From earlier this year.
Reluctant Witness
Author: Kathleen Long
ISBN: 0-373-22959-3 (Harlequin Intrigue)
Finished/Tossed: 28 January 2007
Who: Kerri Nelson, sculptor and Wade Sorenson, owns Sorenson Construction
From the back: He’d witnessed a heinous crime and now Kerri Nelson’s young son insisted on testifying. Part of her was proud, but a bigger part wanted to wrap him in her arms and run. Then her nemesis–and one-time crush–Wade Sorenson stepped in and insisted on keeping them both safe. She had had no intention of relying on the man she blamed for shattering her family…until someone came after her little boy. Kerri soon found the safest place was in Wade’s arms–which scared her more than any elusive criminal ever could. And made her realize how much she still had to lose.
Comments: I’ve made it a habit to keep an open mind when reading a mystery. I’m never sure if the author is the type to practice a bit of misdirection. So even when the author seems to be pointing at one suspect, I watch out for hints that there might be another possibility. In this story, it’s Wade’s connection to a mob family that hints at a second suspect: in his youth, his friend was the son of a prominent mob boss. The father took a liking to Wade and treated him like a son.
Because of this connection, Wade is trying to keep his business reputation above reproach. It is so important to him that he convinces Kerri to allow Tom to come forward. It wasn’t his intention to put the boy’s life in danger, of course, but he takes their safety into his own hands and they go into hiding. The problem is, they can’t seem to lose the attacker. This doesn’t improve his relationship with Kerri.
Kerri is frightened for her son’s safety, and very protective of him. When she does something stupid, like take her son out in public, you wonder if she’s lost her common sense. To be fair, she wasn’t aware that their attacker had manage to follow them, or the fact that even with a dye job and hair cut, she would be instantly recognized. Also, she’s trying to maintain a little normalcy for Tom, and taking him to the boardwalk for breakfast and skee-ball seemed harmless to her.
I don’t know how your average 10-year-old would behave in this situation, but Tom handled himself well. I liked the fact that the author chose to make the boy an avid reader who becomes heartbroken when his favorite books are destroyed. Tom adores Wade, who was his father’s best friend. The boy idolizes him and Wade is very patient with him.
Running for your life and trying to protect a child can put a damper on a relationship. It doesn’t help matters that John Nelson died on one of Wade’s constructions sites, and Wade testified to the fact it was John’s own negligence that caused the accident. Kerri believes that Wade betrayed John’s memory by placing the blame on him, even if it was his mistake. They haven’t spoken in three years, and then Wade shows up on her doorstep and insists that Tom come forward. It seems that Wade’s been in love with her a long time, even before John asked her to marry him. He even gave her an amethyst heart that she still carries as a good luck charm (which begs the question, in this day and age, why she didn’t ask Wade out after accepting the necklace?)
All in all, I thought the book was good introduction to the Intrigue line. I prefer historical to contemporary, so any book I finish that doesn’t leave a bad taste is doing something right. The author didn’t convolute the plot, the arsonist/budding hit man wasn’t over-the-top, and the heroine didn’t cross the “too stupid to live” line.
Book was okay, but not a keeper.
Rating:
Just Ok
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On her way to being presented at court, Catherine Moor fights back with spirit when she is attacked in a teeming London street. Tales of Cat’s adventure reach the queen, who — impressed with the young woman’s lively mind — claims her as a lady of the bedchamber.
Author: Anne Herries
ISBN: 0-373-30511-7 (Harlequin Historical)
Finished/Tossed: 4 July 2007
Who: Catherine Moor and Sir Nicholas Grantly
When: September 1560; 1571-1573
This is the second book in The Elizabethan Season mini-series. Elizabeth has been on the throne for approximately 12 years. It is the “summer” of her reign, a time that sees the exposure of the Ridolfi Plot, execution of the Duke of Norfolk, the massacre of Huguenots on St. Bartholomew’s Eve, Francis Drake setting off to the Americas to plunder Spanish shipping, and, of course, her advisors attempting to marry her off to the duc d’Alençon.
The hero of this book is Sir Nicholas Grantly, younger brother of Harry Grantly. Harry died in Italy while on his Grand Tour with Oliver Woodville (hero of Maid of Honor). His brother’s death still haunts him. Though initially an idle courtier, he agrees to work with Walsingham to uncover plots against the queen. He is returning from one such mission when he first meets Catherine Moor, the heroine.
At first, Catherine believes he’s nothing more than a rogue, having seen him laughing at much-tormented actors in a village square. He comes to her aid twice, once on the road to London and then again when she and her father are set upon by thieves. Nick’s flirtatious behavior has her on her guard. She has decided that she rather stay unmarried, caring for her father, and will only agree to a marriage if it’s a love match. Just when his behavior toward her make her think that she might mean more to him than a casual flirtation, Nick leaves London without a word.
On a mission for Walsingham, Nick is gone longer than he expected. He can’t stop thinking about Catherine and comes to realize that she is the only one for him. He fears that she may have long since married. All that he can hope for is that she’s still free and that she might be interested in him. He has no idea just how deep her feelings were when he left.
Catherine believes herself a woman scorned. Her heart is broken and her pride hurt. Having come to Elizabeth’s attention because of her bravery during the attack on her father and herself, Catherine has been a maid of honor to the queen since Nick left London. She has spent that time fending off amorous suitors, holding to her decision never to marry, and continually telling herself that she doesn’t care for Nick and that he is nothing but a rogue and flirt. Catherine is, at times, tedious in this observation of Nick. Fortunately, she never becomes a shrew. That’s Louise Montpellier’s role.
After he returns to court, Nick attempts to woo Catherine. At first, he’s puzzled by her behavior because he’s unaware of the hurt she felt when he left. During one of their verbal sparring matches, the queen commands that Nick write a play and that he and Catherine must perform in it. This provides Nick with the chance to humble himself before Catherine and prove that he is sincere. It works, but now the queen is no longer in a good mood regarding her ladies marrying.
Nick is a nice guy and never really deserves the label of rogue, at least not during the time Catherine is acquainted with him. He must keep up the charade at court as his job is a secret (the queen knows, of course). There are several instances in the book, besides the times he comes to Catherine’s aid, depicting Nick’s acts of kindness to others. Nick thinks himself ambitious, but he comes across as a man determined to learn what really happened to his brother, and his association with Walsingham is a means to an end. Not that he doesn’t want to serve his queen. He just doesn’t come across as a person trying to maneuver for favors in court. Serving the queen and keeping her happy are just survival tactics.
The mystery, which is carried over from Maid of Honor, is still unresolved by the end. However, a little more light is shed on the character of Bevis Frampton, and we now have more of a motive. The supernatural elements are handled better in this book than in Maid of Honor. Though this makes it a better book than Maid of Honor, I will not be keeping it.
The book had me feeling nostalgic for Victoria Holt novels, especially My Enemy, the Queen.
Rating:
Just Ok
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Maid of Honor
Author: Paul Marshall
ISBN: 0-373-30507-9 (Harlequin Historical – Elizabethan)
Finished/Tossed: 4 Jun 2007
Who: Penelope Jermaine and Oliver Woodville
When: November 1558 – January 1559
From the back: As a maid of honor to the Queen, Penelope Jermaine must avoid the pitfalls of Court life — unwary speech and unguarded emotions could prove fatal. A young woman’s reputation must be above suspicion, so she has to tread carefully when Oliver Woodville promises more than mere friendship. Then a shadowy threat menaces Penelope and Oliver. . .
Comments: This is the first book in a four-part mini-series — The Elizabethan Season. As appropriate for the start of a series, it takes place during the months leading up to Elizabeth’s January 15, 1559 coronation, the “springtime” of her reign. The other three books will have a similar “season” theme. I enjoy the Elizabethan era as much as the Regency, so I was really looking forward to reading this series. However, I was disappointed in how the story was handled.
First, the things that worked for me:
Oliver and Penelope’s romance. Oliver was jilted by Penelope’s older sister, Mary. He didn’t foreswear woman or become some cynical rake; instead he turned his attention to serving Lord Robert Dudley, a distant kinsman.. Penelope has loved Oliver since the first time they’ve met, and is distressed that her sister could treat him so cruelly. Penelope, thanks to Mary’s intended, ends up as a maid of honor to the queen. This brings her and Oliver together and they renew their friendship. The romance blooms from a natural start as friends. It never feels forced or contrived.
William Cecil. With everything else the man had on his plate as the queen secretary of state, he’s saddled with solving a murder. He believes, rightly, that Oliver is innocent of the crime regardless of the only tangible evidence. However, the victim is a prominent Catholic. Cecil knows that failing to arrest Oliver will give the impression that “the new Queen’s government was happy to see Catholics murdered.”
What I didn’t like:
The plot/mystery. Oliver is suppose to have a secret enemy. However, there is never any mystery. Mary’s intended, the Earl of Castleford tells Oliver that he will kill him, and is responsible for the first two attempts on his life. Thanks to the author’s habit of point-of-view hopping, we know that Bevis Frampton is also out to get Oliver (Oliver doesn’t suspect him, so maybe that’s why it’s considered a “secret” enemy). His motivations for wanting to kill Oliver are vague. Then Bevis kills Castleford and implicates Oliver (Castleford fired Bevis after the first attempt on Oliver failed and Bevis hopes that Oliver will be hauled off to the axeman without delay). When that doesn’t work, he tries two more times: he hypnotizes Castleford’s valet, making him a sleeper agent – and when that fails, he tries poison. That, too, fails. Finally, he gives up trying and literally gets away with murder: no one knows he’s the one who killed Castleford. Someone that obsessed with killing a person wouldn’t just give up — like someone trying to hit a bulls eye — after four or five tries. Oh, and one more thing: Bevis worships Satan.
The characters. Oliver and Penelope were too perfect – it would have been better if they had succumbed to their desires the night Castleford was murdered. It would have made them seem more real and her confession as Oliver’s alibi would have had more of an impact. Mary and Castleford – both one-dimensional. Bevis – well, see above.
This negative reaction to the book will not prevent me from reading the rest of the series. Two of the books are written by another author.
Rating:
Just Ok
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