Four Dead Queens, (Hardcover)

The story structure of “Four Dead Queens” pleasantly surprised me. Rather than solely seeing the aftermath of the murders, it follows two timelines in close proximity. In addition to Keralie and Varin's hunt for the truth, readers meet the queens while they are still alive. Within pages of their introduction, the first queen is dead, kicking off a frantic palace investigation to forestall what readers already know is inevitable. We aren't told how much time has passed between the final murder and Keralie's discovery of the crime, which builds a layer of suspense - after all, how long could such a secret be kept? There were several times I thought I knew what was coming, only to be surprised when the story's twists did not take the predictable route. The second half in particular was wholly unexpected; saying anything more would be a serious spoiler. That said, I have very divided opinions about "Four Dead Queens" overall. The book's chapters are largely split 50/50, with half going to the Keralie/Varin duo and the remained from the perspective of a host of supporting characters, including the queens. The leading duo were my least favorite characters, but my high interest in the secondary perspectives kept Keralie and Varin from completely dragging the book down.