Recent Reads {Silent in the Sanctuary}

Silent in the Sanctuary by Deanna Raybourn - I really meant to read other things before coming back to Lady Julia Grey.  But she is so likable I couldn't stick with my other books for long before deciding I needed to read 'just a couple of chapters' in this second in the Lady Julia series.  We are introduced to Lady Julia in Silent in the Grave, when she works with an enigmatic private investigator Nicholas Brisbane to find out who murdered her husband and why.  At the end of that book, she mentions that she doesn't see Brisbane again until they discover a body in a chapel.  Julia has been touring Europe with two of her brothers, and they receive an invitation from her father to come back to the family home for a Christmas house party.  Several of Julia's siblings and relatives are there as well, each with their own set of quirks and oddities, and some other guests, including Brisbane and his fiancee.  When someone is murdered in the family estate's chapel, and the entire party is also snowed in, Julia's father puts Brisbane in charge of the investigation and insists that Julia work as his partner.  The eccentric March family and its relationships, as well as the relationship between Julia and Brisbane, both move and impede the attempts to bring the murderer to justice in turn.  In the end, the murder is solved, of course, but Brisbane is gone again leaving the future rather uncertain - but just as in the first installment, Julia closes her narrative by mentioning that she and Brisbane would find a body when they next meet.  (in the third novel, Silent on the Moor)  I really will try to finish a couple of other things I'm working on before moving on to that one!  These Victorian mysteries are clever and peopled with such interesting characters that I find Raybourn's books rather hard to put down once I start.

By the same author: Silent in the Grave and The Dead Travel Fast

Recent Reads {The Constant Princess}

The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory - It's no wonder Philippa Gregory is knowwn as the 'queen of royal fiction'  Reading this historical novel often felt like I was reading Katherine's personal diary.  I think that most of us are familiar with Katherine of Aragon as the first wife of Henry VIII, and view her as the older,  severely and stiffly religious queen that he set aside in favor of Anne Boleyn.  Fewer people remember much about a younger Katherine, when she was Catalina, the Infanta of Spain - a glamourous young princess who married the beloved older Tudor son, Arthur, and was prepared from babyhood to be the future Queen of England.  Gregory begins her story with Catalina's life in Spain and her arrival in England, and presents us with believable personalities for the historical figures that may explain some of their actions.  One of the scandals of the Tudors was the question of whether Katherine was a virgin as she claimed when she married Henry.  At the time, there wasn't any suggestion that her marriage to Arthur had never been consummated - it was only after Arthur died that this was asserted by Katherine and her duenna.  Later, when Henry VIII was planning to have the marriage annulled, it was asserted that she had lied about this.  Gregory believes that Katherine probably did lie, and offers us a very likely explanation for her motives in this book.  An thoroughly enjoyable read, as I'm coming to expect from Philippa Gregory. 

Recent Reads {Silent in the Grave}

Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn - This was the second time I'd read this debut novel from Raybourn, and although it's been some time since I first read it, the ending still surprised me.  Well, specifically, the identity of the murderer surprised me - usually when I re-read a mystery, even if I'd forgotten the solution I 'see' all the clues clearly and remember the ending long before I turn the page.  In this case, I really did not remember who the murderer was until I reached that chapter of the book.  In my opinion, that was a mark of a good mystery!  Lady Julia Grey is a quirky and likable heroine, and since she narrates the story, her wry and witty observations of the other characters and her own actions provide plenty of humour throughout.  She is widowed within the first few pages of the book, and partners with another unusual character, Nicholas Brisbane, to discover who killed her husband and why.  Lady Julia comes from a famously unconventional family known for the daring exploits of both ancestors and contemporaries, yet she has aspired to be as quiet and normal as possible.  In unravelling the questions surrounding her husband's death, however, she proves herself to be rather capable of completely unconventional behavior as well.  A very entertaining and different period mystery, and I look forward to reading the sequels soon - two of which are sitting on my to-read pile now.  I'll have to finish a couple of library books first though! 

By the same author:  The Dead Travel Fast

Recent Reads {Surrender the Heart}

Surrender the Heart by MaryLu Tyndall - Yes, it's the typical, very predictable, standard romance storyline so common in that strange sub-genre affectionately known as "Christian romance"  And it's definitely LITE reading.  But I enjoy these types of books, I really do - just not a steady diet of them.  I think what makes Tyndall's books interesting to me is the settings - historical setting, usually at sea.  I don't consider the writing as good as many of the other big names (Karen Kingsbury, Lori Wick, etc) in this genre, for example, many of the descriptive phrases are overused and repeated throughout the story.  In this one, I lost track of how many times that somebody had perspiration beading somewhere. 8-/  They were doing strenuous work, and it was pretty hot, but seriously - "beading" every single time?  Anyway...  Like I said, the basic premise of these romances is the same every time as well - man and woman initially dislike each other, spend the majority of the novel sparring and trying to convince themselves and the other characters that they are entirely unsuited to each other while denying their growing attraction, then overcome all the odds of circumstance to protect or defend each other, and finally admit their deep and abiding love for one another in the final chapters.  Predictable.  But still can make for interesting reading, and I have to admit that I was engaged enough in this story that I stayed up late into the night finishing the final third or so.  As is also often predictable, this one is part of a planned series, so I will probably pick up the sequels when they are published so I can escape into another improbable set of coincidences with another improbable couple.  8-)

Recent Reads {The Intrigue at Highbury}

The Intrigue at Highbury (or, Emma's Match) by Carrie Bebris - I confess, I'm a little at loose ends as to what I will read now that I've finished all the (published) installments of Bebris' Mr & Mrs Darcy Mystery series.  Who am I kidding - my to-read list is still miles long.  ;-)  After having been just slightly disappointed in the previous mystery, I was delighted that this one seemed to me to be much more true to the characters and style of Austen and the earlier mysteries.  Elizabeth and Darcy are travelling near Highbury when they meet with thieves on the road.  In reporting the robbery, they meet the Knightleys (from Jane Austen's Emma) and the other inhabitants of Highbury, and naturally become involved in solving the murder that takes place shortly before their arrival.  Not surprisingly, the Darcys and Knightleys form a friendship as they investigate (and matchmake! Well, Emma tries to matchmake, and Elizabeth is with her most of the time).   There are several suspects, and the two couples don't agree on which are the most likely.  In fact, Mr Knightley requests Darcy's assistance in the matter because he and Elizabeth are not previously acquainted with the residents of Highbury and aren't prejudiced for or against any of them.  In all, a satisfying mystery with a happy ending to the subplot, and I am left anticipating another Darcy mystery.  According to Ms Bebris' website, she is indeed working on a sixth!