The original term “tête-bêche” was usually used in printing, where a mistake in the setting of a signature could mean that something would be printed upside down - but sometimes, this was done intentionally. In this case, Gareth Rubin took his chance of a two in one publishing deal with his book(s): the two crime novellas are in fact printed and bound upside down, so that they both begin at the ends of the phisical book and meet in the middle, and when you finish reading one you can simply turn the book over (the imagery of the hourglass that pervades the book is a neat reminder of this feature).

This was the first hurdle I found when reading the book on the Netgalley app, as the novelty of the phisicality of the book as an object can’t be transposed on an ebook (or, it can, but it’s more of an inconvenience), so this detail was sadly lost on me. If the only reason you’re picking up this book is this one, then I would suggest getting a physical copy.

The book has another interesting aspect, however, and that makes it worth reading in however format you prefer if you’re a fan of crime fiction: the two stories, despite being set many decades apart, play a mirrorlike reference of each other. Without going too much in detail as not to spoil anything, both novellas hinge around the Turnglass House and the mysteries it contains.

The blurb says that the book can be read in either “direction”, but I would advise to read the novella set in 1881 first, as the other one “spoils” some moments by giving further insight — whereas, where you to read them the other way around I feel like you would have some preconceptions about the story that leave you with more questions than answers.

The idea behind the book is the one that pulled me in, while both mysteries are nothing to write home about. I definitely enjoyed the one set in the UK more: I really didn’t care about the protagonists of the novella set in California, and guessed the key mystery pretty soon in the story, so I waited for a hundred pages for the confirmation of my hypothesis.

Despite everything I would still recommend it! The length of the novellas and the accessible language make it a perfect entry point for the people that are wary of getting into the genre, a quick dip just to see if you like the temperature.

(The racist portrayal of Romani people is one thing I couldn't look past though: the book is very aware of the racism towards Black people and makes sure to rectify the language when African American characters are addressed, and you can see the difference in the way the "bad guys" and the internal pov of the protagonist talk about them them - this amount of grace is not bestowed on Romani people, who are used as an overlooked scapegoat for violence and brutality.)

This book is such a unique and fascinating physical read. Of course the story is gorgeous and gothic and dark and gritty but the turning it over and interlacing tale is sooooooo much fun!

Unfortunately not for me. In a world with SO many books being published, I just don't see this as a must in our collection.

Two stories intertwine each other in an uncommon but very interesting way. It was really fun to read, and both stories kept me always on edge.
It's a book that's printed back-to-back and head-to-foot, so I really recommend buying it in physical form to have a much better reading experience!
And because of this, there's no "correct way" to start reading this book, when you're finished with the first story, just turn the book around and start reading the other one :)

Unremarkable "mystery" - difficult to get engaged and to finish, document formatting made the story difficult to read, and character development didn't help to keep reader engaged.

This is my first tête-bêche book and I enjoyed some parts it offers. For mystery readers, however, I think they will find the story safe and not groundbreaking like the format.

Technically, reading this book is like reading two separate books. One is the actual story and one is the spin-off. The length of the book is pretty much the same. I recommend to read 1880s London before following 1930s LA, but if you prefer to start with more fast-paced story, you can read LA bit first or a little bit of both at the same time.

I was struggling with unfamiliar British terms and Victorian-vibe writing style in 1880s London, especially the dialogue. The mystery is not directly affecting the main character either. However, I really like how immersive and eerily beautiful the description is, as if I was really there in Turnglass House and the island. The plot twist could be detected miles away but I didn't expect the how and the why. It was clever and satisfying.

1930s LA is more engaging, direct, easy to read and the mystery is linked to the main character. We also got a hint of romantic storyline. The difference with London bit makes sense after I learned the connection between the two. LA hundreds years ago is not much different with LA now, and the modernity helps me turn the page. Like in London bit, there is little character development, but Ken is more developed especially after the stakes get higher than Simeon.

Both stories have one similarity: it doesn't have a closure ending. We never know what happens after it reveals. It doesn't mean it ends with cliffhanger, it ends when we know who did it and that's it. I would like to find out how main character's life changes after being impacted by the incident. Also, the texts are haphazardly formatted, so I hope they'll fix this in printed version.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for eARC of this book.

Fun different historical mystery read! Just wish I enjoyed both sides of the story equally, the different settings in 1930s and the 1880s was thrilling and made the book enjoyable

A novel and engrossing mystery reminiscent of Shadow of the Wind. The dual nature of the book intrigued me in the start, but ultimately was not beneficial to the narrative.

The first half, whilst a solid enough concept, structure wise, left me faintly unsatisfied. It lacked tension and felt mostly like two characters discussing the events that led them together.

The second half, thankfully, ramped up the tension, and threw a considerable amount of the first half into doubt, revealing it as largely fiction.

The writing style was where the book shone, with visceral descriptions that did well to evoke the various locations.

The plot however, felt a bit rushed, like the author was favoring the cleverness of the format over character and plot development. Of all the characters, Oliver was the most developed: the others felt a bit flat, and Ken's involvement did not feel particularly solid. Ultimately, things would've been much easier for him had he just walked away - and his motivation for staying felt weak.

Whilst you supposedly could start the book with either side, i would strongly recommend starting with the Victorian half.

I DNFed this book about halfway in. LOVE the concept but couldn't get into the writing and characters. Thank you for letting me read this book.