I will not dwell on the details of the plot since basically all the 4/5 stars review on Goodreads are just extensive plot accounts, to whose benefit I don't know since one of the main perks of this book is the novelty of the storyline and readers should be able to discover it by themselves. 
 The 17th century Amsterdam setting is both original and enthralling, and Burton masterly puts it on page, beautifully evoking the liveliness of a mercantile town at the peak of its success ensnared in the contradictions of restrictive puritan moral with only some minor mistakes like the main character comparing the sudden mood swing of her sister in law to a bomb. 
 Also, the story is quite compelling, the well-worn opening theme of a naive teenager married to a rich stranger, twenty years older then her, overturned by a fascinating wedding gift, a miniature, detailed reproduction of Nella's new home and by a mysterious miniaturist, who seems to know Nella's new household much more than the girl herself, at least judging from the miniature objects the craftsman keeps providing, which often prove to be prophetic. 
 The reader is therefore enchanted by the double mystery of a household full of enigmatic characters (a kind but distant husband, a sever but ambiguous sister-in-law, two impudent servants), whose most important activities seem to happen in the shadows, and an elusive miniaturist who apparently can predict the future. 
 Unfortunately the author will only partially reveal the solution to these multiple enigmas, leaving some threads pending and merely sketching an explanation for the most enthralling mystery. Maybe Burton was too focused on exploring the role of women as wives and mothers through her novel to care about the details of her elaborate plot but, while Nella's growing awareness of her value as a woman independently from her being a wife or a mother is interesting to read, one cannot help but feel a bit disappointed by the half-solved state of the story. 
 However I gave easily four stars in the end because of the meditative, captivating writing style, particularly striking for a debut novel, which conveys a whole range of emotions with class and refinement. 
 It's true that some characters could have been better developed, especially Johannes, the charming but evasive husband, whose behavior is often contradictory, tipping on the side of stupid (and quite incomprehensible for a supposedly very shrewd merchant). And Nella's forgiving attitude, once her husband's not-so-carefully hidden secret is revealed, is honestly a bit unbelievable for a 17th century girl who doesn't know anything of the world.