The Wings of Poppy Pendleton - Melanie Dobson - ★★★★

AUTHOR: Melanie Dobson

GENRE: Historical Mystery, Christian Fiction

RATING: 4 stars.

In a Nutshell: A complicated but interesting slow-burn dual-timeline mystery. Well researched, intriguing characters, some dark themes, Christian. Not a time-slip though, unlike what the blurb says. I am still confused about some plot points, but overall, I liked it enough.

Story Synopsis:

1907. The Pendletons, owners of a castle on Koster Isle in the Thousand Islands archipelago, are entertaining the glitterati of NY, ostensibly to celebrate their child’s fifth birthday, but practically, as a way of being accepted into the old wealth elite despite their nouveau riche status. When Amelia Pendleton tucks five-year-old Poppy into bed on the eve of her birthday, little does she know that the child will be missing just a few hours later, and her husband, dead.

1992. Chloe Riddell lives alone on the same island as Poppy’s castle, now an abandoned ruin. She does her best to ignore local curiosity about the old mystery regarding the missing girl and instead, focus on preserving her grandparents’ old cottage on the island and their candy shop cross the river. When a girl named Emma suddenly arrives at her doorstep, Chloe is surprised to discover an old scrapbook connected to the Pendletons among her possessions. Around the same time, a reporter named Logan also begins hounding Chloe, investigating Poppy’s disappearance and asking questions about her grandfather.

What exactly happened on Koster Isle all those years ago? How is Emma connected to the Pendletons? Will Chloe be able to keep her home and her shop safe from the prying eyes?

The story comes to us in the limited third person perspective of multiple characters, with a major chunk of the narration coming from Chloe and Amelia.

Bookish Yays:

😍 Realistic main characters. Some of them are likeable, some of them are relatable, some are just humans trying to stumble their way through life doing the best they can. And of course, a couple of them are detestable. The resultant medley of people offers a nice depth to the storyline.

😍 The setting of the Thousand Islands and the St. Lawrence river is used wonderfully. The river is almost a character unto itself, making its strong presence felt in every key scene. The vividness of the writing ensures ease in visualising the location.

😍 The religious elements in this Christian mystery aren’t bombarded onto the readers. Rather, the faith-related content is woven within the natural flow of the plot, with a greater focus on Christian actions such as forgiveness and redemption than mere words or biblical quotes.

😍 The romantic track never overpowers the main mystery, and is developed only gradually towards the end rather than jumping into any kind of insta connection. Needless to add, the romance is clean, except for the minimal mention of kisses.

😍 Surprisingly to me, the novel contains several dark themes, which I didn’t expect from this genre. I won’t elaborate on them, as all of them are spoilers. Suffice to say that the themes are handled decently without going over the top. One of my major triggers is also a part of the storyline, but thankfully, most of the triggering content stays off the page, and is only mentioned in the background than detailed on page.

😍 Both the timelines get the same importance in the plot. Moreover, the mysteries in each are powerful enough to hold our attention equally regardless of the era.

😍 The author's descriptive writing is impeccable. She uses some picturesque analogies that are imaginative, unexpected and yet apt for the situation. Sample this: "She tried to set her fears adrift with mental scissors that had grown rusty from use."

😍 Chloe's two dogs, Sugar and Maple. As sweet as their names and yet ferocious rescuers of their owner. Loved them! Cat lovers, there's a cat named Fraidy as well, though in a relatively minor role.

😍 Some elements of the mystery are more like suspense, because we readers figure it out much before the other characters can. But this doesn’t spoil the fun of the story as the author incorporates enough of twists to keep us on our toes.

😍 There are several facts incorporated within the fictional plot, connected to myriad aspects of the story. There’s a treasure trove of trivia herein, though not necessarily facts that you’d be happy to learn about.

😍 The author’s note at the end highlights her research and offers details about the content and her writing choices. Don’t skip reading this!

Bookish Mixed Bags:

😐 The storyline is quite complicated! There were so many things happening in parallel that I found it tough to keep track of all the goings-on. I am still not sure if I grasped everything correctly! 😄 But one thing is for sure – the author knew where she wanted the story to go, and she led the plot and the characters very efficiently towards that goal. Her plotting is outstanding!

😐 There is a small track of magical realism through the voices that Chloe hears. I loved the way this was incorporated, but I wish there had been more of it in the plot.

😐 The pace of the book is quite leisurely, and there are plenty of clues about the mysteries sprinkled throughout the writing. As such, the book feels far lengthier than its 350 pages, and can’t even be speed-read. Then again, it offers plenty of content on every page for us to focus upon, and the plot is gripping enough to ignore the pacing problem.

Bookish Nays:

😒 Sometimes, the events jump ahead by many scenes, with the in-between happenings being clarified a few paras later. I didn’t like this writing choice as it added to my confusion.

😒 Mini complaint: I am not sure why the blurb advertises this as a timeslip novel. While there are two distinct timelines, there is no timeslip at all. Sadly for me, I read most of the story waiting for the timeslip, and I also jumped to the wrong conclusion about the mystery because of this mislabelling.

All in all, despite the slower pace and the slight trouble I had keeping the story straight in my head, I relished the setting, the characters, and the mystery. The book is intricately plotted, and the journey as well as the destination are worthwhile.

This is my first time reading Melanie Dobson, and I'd love to try more of her works.

My thanks to Tyndale House Publishers and NetGalley for the DRC of “The Wings of Poppy Pendleton”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.