life!

23 comments:

  1. I should read the classic first...

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  2. I just started reading this last night! She just found out that she has to go back to rockford. It hasn't gotten to be too many things at once yet, but it does all feel very mysterious. I am a little nervous now that I know so many people disliked it. I love the cover and the idea of the maze is so intriguing to me. Hopefully I will like it a little more than you did.

    I love the new look on the blog by the way! :)

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    1. Thanks :-)

      I hope you come back and let me know what you thought!

      Even though I didn't love it - I liked it more than most people seemed to. Like I said - each story element was interesting. It just seemed like too much for one book.

      Hope you love it!

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  3. I just didn't have a desire to read this book at all. Maybe because It just looked like a mashup and you know my thoughts on those one :( Thanks for the honest review.

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    1. They don't often work for me either. I can't say I loved this but it was ok. Still glad I read it.

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  4. I think having read Rebecca made me understand what she was trying to do a little better -- still, I thought there was WAY too much going on in this book.
    Thanks for the link :)
    Jen @ YA Romantics

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    1. It just took a lot of weird turns. I'm not sure how much of that was so that it could be called a Rebecca retelling - because it wasn't organic to this particular story at times.

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  5. I ended up abandoning this one, but glad you enjoyed it overall even if didn't wow you

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    1. I think reading all the negative reviews actually helped me. It was better than what I was expecting even though I didn't love it.

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  6. Hmmm...it sounds like it had too much potential and just couldn't get it all done...shame...

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    1. I find that I don't like the multiple genre mash ups very much but if you do then it's not bad.

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  7. Sounds like too much in there. Definitely need more time to develop things. Very pretty cover, though!

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    1. It is a gorgeous cover! With all the things happening, I felt like none of them got developed as much as I would have liked. Even so - I read it pretty quickly and enjoyed elements of it.

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  8. Eh I dislike princesses and even with some of the better points, I don't think this is for me. I think the mash up will frustrate me

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    1. That's a pretty small part of it. It hunk that's what I didn't like so much. All these different things happening but some never become more than a blip in the bigger story.

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  9. Glad to hear you found some enjoyment even if not as good as you'd hoped

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    1. Yeah. I can't say I loved it but I'm glad I read it.

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  10. It seems like one of those books where maybe you SHOULD NOT read the original. Books can be re-tellings or remakes without sticking too close to the original...and it can work. This doesn't sound like the best story overall though!

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    1. Most of the really negative reviews on GR's were from people who read Rebecca. I think it's tough to take on the classics. People will be offended if you change what they loved most about the original.

      Personally, I usually like the modern twists.

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  11. hhhmmm, sounds like it was only ok. i need to read Rebecca as well, it's on my list! i do love that cover though!

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  12. I haven't read Rebecca but it seems like it's a really awesome book. I think I should read that one first if or when I do read this one. It semed kind of "okay" for you though, so maybe I'm not missing out on much? Great review.

    Marianne @ Boricuan Bookworms.

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  13. You have given me hope. I was suckered into this one too (b/c pretty cover and MAZE), but was scared off by all the terrible reviews . . . BUT. I haven't read Rebecca either, AND I tend to like genre mashups . . . so yeah, maybe not so terrible after all ;)

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