The House on Vesper Sands by Paraic O'Donnell

The House on Vesper Sands
by Paraic O'Donnell
⭐⭐⭐⭐

The House On Vesper Sands by Paraic O’Donnell follows the story of three incredibly different individuals who just so happen to be investigating the same mystery - but for different reasons. The story begins with a seamstress employed by the famous Lord Strythe ending her life and in doing so, she sets off a series of events that our three main characters work tirelessly to make sense of. 

Gideon, a Cambridge dropout who finds himself in a predicament where impersonating a police sergeant seems perfectly reasonable, Inspector Cutter, the lead investigator of the novel, and Octavia, a strikingly observant female journalist trying to find success in a male dominated industry, set up the cast for this wonderful mystery. I find it uncommon to read a book where every character is enjoyable for completely different reasons. The perspective often shifts between Gideon and Octavia, and each character has a very distinct voice and way of viewing the world and the situation in front of them. 

I adore historical fiction, so very early on in the story I found myself sucked in. Not only is this a page turner, but Paraic O’Donnell did a beautiful job of weaving in occult themes throughout the novel. The twists fit well within the story, were believable, and very well paced as the book progressed. This is definitely a slower burn but worth all of the setup the author sets into place. 

By far, however, the characterization as well as the character development and dialogue were my favorite parts of The House On Vesper Sands. Gideon, Cutter, and Octavia are the hearts of this story in every way. 

I gave this novel 4 stars instead of 5 for only one reason. The story was well written but the ending feels rushed in the final 50 pages or so. I am not the biggest fan of the Sherlockian habit of closing the case with lengthy dialogue that ties up all the loose ends. It’s just not a very natural ending. 

Nonetheless, The House On Vesper Sands is a great story with characters that stick with you. I highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys historical fiction or murder mysteries. I hope we get a sequel!