Archive for Historical Fiction
September 3, 2008 at 11:37 am · Filed under Book Reviews, Favourite Books, Historical Fiction, Mystery and Suspense
Fall of a Philanderer by Carola Dunn (Historical mystery)
It had been a while since I read this, so when I bought a hardcover copy, I re-read it. It was just as much fun as I remembered.
Carola Dunn writes a series of charming mysteries set in England during the 1920’s, one of my favourite historical periods. I love the clothes, I love the manners, and I love reading about the effects of World War I on English life. The books in this series are definitely “cozies”, without the gritty realism that I find so alien and depressing. The main character is the Honourable Miss Daisy Dalrymple, the daughter of a viscount who died in the Influenza pandemic. Daisy’s brother, who was to inherit the title and family estate, and who would have provided for Daisy, died in the trenches. Daisy takes advantage of the loosening of social mores to embark on a writing career that would have been unthinkable for a woman of her breeding a decade earlier.
Fall of a Philanderer is one of the later books in the series, so Daisy has already met, fallen in love with, and married a Scotland Yard detective, Alec Fletcher. While on holiday at the seaside, Alec and Daisy discover the dead body of a serial adulterer, who seems to have been pushed off a cliff. Given his behaviour, the only surprise is that no jealous husband, enraged father, or jilted lover had bashed him over the head long since. Alec, forced to cut short his holiday and take over the case, has only too many suspects to choose from.
I’d recommend starting this series at the beginning, but it’s not necessary, and this book is as a good a place as any.
Tags: 50 Book Challenge 2008, Carola Dunn, Daisy Dalrymple
September 3, 2008 at 11:08 am · Filed under Book Reviews, Historical Fiction, Mystery and Suspense, Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror
Suspense and Sensibility by Carrie Bebris (Gothic mystery)
I can’t say I was very impressed. I enjoyed it even less than Pride and Prescience, because it lacked even the small amound of suspense in that book.
At Mrs. Bennett’s urging, Elizabeth and Darcy agree to sponsor Kitty for the Season, hoping to find her a good husband who won’t mind her small dowry. Kitty is drawn to one of the very first men she meets: Mr. Henry Dashwood of Norland. He seems to feel the same way, but after they become engaged, he changes out of all recognition.
I won’t give away the cause of Henry’s personality change, although it wouldn’t be much of a spoiler, since Bebris makes it perfectly obvious right from the beginning exactly what’s going on. Unfotunately, she doesn’t choose to give Elizabeth and Darcy the same insight she shares with her readers, so they spend most of the book completely unaware of the supernatural reason for Henry’s behaviour.
I really, really hate knowing more than the characters do, and this story gives more away to the reader than just about anything else I’ve ever read. Gothic novels, although not necessarily examples of great literature, are at least supposed to be mysterious. When the sweet, kind hero suddenly starts acting like a jerk, I want to be able to wonder why. Unfortunately, Suspense and Sensibility contained no suspense at all.
To be fair, I actually enjoyed the beginning of the novel. I kind of wish Carrie Bebris would write straight Regency romances instead of gothic mysteries, because I think she’d be much better at it.
Tags: 50 Book Challenge 2008, Carrie Bebris, Mr. and Mrs. Darcy Mysteries
August 29, 2008 at 8:01 pm · Filed under Book Reviews, Historical Fiction, Mystery and Suspense, Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror
Pride and Prescience by Carrie Bebris (Historical mystery/horror)
I generally avoid all Jane Austen pastiches because they are usually crap. At the age of thirteen, having devoured all six of her novels, I tried a few of the modern sequels written by Emma Tennant and her ilk, and gave them up in disgust. And anything that I considered too sappy, implausible, and contrived to be bothered with in the eighth grade is something I would not now touch with a ten-foot pole.
However, I read good things about Carrie Bebris’s series, which now consists of three novels, with a fourth soon to be published. Featuring the new Mr. and Mrs. Darcy as the protagonists, these books add supernatural mysteries to Austen’s world, which the Darcys must unravel. Through the course of the series, they meet characters from the other novels.
The switch from romance/social satire to supernatural detective story is what makes this series more tolerable than other Austen continuations, since it sticks to imitating Austen’s style which, though tricky, is far easier than successfully reproducing her substance. Even the style isn’t perfect: unfortunately, a number of modern words and idioms break the flow of the narrative. The biggest flaw, though, is in the presentation of Elizabeth, whose sudden belief in the supernatural is entirely out of character. And anyone who’s read Northanger Abbey will appreciate why mixing genuine supernatural occurrences with Austen characters doesn’t work well.
