The Crown

Summary:

Joanna Stafford, a Dominican nun, learns that her favorite cousin has been condemned by Henry VIII to be burned at the stake. Defying the rule of enclosure, Joanna leaves the priory to stand at her cousin’s side. Arrested for interfering with the king’s justice, Joanna, along with her father, is sent to the Tower of London.

While Joanna is in the Tower, the ruthless Bishop of Winchester forces her to spy for him: to save her father’s life she must find an ancient relic—a crown so powerful, it may possess the ability to end the Reformation.

With Cromwell’s troops threatening to shutter her priory, bright and bold Joanna must decide who she can trust so that she may save herself, her family, and her sacred way of life. This provocative story set in Tudor England melds heart-stopping suspense with historical detail and brings to life the poignant dramas of women and men at a fascinating and critical moment in England’s past.

(GoodReads)

Review:

One day at the library, I was discussing with a well-read patron my need for a new historical fiction writer, as I had exhausted many of the works of my favorites. She suggested Nancy Bilyeau, an author whose name I had heard mentioned in various historical fiction circles. I searched within the libraries catalog and was pleasantly surprised we carried the very book the patron had stated was the one that got her hooked on the author. I immediately went to the stacks, pulled the book, and began to devour it on my lunch break, and might I say:  Who knew the lives of nuns and monks could be so exciting?

After reading, “The Crown”, Nancy Bilyeau’s first installment in the Joanna Stafford series, my assessment of the men and women of the cloth has gone from one of meek and mild-mannered devotees to that of cunning and intelligent sleuths doing all they can to protect their home, faith, and way of life. The story begins with Joanna Stafford, a young and naïve member of the fallen royal Stafford house recently turned novice Dominican nun, wandering unaccompanied through London’s Cheapside. King Henry VIII has announced that there is to be a traitor burned at the stake, and Joanna is desperately searching for its location to confirm her worst fear—that the intended burn victim was to be her beloved cousin Margaret.

Margaret, like many devout Catholics at the time, was angered and enraged by King Henry’s nonchalant casting off of the old ways in favor of the new religious separation from Rome. This separation was brought about by Henry’s anger over not being granted an official divorce by the Pope, allowing him to marry his Boleyn mistress. All who opposed him by standing up for their religious beliefs were labeled traitors and effectively dealt with as such. Margaret was no exception. Accused of leading an uprising, or rather not talking her husband out of a revolt, she is sentenced to death by burning. Catching wind of King Henry’s intentions for her cousin, Joanna sneaks out of Dartford Priory to try to convince those in charge that her cousin should be spared. That is when her trouble begins.

After attempting to be near her cousin in her finals moments of life, Joanna is accused of trying to help Margaret escape, and finds herself locked in the Tower of London. While held captive, she has a chance run in with treacherous and deceitful Bishop Gardiner, who bribes her to join his search for the infamously cursed Athelstan Crown. This sets Joanna off on a path of mystery and intrigue, leading her to not only question the church, but her own faith as well. With a new obstacle around every corner, Joanna finds herself in some not-so-nun-like situations, relying on her wit and instincts to pull her through, while all along attempting to preserve her commitment to not only her family, but the fold as well. With the amount of excitement and deceit that unfolds along her path, it is easy for the reader to forget they are reading about nuns, monks and priests.

As a self-proclaimed historical fiction junkie, I must say I am rather impressed with Nancy Bilyeau’s novel, “The Crown”. While it is not a easy to devour as a Philippa Gregory novel, (I am a little bias, as Ms. Gregory is my favorite author of all time) it is closely comparable and is chalked full of good, down and dirty Tudor suspense, stratagem, and huggermugger. I would highly suggest this as a good place to venture once you have exhausted the entire Gregory catalog. I give this book 4 stars overall and 5 stars for the mysterious plot line. I look forward to reading another of her works soon!

An Old Betrayal

Summary

On a spring morning in London, 1875, Charles Lenox agrees to take time away from his busy schedule as a Member of Parliament to meet an old protégé’s client at Charing Cross. But when their cryptic encounter seems to lead, days later, to the murder of an innocuous country squire, this fast favor draws Lenox inexorably back into his old profession.

Soon he realizes that, far from concluding the murderer’s business, this body is only the first step in a cruel plan, many years in the plotting. Where will he strike next? The answer, Lenox learns with slowly dawning horror, may be at the very heart of England’s monarchy.

Ranging from the slums of London to the city’s corridors of power, the newest Charles Lenox novel bears all of this series’ customary wit, charm, and trickery—a compulsive escape to a different time.

(From Goodreads)

Review

            In the latest installment of the Lenox Detective series, Charles Finch evokes the time-tested feel of a “Sherlock Holmes” mystery with his novel “An Old Betrayal”.  The year is 1875, and the opening scene plants the reader in the chambers of the British Parliament.  Charles Lenox, a former, yet highly regarded detective, has left his investigative vocation for a less exhilarating position as junior Lord of the Treasury in the House of Commons. When he receives word that his protégé, Lord John Dallington, needs assistance with a pressing new case, Lenox jumps at the chance to delve back in to his once well-loved profession.  

