This morning before work, I finished Door to Door, the first installment of @writertracybrown’s mystery series. The first thing I want to say is that I find the concept of ‘salesmen, but magic and top hats’ utterly FASCINATING.
I really loved the way the book began. In writing terms, I enjoyed how Tracy captured the ‘status quo’ of Emily, her main character. We were dropped right into the mystery from the get go, while also being given a huge helping of everyday life. I loved seeing a main character turning thirty, and was truly gripped by the building mystery revolving around The Book and ‘Top Hat’. The visuals were all very strong in this section of the book, and even from the beginning, I knew I would finish it. I’m not someone who slogs through a book if I’m not enjoying it enough.
As we get deeper into the central mystery, some more questions are added, while some questions are answered. I liked that Emily felt like she didn’t understand everything, but that she also had this utter insatiable curiosity about her. Even when her mind told her otherwise, she simply couldn’t resist. I liked that she knew she was making mistakes and did it anyway.
I did find myself wishing for more twists and turns than I got, but that is obviously subjective and totally dependent on the reader. I liked the side characters as well, and the creativity and worldbuilding as the truth of the world started to shape up was well executed. There are so many little details about the world and its various factions to think about. I enjoyed the gradual dip into the world’s true nature as a reader, even though I’m quite sure Emily felt plonked into it!
I enjoyed the ending, and some of the little details that were dropped make me very intrigued to read book two. Door to Door is a really solid book, and I can’t wait to see how Tracy grows as an author, and how Emily grows as a character in book two. Thanks for an enjoyable read!!
– Kerryanne Verhoef, @keko_the_writer, Instagram user and writer
Thank YOU, Keko, for such a wonderful and thoughtful review! I am humbled! – T.L. Brown
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