Suspense and Sensibility by Carrie Bebris (Gothic mystery)

I can’t say I was very impressed. I enjoyed it even less than Pride and Prescience, because it lacked even the small amound of suspense in that book.

At Mrs. Bennett’s urging, Elizabeth and Darcy agree to sponsor Kitty for the Season, hoping to find her a good husband who won’t mind her small dowry. Kitty is drawn to one of the very first men she meets: Mr. Henry Dashwood of Norland. He seems to feel the same way, but after they become engaged, he changes out of all recognition.

I won’t give away the cause of Henry’s personality change, although it wouldn’t be much of a spoiler, since Bebris makes it perfectly obvious right from the beginning exactly what’s going on. Unfotunately, she doesn’t choose to give Elizabeth and Darcy the same insight she shares with her readers, so they spend most of the book completely unaware of the supernatural reason for Henry’s behaviour.

I really, really hate knowing more than the characters do, and this story gives more away to the reader than just about anything else I’ve ever read. Gothic novels, although not necessarily examples of great literature, are at least supposed to be mysterious. When the sweet, kind hero suddenly starts acting like a jerk, I want to be able to wonder why. Unfortunately, Suspense and Sensibility contained no suspense at all.

To be fair, I actually enjoyed the beginning of the novel. I kind of wish Carrie Bebris would write straight Regency romances instead of gothic mysteries, because I think she’d be much better at it.

Tags: 50 Book Challenge 2008, Carrie Bebris, Mr. and Mrs. Darcy Mysteries