Silent In The Grave
by Deanna Raybourn
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Book Reviews of Silent In The Grave
Book Review: Has Me Hooked
Summary: 5 Stars
After working my way through Tasha Alexander's Lady Emily mystery series, I was hungry for more Victorian-era mysteries that feature a strong female character. Enter Deanna Raybourn's Lady Julia series, which begins with "Silent in the Grave". I was unsure whether I would find the new series as good as the one I had come to love, but this initial book has me hooked.
Lady Julia Grey and her husband Edward are hosting a dinner party when Edward collapses and dies. He has always had a weak heart, so while Julia is sad at his passing, it isn't entirely a shock. However, she is introduced to Nicholas Brisbane, a private investigator Edward had hired shortly before his demise. Edward was convinced that someone was going to murder him, and after his death Brisbane tries to convince Julia to continue the investigation.
A year after the event, Julia decides to pursue what her husband had started. It's obvious that Edward was poisoned, but who had the means or motive? Brisbane agrees to let her assist him, but the two constantly clash over what should be done and who should do it. Various clues point toward inside Julia's household, but there are simply too many possibilities: her former-prostitute-turned-maid, a gypsy laundress, a footman with an unsure past, and even Julia's own family. Once she begins looking, Julia is unable to rest until she knows the truth - no matter how unpleasant it seems. And this is something that may get her into more trouble than she realizes.
One reason I love Tasha Alexander's Lady Emily books is that they mix mystery with society and add in a dash of colorful characters. Deanna Raybourn's Lady Julia series is similar in that there is a huge dose of mystery and a small helping of society. The characters, however, are stellar. The book is worth reading simply for the descriptions of Julia's family. And despite "Silent in the Grave"'s long length (the hardback comes in at 509 pages), it has me hooked into the series.
Book Review: Forsaken by Clio
Summary: 1 Stars
The book begins with a fine opening line. Unfortunately, it's all downhill from there. The author claims a major in history, but there is nothing authentic or convincing about the historical setting. The characters, especially Lady Julia Grey, are unconvincing and inconsistent; I found it impossible to believe that Lady Julia was a well-born Victorian, her actions defying credibility. Masquerading as a man? Hobnobbing with gypsies and prostitutes? Accepting a sister's Sapphic sex life without a qualm? Lodging a very modern (and somewhat tiresome) protest against anti-Semitism? I found none of this believable. Although, to be fair, it's not clear that the characters would be any more convincing in a modern setting, so bizarre are their actions and reactions.
Still, as I toiled through this book's 500-odd pages (cringing only slighly at the pretentious and sententious quotes that wasted at least one page at the beginning of every chapter), I did find myself wondering at the apparent compulsion some American authors feel to create aristocratic British sleuths. British writers such as Dorothy L. Sayers and Margery Allingham, conversant with the language used by their aristocratic countrymen and -women, could pull it off. Those less familiar with the sociolinguistics of the British upper classes have a much harder time creating characters who speak like, behave like, react like credible lords and ladies. Historical fiction is even more demanding, requiring not only a sense of place but of time as well. The late lamented Kate Ross, in her Julian Kestrel novels, managed to create a wonderfully believable sleuth who moved in a carefully constructed Regency setting, setting nary a jarring footstep out of time. While I wanted to like this first novel, I found myself comparing it very unfavorably to the talented Miss Ross's oeuvre. To paraphrase advice once given to Tony Hillerman, "If you must write mysteries, at least leave the nineteenth century out of them."
Book Review: HEATHCLIFF MEETS EMMA PEEL
Summary: 5 Stars
I was desperate for something to read and picked up this book from the shelves of my local mega-pharmacy. I'm an author and literary fiction reader, but will occasionally dip into mass fiction if I'm sufficiently book-deprived. I've found that most of the national best sellers fall far short of the hype on their covers.
Silent in the Grave did not. Beautifully written from the first sentence to the last, Raybourne's debut novel could be used for teaching purposes in many creative writing programs. This is a solid, historical/thriller/romance with depth and panache. It deserves serious readers. And study by writers--this is a good example of solid writing technique, plotting, pacing and characterization. The details are delightful.
I fell in love with Raybourne's characters--all of them, from the nutty, aristocratic March family to that brooding, deadly and delicious hunk, Nicolas Brisbane.
She has created an intriguing bond in the relationship between Lady Julia Grey and the tortured, super sleuth, Nicolas Brisbane. I was reminded of the 1960s British cult hit, The Avengers. The Lady Grey/Brisbane interactions call to mind the spicy, teasing and utterly mesmerizing relationship between John Steed and Emma Peel in the TV hit.
When reading Silent in the Grave, I thought, "It's The Avengers meets Heathcliff." And it is, sort of. Except that this book's amped up for today's market. As in The Avengers, the underlying question is always, "Will they, or won't they?"
How good is this book? I was so charmed by Raybourne's first book that I bought the second one before it was released. I started reading the instant it arrived and kept on until I was finished. Now I'm panting for volume III of the series. She's on a run of winners.
I'm not going to talk about content, since I think that harms the read for others, but I do absolutely recommend this book. A terrific read.
Book Review: One of the best mysteries I've ever read!
Summary: 4 Stars
Silent in the Grave is a thrilling historical mystery that begins with one of the best novel openers I've ever seen: "To say that I met Nicholas Brisbane over my husband's dead body is not entirely accurate. Edward, it should be noted, was still twitching upon the floor." From there, I knew I was going to be in for quite a ride.
No sooner is Sir Edward Gray dead then a mysterious stranger implies to his widow, Lady Julia, that her husband has been murdered. A year later, Lady Julia unwittingly re-opens the case when she stumbles across a mysterious note shoved in a back drawer of his desk. She and Nicholas Brisbane embark upon a dangerous search for the killer.
Don't expect this to be your typical murder mystery. Everyone who lives in the Grey house has a secret to hide, not the least of whom was Sir Edward. I've read enough mysteries to flatter myself that I can figure out the solution to one before the denouement; but even I was unprepared for this one.
My only problem with this book is the fact that the characters seemed to be a little too modern. This may have had something to do with the fact that Lady Julia was raised in a highly unorthodox environment, but there were definitely some situations where my eyebrows were raised and I was thinking, "that really wouldn't have happened back then."
But nothing is as it seems in Silent In the Grave, and each chapter ends with a cliffhanger that leads you wanting to read more (even if it's two am and you're sleep deprived!). I literally did not want to put this novel down, and I look forward to reading the sequel, Silent in the Sanctuary. It's difficult to believe, as Raybourn says in the introduction of Silent in the Grave, that it took two years for her agent to find a publisher for this book.
Book Review: Mixed Emotions
Summary: 2 Stars
Silent in the Grave tries too hard. The mystery is forced; the hero is obnoxious; the author makes some very strange decisions about Brisbane, including making him psychic. (Brisbane's servant is not, as a previous reviewer indicated, Thelonious Monk - he is Theophilius Monk.) The book declares in several places that Lady Julia is the height of elegance, including in the description of the typeface used. I did not find this to be the case; she was awkward, fumbling, selfish, thoughtless, and many other things, but I would not call her elegant.
This is not to say that I did not read the book in a sitting, and that I am not eagerly reading the sequel. I feel about Deanna Raybourn as I feel about Barbara Hambly. I love the worlds they create. I am enthralled with Raybourn's March family, and I enjoy reading about her siblings, her father, her home, her social opportunities, her pet raven, her choices in clothing, etc. It's all wonderful. It is only not wonderful when the author feels compelled to have Lady Julia turn herself into an investigator. If it was just Lady Julia, I'd adore the book. I felt the same way about Barbara Hambly's New Orleans series. I loved Ben January and his world, although I could have done with a bit less moping about his long-dead wife. But when he began investigating, in every book, it got old. I would have been happy to just hear about his opportunities and life and attempts to make a future with Rose.
So I would recommend reading the book, but keep in mind that the entire mystery is completely ridiculous. But Lady Julia's world is worth enduring a bit of ridiculous, even if it does feature a psychic violin-playing tortured anti-hero.