Still, the book was entertaining enough, once I forced myself to suspend my disbelief. After their wedding, Darcy and Elizabeth are looking forward to starting their new life together at Pemberley, so they’re disappointed when Caroline Bingley’s sudden engagement and wedding spoil their plans. Only hours after the wedding, the Darcys find Caroline wandering in an unsavoury area of London, with no explanation for her presence. Her strange behaviour soon escalates, and mysterious and dangerous events plague a house-party at Netherfield, culminating in the murder of one of the guests.
I am clearly not the ideal audience for this series, being (a) an Austen fan(atic), (b) persnickety about historical detail and period tone, and (c) less than enthused by supernatural mysteries. Pride and Prescience was okay, and actually had some genuinely funny moments, but it just wasn’t my kind of book. I also found the solution too obvious, but it’s at least believable that none of the characters would have figured it out. (It’s not so much that the characters were dim, but that for some reason the author felt the need to hit the reader over the head with really obvious clues–when in fact there was no need to give the reader any kind of clues at all, much less to hammer them home like that.)
Verdict? Meh. I’m reading the sequels, but I advise against spending money on this one, unless you’re sure it’s your cup of tea. I’ve heard the next two are better, so…we’ll see.
Tags: 50 Book Challenge 2008, A ~ Z Reading Challenge, Carrie Bebris, Mr. and Mrs. Darcy Mysteries, R.I.P. III
August 29, 2008 at 4:03 pm · Filed under Book Reviews, Historical Fiction, Mystery and Suspense
Who’s Sorry Now? by Jill Churchill (Historical mystery)
This is the latest in a series of historical mysteries set in Depression-era New York State. Robert and Lily Brewster are a brother and sister whose father lost their family’s money in the Crash and committed suicide, leaving them destitute. Forced to earn their livings in low-paying jobs because they are untrained for any kind of work, they’re delighted when a distant relative’s death leaves them with a substantial inheritance, albeit one with strings attached.
One of those strings leads to the Brewsters living in Voorburg, a small town on the Hudson River. Throughout the series, Robert and Lily have to come up with inventive ways to earn money, as stipulated in their great-uncle’s will. Since, though poor, they are better off than most, the Brewsters rarely do any regular work, but spend much of their leisure time helping the local Chief of Police to solve the many murders that plague their small town.
I care little about the mysteries in these books; I read them to find out what’s happening to all the characters, and for the descriptions of life during the Depression. Voorburg is charming, and all the books are undemanding comfort reads–Who’s Sorry Now? is no exception.
Tags: 50 Book Challenge 2008, Grace and Favor, Jill Churchill
July 18, 2008 at 9:18 am · Filed under Book Reviews, Favourite Books, Historical Fiction, Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror
100. Red Prophet by Orson Scott Card (Historical fantasy) ? p.
In this book, Card continues to tell the story of Alvin Maker, a young White boy who is more than he seems, with a magic beyond what anyone has seen, and an implacable enemy to go with it. The Tales of Alvin Maker is about more than its titular character, though–with this series, Card has set out to create a fantasy grounded in pioneer America, rather than medieval Europe. In this process, he’s created an alternate history and a rich mythology, full of magic and wonder. Red Prophet is less about Alvin Maker than it is about Tecumseh and the Battle of Tippecanoe–or at least, the versions of them that exist in this series.
So far, this is a great series, one that has some wonderful stories in it. I think, though, that those stories would likely resonate more with actual Americans, who presumably know and care more about American history than I do. (An alternate Canada appears in this book, but it’s so different from the real Canada, and so peripheral to the story, that it doesn’t interest me in any particular way.)
Card gives his characters distinct speech patterns and accents, which was a little jarring for the first few pages. Once I got used to that, though, it helped make the story come alive. And that’s one of the best things about this series–all the stories are alive in the way that all really good myths and legends are alive.
Rating: 9 out of 10
Pages read: ?
Tags: 50 Book Challenge 2008, A ~ Z Reading Challenge, Cardathon Challenge Redux, Orson Scott Card, Tales of Alvin Maker
July 9, 2008 at 6:56 pm · Filed under Book Reviews, Favourite Books, Historical Fiction, Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror
95. Seventh Son by Orson Scott Card (Historical fantasy) 241 p.
More than anything else, Seventh Son has reminded me how compulsively readable Orson Scott Card can be. I’ve been finding the Homecoming series a little slow going, but this book displays all Card’s talent, without the undertone of malice that dims my enjoyment of those books.
