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Night of a Thousand Stars
by Deanna Raybourn - Poppy Hammond is at the church, about to be married to an aristocrat and have a safe and sensible life, when she makes her decision. She flees the chapel in her wedding gown, and with some help from the handsome curate who happens by as she is planning her escape. Sebastian Cantrip gives her a listening ear and a lift to her father's country village, and Poppy thinks of him as her hero. After the family has all had their say about her broken engagement, she tries to contact Sebastian again only to find that he seems to have disappeared. With the help of her lady's maid, Poppy tracks down some clues and heads off to the middle east in search of Sebastian and adventure. Apparently there is more to Sebastian than she first thought, and she seems to have found even more adventure and danger than she'd bargained for.
Fans of Deanna Raybourn's Lady Julia mysteries will find some familiar characters in this book even though it takes place many years after the final Lady Julia story. Poppy is a headstrong character with a thirst for adventure and a yearning to make her own way; and an intriguing mix of naivety and worldliness. She jumps to conclusions about Sebastian and other characters and totally misreads some of the signs around her, but her grit and determination are endearing even when she is a bit clueless. There are plenty of twists and turns, and maybe a few surprises along the way as Poppy unravels the mystery and finds that she may be living out a family destiny.
Although I'm still disappointed that there won't be any more Lady Julia mysteries, I was delighted with this quirky heroine and her story; and glad that there was a little tie-in to Lady Julia to help bridge the gap. There are references to and appearances by characters from A Spear of Summer Grass and City of Jasmine as well, neatly tying all together. I'm eagerly awaiting whatever Raybourn has in store for readers next!
by Deanna Raybourn - Poppy Hammond is at the church, about to be married to an aristocrat and have a safe and sensible life, when she makes her decision. She flees the chapel in her wedding gown, and with some help from the handsome curate who happens by as she is planning her escape. Sebastian Cantrip gives her a listening ear and a lift to her father's country village, and Poppy thinks of him as her hero. After the family has all had their say about her broken engagement, she tries to contact Sebastian again only to find that he seems to have disappeared. With the help of her lady's maid, Poppy tracks down some clues and heads off to the middle east in search of Sebastian and adventure. Apparently there is more to Sebastian than she first thought, and she seems to have found even more adventure and danger than she'd bargained for.Fans of Deanna Raybourn's Lady Julia mysteries will find some familiar characters in this book even though it takes place many years after the final Lady Julia story. Poppy is a headstrong character with a thirst for adventure and a yearning to make her own way; and an intriguing mix of naivety and worldliness. She jumps to conclusions about Sebastian and other characters and totally misreads some of the signs around her, but her grit and determination are endearing even when she is a bit clueless. There are plenty of twists and turns, and maybe a few surprises along the way as Poppy unravels the mystery and finds that she may be living out a family destiny.
Although I'm still disappointed that there won't be any more Lady Julia mysteries, I was delighted with this quirky heroine and her story; and glad that there was a little tie-in to Lady Julia to help bridge the gap. There are references to and appearances by characters from A Spear of Summer Grass and City of Jasmine as well, neatly tying all together. I'm eagerly awaiting whatever Raybourn has in store for readers next!
By the same author: Bonfire Night, Twelfth Night, City of Jasmine, Whisper of Jasmine, Midsummer Night; A Spear of Summer Grass, Silent in the Grave, Silent in the Sanctuary, Dark Road to Darjeeling, The Dark Enquiry, Silent Night, The Dead Travel Fast
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