Mary is the great niece of Victor Frankenstein. She and her husband Henry are trying to make name for themselves as palaeontologists. When they visit Henry’s sister Maisie after the death of their father, they learn about an exposition that depicts a dinosaur more like a mammal than a reptile. Henry is enraged and writes a scathing speech he wants to deliver to all geologists/palaentologists.
Mary devises another plan, she wants to bring a dinosaur to life by using parts of other (deceased) animals. Once they have brought the creature to life, Mary becomes very attached to it, Then their partner deceives them by stealing the creature and torching the ‘lab’ where it was created.
Such an original twist on the Frankenstein theme – Mary, a Frankenstein by birth, uses her great uncle’s research to create her own creature. The sense of loss is palpable throughout the book (Mary and Henry lost a child). I seriously disliked Henry, he’s a pompous jerk who thinks the sun shines out of his own back side – Mary and Maisie are lovely, smart women.
Read for the Read between the Lines Reading Challenge 2025
Prompt 14: Written by an Author with Initials (ie CL Taylor)
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
