Tuesdays with Ambrea: Murder on Black Swan Lane by Andrea Penrose

 

Reviewed by Ambrea

 

The Earl of Wrexford is a brilliant scientist.  Intelligent, dedicated, and coldly logical, he’s considered one of the greatest minds of his day—and yet he has a steak of brashness and a tendency toward pridefulness that often leads him into trouble.  His most recent feud with Reverend Josiah Holworthy, for instance, has seen him mocked mercilessly in the newspapers by cartoonist A.J. Quill.  However, when the reverend is found murdered in his church, Wrexford is quickly accused of the deed.  Now, he’ll have track down every suspect and turn over every stone if he hopes of uncovering the identity of the real murderer.

I was delighted by Murder on Black Swan Lane.  It isn’t a deep dive into historical fiction, I’ll admit, and it does have its flaws—like repetitive phrases, misspellings, missed opportunities, overabundant plotlines—but I found it to be a compelling story and I liked the setting descriptions.

Andrea Penrose does a marvelous job of evoking a place, using smells and sounds and textures to properly weave her setting.  I was especially appreciative of the little details that seemed to bring the scene to life, like the mention of mud caked onto Wrexford’s boots or the smell of chemicals in a lab or the chill seeping through the window pane as winter crawls into the city. 

I also liked the characters.  Take Kit Sheffield, for instance.  He’s a mooch and a reprobate, but he’s a canny one and he’s clever enough befriend Wrexford.  Tyler, on the other hand, makes a terrible valet, but he’s a wonderful lab assistant—and he’s unafraid of Wrexford’s moods, which makes him invaluable to the household.  Dr. Henning, like Wrexford, is a curmudgeonly delight and interesting to meet.  And, of course, Wrexford.

But, while I enjoyed Wrexford’s company, I found I absolutely adored Charlotte Sloane.  She’s whip-smart, she’s pragmatic, and she’s tenacious.  More than that, I respected her for being thoughtful enough to know when to back down and when to pick a fight.  I loved that she didn’t once swoon or faint, and I was endlessly amused by her refusal to be intimidated by Wrexford.

Charlotte Sloane has definitely become one of my favorite heroines.

Murder on Black Swan Lane, however, is not the perfect Regency mystery.  As I mentioned, it has its flaws and it doesn’t quite toe the line for a true historical fiction.  Penrose’s novel seems to border more on the side of romantic suspense or adventure thriller, which worked in my favor, but it may not for other readers.

Oh, and I was also annoyed by the fact that Penrose had a grand opportunity for a joke—and then never took it.  You see, there are two characters named Hawk and Raven, who consistently help Charlotte in her clandestine newsgathering.  When bluntly asked how she gains so much gossip, Charlotte never once—not one single time in the entire blasted novel—uses the phrase “a little bird told me.” 

It’s probably the only thing that truly disappointed me about the novel, honestly.

Undercover Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams

Reviewed by Ambrea

 

Braden Mack is the mastermind behind the Bromance Book Club and, truthfully, he considers himself a bit of an expert on love – except he’s about to get a rude awakening when he meets Liv Papandreas.  Liv is a sous chef at the hottest restaurant in Nashville, until she discovers her celebrity chef boss is a predator.  Now, she’s been blacklisted and, despite her distaste for the man, Mack – and the Bromance Book Club – are the only ones up for helping her.

Like the previous novel, Undercover Bromance is an enjoyable romantic comedy.  I was so excited to meet the Bromance Book Club again and I enjoyed reading about all their antics.  It sets a faster pace than the previous novel – there’s an element of espionage and action-adventure that wasn’t in its predecessor – and it seems to ratchet up the enemies-to-lovers angst a little more, but I don’t necessarily think that’s a bad thing.

Mack was easily one of my favorites from the Bromance Book Club, so I was excited to read about him.  Liv, on the other hand…well, not so much.  She’s so bitter and snarky and, occasionally, just plain mean that it was really difficult to enjoy her as a character; however, I did appreciate that she had a chance to grow and develop as an individual.  It wasn’t all bad!