In a pioneer America that never was, a land where magic abounds and where history has developed a little differently from the history we know, a seventh son is born to a man who is himself a seventh son. Naturally, he possesses unique powers, but he is also in danger from many enemies, some in some unlikely places.
This book felt very much like the first in a series. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, since there are six more books to follow. Seventh Son is a good, solid read, but without the passion and flare to match up to Ender’s Game or Ender’s Shadow, say. What it does do is some nice world-building and characterization, a steady foundation for the rest of the series. If they live up to the potential hinted at in this book, I’m going to enjoy this series very much indeed.
Rating: 8 out of 10
Pages read: 27,831
Tags: 50 Book Challenge 2008, Cardathon Challenge Redux, Orson Scott Card, Tales of Alvin Maker
July 7, 2008 at 1:52 pm · Filed under Book Reviews, Favourite Books, Historical Fiction, Mystery and Suspense
84. Callander Square by Anne Perry (Historical mystery) 256 p.
It’s been so long since I read this that my impressions have mostly faded, but I do remember enjoying it a fair bit. Callander Square is the second in Perry’s Thomas and Charlotte Pitt series, which by now runs to over two dozen books. In the first book, The Cater Street Hangman, Charlotte was a middle-class, young living with her parents in Victorian London. By the end of that book, Charlotte has had many of her illusions about her feelings and her world shattered, and has managed to fall in love with the decidedly unsuitable Inspector Pitt. In this next book, Charlotte and Pitt have already been married for some time, which is a shame, since I would have liked to witness Charlotte’s family’s reactions to her marriage, as well as Thomas and Charlotte’s marriage and early days living together. Oh, well–maybe Anne Perry will go back and write that book someday.
In Callander Square, the bodies of two newborns are found buried in the park in the middle of an upscale London square, and it’s Pitt’s job to investigate. It’s quite possible that there has been no foul play, and that they babies were merely stillborn or died soon after birth, and that their mother, likely an unmarried woman, buried them there to avoid disgrace or dismissal. The babies’ mother may be a servant, but there is a possibility that she belongs to one of the wealthy, upper-class families living in the square. Charlotte and her sister Emily become involved, ferreting out gossip to help Pitt in his investigation.
Except for Perry’s usual abrupt ending, I enjoyed this book and found it a satisfying blend of mystery and historical fiction. Anne Perry really does her research into the period, and it shows; none of the characters’ behaviour seems anachronistic, and their thoughts, morals, and preoccupations are decidedly Victorian. It’s an author of rare skill who can write period characters who come to life and are true to their time, and yet are distinct individuals, each with his or her own beliefs and opinions.
There’s no need to read Anne Perry’s novels in order, since although there’s character development throughout the series, the books stand alone perfectly well. This book is a slight exception, since it’s the first of three which all feature prominently a family of recurring characters, the Balantynes, and the later books contain spoilers for the earlier. Callander Square, Death in the Devil’s Acre, and Bedford Square should not be read out of that order.
Rating: 9 out of 10
Pages read: 24,613
Tags: 50 Book Challenge 2008, 888 Challenge, Anne Perry, General Balantyne, Thomas and Charlotte Pitt
May 27, 2008 at 2:40 pm · Filed under Book Reviews, Favourite Books, Historical Fiction, Mystery and Suspense
80. Dark Assassin by Anne Perry (Historical mystery) 308 p.
I’m not really a fan of this series. I like Perry’s Thomas and Charlotte Pitt novels, but William Monk has never appealed to me, and although his wife Hester’s part of the story is always interesting, it’s never prominent enough to carry the book. I found that to be true in Dark Assassin, even though I enjoyed it more than I expected to.
Now an Inspector in the Thames River Police, Monk and some of his men are on the river when they witness a tragedy: a young couple standing on a bridge seem to struggle, then both fall into the water far below and are almost instantly drowned. From their vantage point on the water, in the twilight gloom, neither Monk nor any of his men are sure whether the couple’s fall was suicide or murder.
It soon becomes clear to Monk that whatever the cause of the incident, it is tied up with the apparent suicide of the young woman’s father weeks earlier, and with the sewer construction taking place all over London. Six years earlier, the Great Stink—when the Thames and its tributaries overflowed with raw sewage—turned much of London into a giant cesspit.
