Evening lovely readers, hope you are all feeling bright and cheerful unlike me. Too many drinks last night and now feeling a little tired, grumpy and in need of a cuddle. However, striving through to bring you this new review! Now, just a quick thing; being honest I would not have picked up this book from the front cover, I often comment on covers and it’s because no matter what people say, they are important, and having a good front cover is paramount to gaining a good reader base. The cover makes sense in terms of the plot line however I thought it needed more punch. Saying that I hope you enjoy the review.

Findo’s Mousetrap follows the adventures of Findo Gask and his trusty friend Mac as they and the Mousetrap solve a Royal mystery, a petty theft, and gain notoriety for their unique invention that can unlock events and emotions that have been recorded and held in the very fabric of buildings. The drama of Findo’s Mousetrap plays out against a thoroughly 21st Century love story. We find that Findo’s very traditional Scottish roots contrast sharply with that of his would-be lover Dympna Doyle’s Irish-American upbringing. Will love win out in the end? Compared to 50 Shades of Grey by some and Downton Abbey by others, Findo’s Mousetrap explores the past and the present in this fast moving story set on both sides of the Atlantic, taking in Ellis Island, the East Coast, the Scottish Highlands and modern day London. A definite must for those looking for new reading recommendation to add to their bookshelf.

Now, I plucked that description from Amazon and although I get the Downton Abby link I’m not sure it’s all so Fifty Shades, however this book is mostly a delight. The first thing to discuss is, what is Findo’s mousetrap; it is pivotal to the story and therefore it’s best to explain it now. I guess the best way to explain it is as a projector of the past. You remember the cranky old projectors at school that showed a page of writing on the wall? Well, it’s like that but it plays a film. Pretty cool eh? Only problem is that you need to know the exact location and date to the event you are wanting to see. So it’s a little like time-travel but not. Right, onto the bulk of the review; the book is written from Findo’s perspective, who co-owns the machine with his delightful childhood friend Mac. We meet Findo in the middle of being interviewed by the BBC who are intrigued by the capabilities of the mousetrap. Here we meet Dympha Doyle who is pivotal to the story later on. The three go on a journey of love, betrayal, secrets and the past creating a right royal mess, but a pretty exciting plotline.

In terms of the writing style the only word I can come up with to truly describe it is shallow. Now that might seem harsh but the book doesn’t wallow which allows the plot to move swiftly with ease. It had an ‘old school’ British tone that makes the book seem a little upright however it works as the two main characters are from very wealthy and established families. The language and word choices feel quite old fashioned but the story is set in a contemporary style, which makes for an interesting mix. In terms of the characters I had to admit that the style meant that I ultimately disliked Dympha; she appeared aloof and petty at times, and although it is explained towards the end of the book, it is too late to save her as a likeable character, which is a shame. Findo also comes across as a walkover, which is aggravating because he has so much potential. I think it is down to the writing style ultimately that leads itself to a fast moving plot but not to loveable characters.

The story moves between England, Scotland and the USA which allows for the introduction of secondary characters. This comes mostly in the form of family members which allows for an interesting mix of characters. It allows for the construction of obligations to family and how this affects us as individuals. It also looks at what we could learn if the mousetrap is used for looking to the future, and as one of the main characters learns they could be in serious danger they must make the decision whether to change the settings and find out what will happen in the future. I must admit at times I thought to myself ‘how ethical is the mousetrap.’ Would I want my children looking into the past and finding things I myself would rather forget. Although the events in the book are exposed for good, what if something happened to you that you didn’t want everyone to know; it created an interesting sticking point for me.

So, a few problems; I found it difficult to decide what the story was really, really about. In the description it outlines the structure of the plot incredibly well however, that is kind of it. There isn’t enough of a pull for the reader and although the plotline is interesting all the way through I wanted so much more. I wanted more of a struggle between the two characters, I wanted more tension in the plot line, I wanted more interesting issues to be explored by the mousetrap. I think I just wanted the book to be so much and I think it was aggravating because this book had so much potential and had such a good premise. It just need more. However, it is definitely worth a read due to the interesting style of writing and the interesting mousetrap.

If you’re interested!
Download Findo’s Mousetrap at bit.ly/FIndos

Or alternatively, buy the book at bit.ly/F1ndosBook 🙂 ❤