Tag: england

Review: Jamaica Inn

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Jamaica Inn by Daphne du MaurierDaphne Du Maurier, Jamaica Inn

Mary Yellan is a young woman who finds herself alone in the world when her mother dies. She decides to seek out her Aunt Patience, who lives not far away at Jamaica Inn. But as Mary travels to her new home, the coachman warns her that it’s not a respectable place and that it could be dangerous for a young woman like her. Nonetheless, Mary continues her journey, but she soon finds that the coachman was right. Her uncle, Joss Merlyn, is a brutish drunkard who completely dominates Aunt Patience with violence. Joss is also involved in some extremely unsavory business activities, which Mary does her best to ignore for her aunt’s sake. But eventually, Joss and his sinister confederates perpetrate an outrage that is too shocking to ignore, and Mary must decide whom she can trust to ask for help.

I’ve read several books by Daphne Du Maurier, and this is the first one that I really didn’t like. Honestly, my overall reaction was simply meh. The prose is too flowery, the plot is too melodramatic, and the whole thing is entirely too drawn-out and predictable. I knew immediately what Joss Merlyn’s mysterious business was, I knew whom Mary would end up with, and I knew who the bad guy was — all before the book was half over. In such a slow-paced book whose main entertainment value is the suspense, this much predictability just made the whole thing dull, in my opinion. So all in all, I wasn’t a fan. It’s one of Du Maurier’s earlier works, though, so presumably her writing style matured over the years. I would definitely recommend Rebecca, My Cousin Rachel or Frenchman’s Creek instead!

Review: Death at Wentwater Court

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Carola Dunn, Death at Wentwater Court

The Honorable Daisy Dalrymple doesn’t need to work for a living, but she’d rather be independent than live with her disagreeable relatives. She works as a journalist, writing about English country houses for the society columns. Her latest assignment is at Wentwater Court; since Daisy knows the family slightly, it shouldn’t be difficult for her to get some good interviews. Daisy arrives in the midst of a small house party and soon notices tension within the group. When one of the guests is found dead, everyone assumes it’s an accident, but Daisy finds evidence that points to murder. Inspector Alec Fletcher of Scotland Yard arrives to take charge of the case, and Daisy is eager to assist the investigation. But what if the murderer is someone she knows and cares about?

This is a fun little cozy mystery set in the 1920s. Daisy Dalrymple is a likable heroine — cheerful, intelligent, modern but not unbelievably so. I often get annoyed with amateur detectives in mystery novels, because they always seem to do stupid things (not tell the police everything, go off to hunt the killer on their own, etc.). But here, Daisy works with the police, and her motives are pretty plausible: she wants to help prove her friends’ innocence if possible, and she’s attracted to Inspector Fletcher. And from Alec’s point of view, it makes sense to ask for Daisy’s help because she knows the people involved but is still a somewhat impartial observer. The actual plot is somewhat unoriginal and forgettable, but the book is still a pleasant read. I wouldn’t mind reading more in the Daisy Dalrymple series.

Review: Mariana

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Susanna Kearsley, Mariana

When Julia Beckett was five years old,  she saw a house while traveling with her family and instantly felt drawn to it. Years later, she sees the house again and impulsively decides to buy it. As she settles down in the country village of Exbury, she is fascinated by the history of her house and the surrounding area. She also begins to experience “flashbacks” from the perspective of Mariana Farr, an inhabitant of the house in the 17th century. The more time Julia spends as Mariana, the more she is captivated by the events of the past — especially when the handsome Richard de Mornay, lord of the neighboring manor, shows an interest in Mariana. However, Julia must eventually discover why she shares Mariana’s experiences and what the consequences will be for her own life.

I had heard a lot of wonderful things about Susanna Kearsley, but I ended up being a bit underwhelmed by my first Kearsley novel, The Winter Sea. I enjoyed this book more, probably because I had more moderate expectations going in. Julia is a likable character, and I really enjoyed her relationships with the other present-day characters, especially her brother Tom. I was actually much less interested in the historical plot line, which is unusual for me. I felt like Kearsley wanted me to care more about Mariana’s story, but I honestly cared more about Julia’s. I wasn’t totally satisfied with the present-day romance either, but I can’t explain why without spoiling the book. Overall, I found this book a pleasant read, but unfortunately it didn’t grab me the way I wanted it to.

Review: The Unfinished Clue

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Georgette Heyer, The Unfinished Clue

This novel begins, as so many British cozy mysteries do, with an awkward weekend at an English country house. Sir Arthur Billington-Smith is a tyrannical husband and father with a terrible temper; therefore, he is less than thrilled when several unexpected guests arrive for the weekend. All the guests dislike Sir Arthur, but since he also happens to be quite wealthy, they are hoping to manipulate him into giving them money. Naturally, Sir Arthur is murdered during the course of the house party, and Inspector Harding of Scotland Yard is called in to investigate. He soon finds that nearly everyone has a motive, but there is a dismaying lack of evidence that any one suspect committed the crime.

I absolutely love Georgette Heyer! I’ve read all her Regency-era romances and am now making my way through her mysteries. As a mystery, I have to say that this book is fairly average. Many of the characters seem two-dimensional and could be found in any number of mysteries from this period: the long-suffering wife, the lively young sister-in-law, the disappointing son, the unworldly vicar, and the sharp-tongued vicar’s wife. Still, Georgette Heyer’s snappy dialogue and characteristic hint of romance made this a fun read for me. I even appreciated the meticulous nature of Inspector Harding’s investigation; I never found myself thinking that the police were jumping to conclusions or overlooking evidence, they way they so often seem to do in mystery novels. All in all, if you’re a fan of Golden Age mysteries, I definitely recommend Heyer’s books.