Book description from the publisher:
"In Grimsgrave Hall, enigmatic Nicholas Brisbane has inherited a ruined estate, replete with uncanny tenants and one unwanted houseguest: Lady Julia Grey.
Despite his admonitions to stay away, Lady Julia arrives in Yorkshire to find Brisbane as remote and maddeningly attractive as ever. Cloistered together, they share the moldering house with the proud but impoverished remnants of an ancient family: the sort that keeps their bloodline pure and their secrets close. Lady Allenby and her daughters, dependent upon Brisbane and devastated by their fall in society, seem adrift on the moor winds, powerless to change their fortunes. But poison does not discriminate between classes. A mystery unfolds from the rotten heart of Grimsgrave...."
My thoughts:
I couldn't wait to read the third and latest installment of the Lady Julia Grey Victorian-era romantic mystery, Silent on the Moor. Deanna Raybourn sets the stage in a crumbling mansion on the Yorkshire moors, and this time, Lady Julia is determined to confront Nicholas Brisbane and settle the question of their personal relationship once and for all -- do they have a future together as equal partners, or will they allow the societal constraints of their time to keep them apart? Their relationship, maddeningly, has been "two steps forward and ten steps backward" in the previous two books, so I was absolutely expecting a resolution to this matter, one way or the other.
Along with the problem of sorting through the difficulties of their personal relatiosnship, Lady Julia and Brisbane become involved in another deadly mystery...someone wants Brisbane dead, and any one of the strange inhabitants of Grimsgrave could be the culprit. Julia makes a horrifying discovery while attempting to help Brisbane set things to order in the house, and together they uncover a wicked Allenby family secret.
This was such a great read, and I'm completely satisfied with the conclusion of this book. Brisbane was finally able to approach Lady Julia as an equal, and in their world, it was an absolute necessity that they be on equal ground. I was laughing and crying at the end, and for me, it just doesn't get any better than that! I highly recommend this series by Deanna Raybourn to anyone who enjoys a mix of elements in their reading -- there is a nice blend of period details, mystery and suspense, romantic tension, humor, atmospheric settings, and nods to many of the classics...you'll see subtle references to Poe, the Brontes, and all of her chapters begin with a Shakespearean quote. A real treat!
Title: Silent on the Moor
Author: Deanna Raybourn
Publisher: MIRA books
2009
465 pages
5 stars = Loved it! Highly recommended
2 comments:
This is right up my alley! I'll be checking this one out of the library this week. Though I probably should read the first two installments first. Ms. Raybourn sounds like a gifted author and storyteller.
Oh, yes, please read them in order to understand the dynamics of the relationship between Lady Julia and Brisbane. Hope you enjoy the books!
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