Even so, Undercover Bromance just couldn’t quite meet my expectations that the first novel set.  Personally, I think I prefer Mack as a character in other people’s stories versus the protagonist in his own.

The Moon-spinners by Mary Stewart

Reviewed by Jeanne

Englishwoman Nicola Ferris has been working in Greece for a year, but now is on holiday in Crete.  Her cousin, an avid naturalist, is coming to visit her and the two plan to do a lot of hiking to look for various local flora.  On her walk to the hotel, Nicola is distracted by the sight of an egret flying nearby.  She follows it, and discovers (or more accurately, is discovered by) a Greek man and an injured Englishman who are hiding in the hills.  They warn her off, telling her to go on to her inn and forget she’s ever seen them.

She does the former, but of course not the latter. She’s determined to help both men. The question is, who can she trust?

The Moon-spinners is considered one of Stewart’s best known works.  It certainly has all her mystery trademarks: wonderfully detailed, evocative descriptions of a foreign land, a strong and resourceful heroine, lots of suspense and a touch of romance.   Even though the book was published in 1962, it doesn’t seem dated at all--no cell phones, of course, and a bit more smoking than is usual in contemporary novels. Otherwise, there was nothing to suggest it wasn’t a recent book.  

I also like the smooth way Stewart explains her heroines’ talents.  In this book, for example, Nicola has been working in Greece, which explains why she is fairly fluent in Greek.  The islanders assume she only speaks English and she is clever enough to let them continue to think that.

I have to say that while I liked this one a good deal, I still prefer My Brother Michael.  The setting is similar but somehow it appealed to me more. I think part of it has to do with childhood memories: back in the day, Disney made a movie based on the book, starring child actress Hayley Mills.  Mills was a good bit younger than Nicola—a teen, in fact—so the story was re-written to suit.  I remember seeing the movie, split into episodes for the weekly Disney TV show, and was unimpressed.  It was certainly no Scarecrow from Romney Marsh (ah, Patrick McGoohan!) and I found it boring.  While the book was certainly not boring, I did pause at intervals, remembering little bits from the movie—primarily the windmills, which figure into the plot.

In short, this is a very good romantic suspense novel with a wonderful exotic location and well developed characters.  I’ll be reading more Mary Stewart novels in the future.

My Brother Michael by Mary Stewart

Reviewed by Jeanne

Camilla Haven, a young Englishwoman, is taking a long anticipated vacation in Greece when a man approaches her about a car she has hired “for Simon” in Delphi. The problem is that she hasn’t hired a car, but the man drops the keys on the table and disappears before she can explain his mistake. Camilla had just been lamenting in a letter to a friend that she wanted to see Delphi but was running low on funds, so she decides to take the car to Delphi in hopes she can locate this Simon and perhaps do some sight-seeing in the bargain.  The only Simon she finds is also English, and a man on a mission.  His older brother Michael was killed in Greece during the war and he has come to find from Michael’s Greek friends the place where his brother died. It soon becomes apparent that while the war may be over, there are those who still have scores to settle.

Mary Stewart was one of the pioneers in the romantic suspense genre during the 1950s. As a long time mystery fan, I was ashamed to say that I had not read any of Mary Stewart’s work except for her Arthurian novels.  I set out to remedy that oversight, albeit with some trepidation.  Would the books seem hopelessly dated?

I found that her reputation as an author of romantic suspense is well deserved.  The romance is strong while understated —more attraction than action—but she keeps the balance between the two aspects, romance and suspense. The suspense builds slowly, but there are some breathtaking scenes that actually had me holding my breath. The fact that Stewart can create so much tension with so little carnage was a welcome surprise; and proof, if anyone needed it, that gory descriptions aren’t necessary to make a thriller. 

Stewart's novels tended to feature modern thinking, intelligent, and brave young women who were able to take care of themselves in a crisis. They didn’t seek out trouble but held their nerve when trouble found them.  Her characters would be perfectly at home in any novel written today, and would be a good bit more level-headed and less neurotic than most.

