Review - A Beautiful Poison by Lydia Kang

Title: A Beautiful Poison

Author: Lydia Kang

Pages: 350

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

Release Date: 1st August 2017

Blurb from Goodreads: 

Just beyond the Gilded Age, in the mist-covered streets of New York, the deadly Spanish influenza ripples through the city. But with so many victims in her close circle, young socialite Allene questions if the flu is really to blame. All appear to have been poisoned—and every death was accompanied by a mysterious note.

Desperate for answers and dreading her own engagement to a wealthy gentleman, Allene returns to her passion for scientific discovery and recruits her long-lost friends, Jasper and Birdie, for help. The investigation brings her closer to Jasper, an apprentice medical examiner at Bellevue Hospital who still holds her heart, and offers the delicate Birdie a last-ditch chance to find a safe haven before her fragile health fails.

As more of their friends and family die, alliances shift, lives become entangled, and the three begin to suspect everyone—even each other. As they race to find the culprit, Allene, Birdie, and Jasper must once again trust each other, before one of them becomes the next victim.

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My Review:

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley*

America is at war and Spanish Influenza terrorises the city, but the lives of Allene, Jasper and Birdy are changed when a young woman dies at Allene's engagement party. Florence's death appears to be an accident, but the trio think she has been murdered.

Then more people connected to Allene, Jasper and Birdy start to die in strange circumstances.

Who is the murderer?

Will Allene, Jasper and Birdy be next?

I was REALLY looking forward to reading A Beautiful Poison - a historical murder mystery novel with a gorgeous cover? Yes please! But I am so disappointed!

Where to begin...

From the very start I found parts of the writing stilted and as they didn't flow easily it made it hard to get into the story.

I didn't like any of the main characters. Some of their reactions and some of the things they said were odd. I also didn't think that any of them were particularly nice, but of course them not being perfect does make them realistic characters. Lucy and Ernie were likeable and I felt sorry for them.

The plot was okay but I guessed something at the beginning that ended up being right.

I lost interest a few times and nearly DNF'd at one point.

I liked that Allene was really into chemistry (as a former chemistry university student it was interesting to see it in a book).

Overall this was an okay but disappointing read.