            On the day that the duo is to meet with their new client, Dallington falls ill, leaving Lenox to take the meeting on his own. But when the meeting falls through due to enigmatic circumstances, Lenox is filled with more questions than he began with.  Little does he know that that initial cryptic failed-consultation will open up a Pandora’s Box of intrigue, scandal, and death that will take him to the doorstep of the Monarchy. A centuries old grudge transforms itself into a contemporary mystery for Lenox and Dallington, instilling horror and fear in the heart of the very Queen herself.

            I am always hesitant to read a piece of fiction that is a part of a series without out first reading all of the books up to that point. On the suggestion of a patron, I broke my own tenet, and picked up “An Old Betrayal”, the 7^th book in the Charles Lenox mystery series, and proved that there are always exceptions to the rule. Although I plan to go back and read the first 6 books in the series, I was pleasantly surprised that “An Old Betrayal” is a fantastic and action-filled standalone that is reminiscent of writing style of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Again, as with most extensive book series, character development is generally complete by book 2 or 3, but in the case of Lenox and Dallington, Charles Finch continues to reveal nuances and attributes that make even the reader new to the series feel as though they haven’t missed anything by starting part way through.

            As with any mystery, a well-defined, yet slowly revealed plot is essential to keeping the attention of the audience. In “An Old Betrayal”, Finch used humor, wit, and period-appropriate vernacular to introduce the plot to the reader in a subtle and colorful fashion, while simultaneously creating two sub-plots. At first, the sub-plots seem completely disconnected from the original crime, but upon further investigation, the connections between them are undeniable and shocking, allowing the reader to believe they have solved the mystery alongside Lenox and Dallington. Oh, but then comes the twist! As with any mystery worth its salt, Finch draws the reader into a solvable situation only to drop a bombshell that will completely catch them off guard. 

           Overall, I must say, I am impressed with the writing skill and attention to detail that Charles Finch demonstrates in this installment of the series. “An Old Betrayal” has given me a new found appreciation for mystery writing that I had all but given up on as a genre. While Hollywood and the rest of the world may be enamored by blood, guts, and sexual intrigue that tend to overshadow a lack of plot, Charles Finch gives the reader a good old fashion murder mystery jammed packed with style, flair, and finesse that has been missing in this genre for quite some time. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series. I give this book 4 stars!

Gone Girl

Summary:

On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer? 

(from Goodreads)

** I would like to preface this review by stating that there will be NO spoilers in this commentary. **

Review:

 I, like many other avid readers, prefer to read the book prior to watching Hollywood’s on-screen interpretation. When I found out that Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn was being made into a blockbuster film, I immediately grabbed the book off the library shelf and began plunking away. I could not have imagined that the journey I was about to undertake would be so infuriatingly long and drawn out.  The novel is broken up into two very distinct and differing sections. The first half I found to be hard to digest, while the second half, albeit more reader friendly, was not as satisfying as I would have liked. For that reason, I am going to assess the novel in two parts. 

PART I-  It is difficult to place my finger on exactly what it was that rubbed me the wrong way about the first section, for the writing was superb. I am leaning towards the notion that the scenarios that were presented were not as true to life as the author was pushing for, leaving the reader full of doubt that the story was really going in any direction. My best description would be that I felt as though I were on a perpetual round-about, desperately wanting to make a right turn to exit, but knowing deep down that once I start a book, I must finish! Previous to my reading the book, a friend had forewarned me that I might feel that way, but suggested that I trudge along because the second section was much more worthwhile.

 The first section of this book is told from a first person point of view through the present eyes of Nick and the past journal entries of Amy. At this point in the story, the reader is unsure of the guilt or innocence of Nick in the disappearance of his wife, although he seems to be a prime suspect.  Amy comes across as a needy and weak wife who desperately seeks the approval of her husband and her parents. Nick, on the other hand, looks to be a pompous and arrogant man-child whose only concern is his own happiness and the hometown bar that he now operates.  I felt as though each narrator was hiding something, and this left me with an mistrustful taste in my mouth. Amy’s depiction of her loving and supportive reverence toward her husband does not mesh well with Nick’s morose view of his wife, causing me to question the integrity of each account. Amy’s sudden disappearance on the eve of their 5th wedding anniversary, with the information given, could not possibly be contributed to anyone but Nick! 

PART II-  In part two of this novel, the truth begins to unveil itself, revealing a lot of ugliness and deception on both sides. Nick is outed as a husband who has made some egregious mistakes, but did they drive him to harm his wife? While Amy, who worked fiercely to uphold her squeaky clean, good girl image, is not necessarily what she seems to be on the surface. Once the reality of the situation is revealed, the ingestion of the story is much more palatable. Flynn’s wit and flair truly shine when she stops trying to deceive the reader. Had she used this approach during the first portion of the piece, I would have found this a much more enjoyable ride.  Without giving away the twist, the finale of the book did raise a lot more questions than answers. I am not one of those readers who must always have storylines tied up with a bright shiny bow, but it would have been nice to walk away with some semblance of justice. In a sense, I felt cheated, making me dislike the author more than the wretchedness of the characters she created. For that reason, I give this book three stars. I hope the upcoming film can redeem my faith in Gillian Flynn.