Book Review: The Ingenue by Rachel Kapelke-Dale

“My Dark Vanessa meets The Queen’s Gambit in this new novel of suspense about the bonds of family, the limits of talent, the risks of ambition, and the rewards of revenge.”

Goodreads blurb for The Ingenue

Review:

I bought this book years ago but I couldn’t remember why I was drawn to it, so I went in blindly. I don’t think I would have picked this up had I taken a deeper look into the content. Alas, it held my attention to finish it. 

After receiving the news of her mother’s death, Saskia returns home. Being the only child, she assumes she will be the sole heir. She’s shocked to realize the estate has been left to Patrick Kintner, someone from her past. With so many questions, she has to face him again, but she realizes that Patrick might not be the one who got away, rather, someone she never should have associated with in the first place. This revelation shakes up her sense of identity both past and present. 

I found the book interesting but slow. Even though I wanted to know how things played out, I had to force myself to pick up the book. The suspense was lacking due to the pace. I did enjoy the split points of view between the past and present, but the way it was done dragged things out longer than they needed to be. The end of the book picks up, but the tonal shift was abrupt and, in contrast to such a slow lead-up, left me annoyed more than intrigued. While I often appreciate vague endings, this one felt illogical, especially where it was accompanied by a massive shift in Saskia’s internal monologue. This section needed to be dragged out more, which was disappointing given the moments of repetition earlier on. 

Likes & Dislikes:

What I liked:

• Great setting.
• Interesting character journey.

What I didn’t like:

• Too slow to build and then too fast to conclude.
• I wish there had been more insight to Saskia’s mother.

Afterthoughts:

I own the hardcover but opted to listen to the audiobook.

Where to buy the book: