First of all, I owe a HUGE apology to Laura Laakso and Louise Walters, who so graciously gave me an ARC to read and review back in (I’m embarrassed to say) January. I was supposed to finish reading and review by March, but all I can say is due to *waves hands at everything* I utterly and completely failed.
Roots of Corruption is the third installment in the Wilde Investigations series, and the third book that I’ve been fortunate enough to review via an ARC. This particular book focuses on a few of Laakso’s most interesting characters—Lady Bergamon and Wishearth—broadening and deepening our understanding of them in ways that are somehow simultaneously satisfying but also still tantalizing. The pace of this particular installment felt slower than the others (though YMMV, as it could have been attributable to my pandemic reading slump), but the pace was a slow burn and built steadily to the ultimate climax. It’s no secret that I’ve enjoyed Laakso’s writing, but with Roots of Corruption it feels as though she has truly hit her stride in this series. The mystery in each new book is resolved in a unique and interesting way, while steadily advancing the character development and continuously leaving you wanting more from these characters.
While Dearon, Yannia’s love interest slash fated-love-she-seems-to-resist, did not feature in this book as prominently as it’s predecessor, Echo Murder, his presence was palpable in the background and in Yannia’s dreams, and I’m still hopeful that we’ll see much more of their development and their relationship as time goes on. At the same time, there are flickers of other possible love interests here and there in Yannia’s life (which I won’t discuss in more detail because spoilers) that add a nice flavor to her character progression and keep the ultimate ending to the romance aspect of her story shrouded in pleasantly unsatisfying mystery.
Just as Laakso seems to be hitting her stride in the series, so does Yannia seem to hit her stride in her investigations business and her ability to hone in on important details and find the right solution. Yannia works for every inch of her case, but as a character, thanks to Laakso’s deft craftsmanship and writing, I can’t help but cheer when she succeeds and fret when she fails or falls just short.
I want Yannia to succeed, and to keep succeeding, and I want MORE of Wilde Investigations. With the conclusion of Roots of Corruption, I am hopeful that Laakso will continue to bless us with Yannia’s stories for many years to come.
Happy reading!
R. Singer Writing 