Book Review: The Trials and Tribulations of Miss Tilney
The Trials and Tribulations of Miss Tilney by David A. Doub
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Our intrepid Miss Tilney definitely endures trials and tribulations, which have been heaped upon her by her own choice. First, she has the audacity to ask her editor for some ‘real reporting’ and a chance to show she can do more than write ‘the column’ (I do wonder what sort of column she’s been working on up till now!) Secondly, she follows a gut instinct to believe in the innocence of a man accused of mass murder.
What follows is an action-packed tale that embodies the spirit of the original British penny dreadfuls, and possibly should not be recommended to the faint of heart. If lurid tales of horror with bizarre romantic twists are your cup of properly brewed tea though, you’ll find this a captivating diversion.
Sarah Elkins artwork is lushly drawn and colored. There’s an excellent segue to sepia tones and a gentle change in style for a flashback scene, which I quite enjoyed. I was caught off-guard (and left dangling on a cliffhanger) as the comic form was left at the wayside for the final quarter of the story, where we are plunged into an entirely different, yet relevant tale in true Penny Dreadful form.
Lori Alden Holuta
Lori Alden Holuta lives between the cornfields of Mid-Michigan, where she grows vegetables and herbs when she’s not writing, editing, or playing games with a cat named Chives.