Although I appreciate Anne Perry’s mastery in creating a character like Monk, a flawed human being who develops and comes to know himself better with every book, I don’t really like Monk himself, and I don’t take much pleasure in reading about him. I liked Dark Assassin mostly for Hester’s part in it, and for some of the other interesting characters, like Runcorn, Orme, and Scuff. The mystery plot was about average for Perry, good but not spectacular. If you like the Monk series, though, there are a lot of interesting developments; some of them actually made me want to pick up later books in the series, just to see how those ongoing plot lines turned out.
Pages read: 23,557
Tags: 50 Book Challenge 2008, A ~ Z Reading Challenge, Anne Perry, William Monk
May 27, 2008 at 2:27 pm · Filed under Book Reviews, Favourite Books, Historical Fiction, Mystery and Suspense
79. Seven Dials by Anne Perry (Historical mystery) 345 p.
When a prominent politician’s mistress is arrested for murder, and it seems the politician himself is in some way involved, Victor Narraway, head of Special Branch, sends Thomas Pitt o investigate. Ayesha Zakhari, an Egyptian citizen, is accused of having murdered a low-level diplomat who was shot dead in her back garden at 3 a.m. Although she denies the charge, the fact that she was caught red-handed trying to move the body—shot with her gun—seems to confirm her guilt beyond any doubt. Her lover, Saville Ryerson, denies any possibility of her guilt, but he’s hardly an unbiased witness.
I found it strange that all the characters (including Pitt) seemed utterly convinced of Zakhari’s guilt, since to me it seemed quite obvious that the murder might be a political plot, which didn’t occur to Pitt until the second half of the book. Although the solution turned out not to be so straightforward, it was very odd that no one even considered the possibility, even as Pitt was assigned to the case to limit its political repercussions. And especially since everyone agreed, on multiple occasions, that the only motive Zakhari had for the murder was inadequate to the point of absurdity.
I was also annoyed that no one, including Pitt, interviewed Ayesha Zakhari after she was arrested. Pitt was supposedly investigating the case, but although he asked Ryerson some half-hearted questions, he didn’t make any attempt to question the prime suspect! One could assume that, knowing that Zakhari had refused to speak to the police, Pitt concluded that there was no reason to even try to get her to talk to him, but we never actually see him make that decision. He investigates her, a tries to find out who she is from other people, but it never seems to occur to him that he could easily find out what she’s like by meeting her and judging her for himself.
I point out these two things (the automatic assumption of Zakhari’s guilt and the failure to interview her), not because they’re particularly important or affected my enjoyment of the book in any significant way, but because they’re just so odd, especially given Perry’s usually tight and polished plots.
This book was amazing, though; definitely one of Perry’s best. I was ecstatic to find that it contained no Inner Circle politics at all, so I could just sit back, relax, and enjoy the mystery and Perry’s excellent-as-usual historical writing. The revelations about Narraway felt very right, and allowed Pitt to build some personal trust in him, something I wasn’t sure would ever happen.
Gracie and Tellman were incredibly cute, as usual, and I was glad to see their relationship progress. Tellman in particular has developed a lot as a character over the series; in that respect, he actually reminds me of William Monk, the protagonist of Perry’s other long-running series of Victorian mysteries.
The mystery in Seven Dials was a particularly good one, and seeing Pitt visit Egypt in the course of the investigation was icing on the cake!
Pages read: 23,249
Tags: 50 Book Challenge 2008, Anne Perry, Thomas and Charlotte Pitt
May 27, 2008 at 1:59 pm · Filed under Book Reviews, Historical Fiction, Mystery and Suspense
78. Southampton Row by Anne Perry (Historical mystery) 336 p.
Just like Traitor’s Gate, Southampton Row features Thomas Pitt against the might of the Inner Circle, a secret society with vast influence on Victorian politics. Having been transferred against his will from his post as Superintendent of Bow Street Station to a position with Special Branch, Pitt finds himself working against his nemesis, Sir Charles Voisey, who is standing for parliament. His opposition is the untried Aubrey Serracold, a friend of Pitt’s brother-in-law, Liberal MP Jack Radley.
Serracold’s idealist, left-leaning politics might be enough to damn him, even in his traditionally Liberal riding, but a worse obstacle emerges when his wife Rose becomes involved in a murder investigation.
I spent most of the first part of this book bored by Inner Circle conspiracies, and wishing that the story would focus on a real mystery. Even though I ended up enjoying the mystery, I really wish the Inner Circle had been left out of this book (and that it would be left out of subsequent books!) I was happy to see that the solving of two crimes once again allowed resolution of at least some of the plot threads!
Pages read: 22,904
Tags: 50 Book Challenge 2008, Anne Perry, Thomas and Charlotte Pitt
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