The Quick

Based on other reviews I've read, this seems to be a “love-it-or-hate-it” book. I happened to have loved it. The author, Lauren Owen, is a scholar of Victorian literature, and it shows in this, her debut novel. “The Quick” is a brilliant homage to the authors and literature of the era, as well as a lovely example of Gothic literature. The Dickens meets Austen meets Wilde meets Stoker meets Shelley meets Conan-Doyle style makes for a cracking good read for fans of the genre. The first quarter of the book reads like a classic Dickens or Austen story of familial angst and coming of age. Then a transition begins...and this is where, I suspect, the story took a turn that caused the “hate-it” crowd to jump ship. New characters, introduced via diary entries and letters...a common weapon in the writing arsenal of the time...may have thrown some off, but those who allow themselves to be steered along are rewarded with a second half that is a roller coaster ride of intrigue, suspense and mystery that culminates in an action-packed climax. The denouement returns, in tone, to that found at the beginning of the book, and ends, as was common in such literature, on a bit of a question mark. That might suggest to some a sequel is in order (who knows?) but, to fans of the genre, that question mark actually serves as more of an exclamation point.