Another of Stewart’s hallmarks is her ability to evoke an exotic locale, and My Brother Michael is an excellent example.  She describes the bustle of the streets, the sounds and smells of the market, the wild landscapes, and the ruins in vivid detail, and it all serves to enhance rather than bog down the story.  Even though the book was written some sixty years ago, the story is still vibrant; the details that fix the time period (WW II is only a few years in the past, there is much unapologetic smoking and drinking) don’t date the story for modern audiences. Any geopolitical details aren’t specific enough to make the plot seem archaic.

One thing I loved is that several of the characters have had a classical British education: they can quote from the Greek playwrights and philosophers, discuss architecture and poetry, and take note of the natural world, naming flowers and trees.  They can also drive cars really fast and hold their own in a fight, so don’t think it’s all Homer and heliotropes.

I still have several of her books to read, including what is arguably her best known suspense book, The Moon-spinners.  I’m looking forward to them!

Madam, Will You Talk? By Mary Stewart

Reviewed by Jeanne

Charity is on a trip to Provence with her friend Louise, trying to distract herself.  Her RAF pilot husband Johnny was shot down in the War and Charity is still coming to terms with the loss. She’s a strong woman who isn’t wallowing in grief but who is getting on with her life as best she can.  Louise wants to read and paint, while Charity wants to visit the local historical sites:  Roman ruins, old castles, and such.  

At the hotel she meets David, a charming little British boy who is there with his stepmother. She soon realizes there is something a bit wrong with this set-up:  David seems troubled.  She begins to hear stories that his father is a murderer who may be stalking the boy.  Recklessly, Charity decides she is going to protect David at all costs and is plunged into a breathtaking game of cat and mouse.

Recently, several members of the DorothyL mystery group discussed Mary Stewart and what a strong impression she had made on so many of them growing up, with her exotic locales and strong heroines. I was embarrassed to realize that while I had read and thoroughly enjoyed her Merlin/Arthur books (Crystal Cave, Hollow Hills, Last Enchantment, etc.) I had not read any in the genre for which she was best known, romantic suspense. I decided to rectify that at once.

Madam, Will You Talk? was Stewart’s first novel, and was an instant hit when it was published in 1954.  She went on to write several more novels, including The Moon-Spinners which was turned into a Disney movie.  The writing is lovely and graceful, even when the situation is dire.  Charity is a wonderful character, a smart, mature woman who isn’t afraid to step up when the situation calls for action.  She loves history and poetry—she and Louise were once taught together—so she’s able to beautifully convey the setting. That is a real strength to this book and apparently her others as well: the ability to vividly describe a location without dragging the plot down.  She also peppers the story with quotations and literary allusions but again is able to do so while advancing the story.  

I also enjoyed the unadulterated 1950s flavor.  Contemporary writers who set a story in that time period can’t help but bring a twenty-first century view to it.  They try to unobtrusively explain attitudes and items on the assumption that modern audiences won’t have a clue—or in some cases, to show off how much research they’ve done (my sneaking suspicion).  Since the book was actually written in the 1950s, Stewart is under no such compunction.  In a modern retelling, the Riley that Charity drives so nimbly and expertly would be explained as a particular brand of British Motorcar from a company that began life as the Bonnick Cycle Company in the late 1800s.  Did I need to know that? Nope, I just accepted that it was a car and moved on.  Nor did the author have to omit or make excuses for people smoking constantly and imbibing.  (I’m reminded of a story about the TV series Mad Men which drew comment for the amount of smoking and drinking that went on.  When someone connected with the show spoke with a retired ad man who had worked in that era, the ad man said it was all fairly accurate except that there was even more drinking and smoking.) The plot twists and turns as Charity tries to figure out who to trust and, more importantly, who NOT to trust.  There are exciting car chases through the villages and countryside, around winding streets and into back alleys. I’m not usually one for car chases but these manage to be both tense and interesting. The thing I liked least about the book?  The title. It sounds so formal, not reflective of the lively story. How's that for a minor quibble?

For me, the book certainly passes the test of time and I look forward to reading more by Mary Stewart.