Reviews from SHEILA NATHAN

JANUARY - FEBRUARY  REVIEWS

THE CRIMSON CAVALIER

MARY ANDREA CLARKE

Crème de la Crime / Dufour Editions Trade PBO 2/08

ISBN: 978-0-9551589-5-7

If you enjoy period pieces set in late 18^th century England, where highwaymen, ladies in satin and lace and enigmatic and masterful gentlemen hold sway, you’ll really want to pick up Mary Andrea Clarke’s smashing debut novel THE CRIMSON CAVALIER.  Lively and engrossing, it was a treat to read from beginning to end. 

Unlike other young ladies of her social standing, Miss Georgina Grey is not interested in finding a husband and settling down to domestic bliss. Indeed, much to her elder brother Edward's chagrin, Georgina is determined to go her own way and not be bound by society's strictures. So that when Sir Robert Foster, an unpleasant neighbour and much despised local magistrate, is found murdered near her home, Georgina naturally sets out to discover who murdered the man and why. Unfortunately, the list of who wanted Foster dead is long; and while everyone is sure that the notorious highwayman, the Crimson Cavalier, is responsible for Foster's death, Georgina knows that the Cavalier is innocent. Having reasons of her own for proving that the Crimson Cavalier had nothing to do with Foster’s murder, Georgina soon begins hunting for clues both in society's drawing rooms and the city streets. In this she is ably assisted by her reluctant but loyal maid, Emily, a cunning street urchin, and the intriguing Max Lakesby, who has his own reasons for discovering Foster's killer. The investigation, however, is proving to be a difficult one and time is not on Georgina 's side, for the net seems to be closing around the Crimson Cavalier. Can Georgina unmask a killer before it's too late for the dashing highwayman?

Mystery addicts who especially enjoy historical mysteries will definitely enjoy THE CRIMSON CAVALIER.   True, some of the characters came across as typical stock types -- the stuffy disapproving elder brother, the nasty, vindictive magistrate, and the plucky street urchin, for example -- but Mary Andrea Clarke does such a marvelous job of drawing us into the story at hand, and of creating characters that one comes to really care about, that it is easy to overlook this one small fault. I also enjoyed the rich and evocative atmosphere with which the author imbued the novel, as well as the careful detail that she paid towards describing scenes and characters. Well crafted, swiftly paced and with enough plot twists to keep you glued to the pages, THE CRIMSON CAVALIER is a read not to be missed whether or not you enjoy historical mystery novels.

- Sheila Nathan

THE LOST LUGGAGE PORTER
A Jim Stringer Mystery
ANDREW MARTIN
Harvest Trade PBO 1/08

The third installment in a rather interesting mystery series set in Edwardian England and having to do with the British railways, THE LOST LUGGAGE PORTER was, in my opinion, the most intriguing of the lot. However, I do feel that I must add a word of caution: you really have to be a bit of a railway nut to find this series compelling and absorbing – ordinary readers may find huge chunks of the books a bit boring.

Forced out of his job as a footplate man, through no fault of his own, Jim Stringer has found employment as an official railway detective for the North Eastern Railway at York -- or, as they are also derisively known, the pantomime police. Fearing that his new job will limit him to policing drunken company men, Stringer is almost heartened to read about the porter found dead in his bedroom with his throat cut. Perhaps this will be his first official investigation? However, his first job is to infiltrate a gang of pickpockets operating throughout the line. His superior, Chief Inspector Weatherill, believes that the thieves are working with the aid of crooked railway men, and wants Stringer to identify these men and put a stop to their operations.  In no time at all Stringer finds himself ensconced with the group, who are planning a really big coup. Now all Stringer has to worry about is making sure that these desperate men never realize that he is an undercover policeman.

This series has met with some really mixed reviews: many have found the books to be interesting but totally devoid of thrills and chills. That, I suppose, is what happens when publicity people who have not bothered to familiarize themselves with the product make claims that can sometimes be laughable. Another reason for the mixed reactions may be how much this series is grounded in railway lore; so that unless you are a railway fanatic, or someone who enjoys history, much of the series could quickly become uninteresting. I am not a railway buff, but I will admit that while I did skim through bits of the book, I did find THE LOST LUGGAGE PORTER to be a suspenseful and intriguing read.

To begin with the author did such a great job of creating an atmosphere that was dark and menacing and dismal, that it really did go a long way to making the novel an absorbing read. Something that was much appreciated was how the author vividly brought scenes and characters to life, so much so that it frequently felt as if one were watching an old movie unfold in the mind’s eye. I especially liked the fact that nearly all the characters in this novel were from the working class – this made for a novel change, especially when most historical mysteries seem to be about aristocrats in a glittering society milieu. All in all, I thought that THE LOST LUGGAGE PORTER was a truly worthwhile read; and one that readers should be encouraged to pick up, but forewarned as to what this novel and series is really about.

 - Sheila Nathan