Katharine Tulman's inheritance is in jeapordy. Her Uncle Tully, long considered eccentric, is now rumored to be squandering the family's money, money that belongs to her cousin and by extension, herself. So Katharine is sent to her Uncle's home to declare him insane and secure the family fortune. What she finds instead is a genius inventor with the mind of a child who employs hundreds of employees rescued from the workhouses of London. For reasons that she cannot begin to explain, Katharine decides to wait to give her assessment and quickly finds herself surrounded by mystery and intrigue.
I slogged through this book, truly hoping that the things I guessed from the very beginning would be different. In the beginning is our heroine Katharine being sent to institutionalize her Uncle, which doesn't bother her as long as she gets some money. Of course, my first questions was, why is she not elligible for marriage? She isn't illegitimate and even without money, surely someone would marry her for her name at least? Once she arrives, she finds an Estate full of people who hate her, fair enough since she will be throwing them out of their homes soon. This is where I began to truly dislike Katharine, both for her selfishness and her characterization.
For reasons I cannot begin to explain, Katharine decides to stay for 30 days, which made the story longer, but also showcased Katharine's selfishness and made it mighty convenient for Kathatine to stumble on the mysteries surrounding her Uncle and the estate.
This book was stilted and confusing. There was one chapter where I literally thought pages were missing. Throughout most of the middle section I began to skim the story, and was rewarded with a predictable ending and a "twist" that fell flat. In the end, I felt like I trudged through a novel with a character who barely redeemed herself.
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