This is one of those books that I've owned for years and yet for some reason never actually got around to reading, and because it had sat there unread for so long my brain had concluded that there was a reason I hadn't read it. Well, my brain is clearly not to be trusted, because I enjoyed it a lot! Another point in favor of this crazy challenge.
Widdershins is a fictional New England town with a dark past. Percy Whyborne is an expert in languages at the local museum who is hired by a private detective named Griffin Flaherty to decode the diary of a local murdered man. They quickly discover that the secrets lurking under the surface of this prosperous town go far deeper than one murder, and with the help of Christine, an Egyptologist at Whyborne's museum and his only true friend, they find more than they had bargained for.
The relationship between Whyborne and Griffin is really satisfying. Whyborne has no expectation of being loved or desired, so he has a very hard time believing that Griffin could want to be with him. But Griffin has his own personal demons and insecurity, so the romance never feels imbalanced, or like Whyborne is being either disingenuous or silly. They're a partnership in which each of them is better at their jobs and at their lives because of the influence of the other person, and they balance out their weaknesses. I really loved that.
This book is the first in a series, and I will definitely be picking up more of them after I finish this challenge.
Grade: B
Widdershins is a fictional New England town with a dark past. Percy Whyborne is an expert in languages at the local museum who is hired by a private detective named Griffin Flaherty to decode the diary of a local murdered man. They quickly discover that the secrets lurking under the surface of this prosperous town go far deeper than one murder, and with the help of Christine, an Egyptologist at Whyborne's museum and his only true friend, they find more than they had bargained for.
The relationship between Whyborne and Griffin is really satisfying. Whyborne has no expectation of being loved or desired, so he has a very hard time believing that Griffin could want to be with him. But Griffin has his own personal demons and insecurity, so the romance never feels imbalanced, or like Whyborne is being either disingenuous or silly. They're a partnership in which each of them is better at their jobs and at their lives because of the influence of the other person, and they balance out their weaknesses. I really loved that.
This book is the first in a series, and I will definitely be picking up more of them after I finish this challenge.
Grade: B
