A Flaw in the Blood by Stephanie Barron

Caution, spoilers.

This is an older book, and I had gotten it at a secondhand bookshop a while ago, but I just got to reading it, as I was looking for a light, standalone novel to read during finals week at school! This is my first book by this author.

Things I Liked:

• The creepy atmosphere. I'm not sure how to define it, but this book had a really Gothic feel (and I mean that in the traditional sense, not the sense of angry, overly-eyeliner'ed teenagers), and it was just very lush. This was a really enjoyable book to read in dim lighting, curled up with some tea. 
• The pacing/development of the mystery. I'm sure that some people found that once they inferred the mystery, the book lost its appeal. For me, that DIDN'T happen. Obviously, from the title and the fact that Queen Victoria is a principal character, I figured from before I even started the book that this was about hemophilia. For me, hemophilia was NOT the mystery, it was how Albert died, how Victoria came to have the disease, etc. That was the mystery for me, and I thought it developed really well. I hate to be teased in mystery books, but this did a good job of keeping me guessing while keeping me interested. 
• The history. I LOVE the Victorian era, I cannot tell you how badly I would love to live in the Victorian era, I love everything about it. I also have a particular interest in royalty, so I was over the moon to see a book concerned with both. I could see how someone might be offended with the implications of this book, but I, for one, was not. I wouldn't want to read the same sort of archetypal versions of these notable figures every time, and I really liked seeing Barron interpret them in new and interesting ways. 
• Georgie and Patrick! I really, really loved this little romance! Who doesn't love a (very well-written) Irish accent? And a slightly haunted, jealous, brooding, dashing man? Fair point, many people won't, but I really do, and such I enjoyed this book, and, if you do as well, this book is worth checking out for Patrick Fitzgerald alone. Georgie, I really liked Georgie as a heroine! She's an incredibly intelligent, accomplished woman (especially considering the obstacles living in her time would have put before her), but she did NOT lord it over the less educated (like Patrick) or shun women less educated (Lizzy, who she tried to save), so I really appreciate that in a character, and I also thought she was super sweet with Patrick, throughout. 

Things I Disliked: 

• One might say that the scene with von Stuhlen and Maude, or Patrick's rescue of Georgie at the last second were quite convenient and even a bit sensational, but I don't really think that is a drawback, per se, just something to be aware of, if you like a more gritty realism. 

Final Thoughts: 

I enjoyed reading this book! The mystery did keep my attention and did surprise me, as I think it will you, so long as you don't expect the entire mystery to be the hemophilia thing. The style, pacing, and development were all spot on for an engaging, enjoyable read (I finished in two days). I was rooting for the romance, and was glad to see it come to fruition, and I thought Patrick was yummy! All in all, I think you should give this book a try if you are remotely interesting in the Victorian era, a quick, fun read, or mysteries!