**** - an entertaining blend of Gothic novel, mystery series, and romantic suspense. As I've mentioned before I was reminded of Amelia Peabody investigating the Hound of the Baskervilles. The focus is on the mystery, but the romantic elements are strong. Great fun!Also - Anne is quite skeptical about paranormal elements, which reminded me of my Halloween post!
Thank you to Sourcebooks for providing me with a free review copy of Lady Anne and the Howl in the Dark.
When Lady Anne Addison is summoned to her friend's home in Yorkshire to investigate a series of werewolf sightings, her common sense insists that the beast is mere superstition. Upon arriving at Darkefell, however, she immediately stumbles over the body of a young woman, and she is determined to uncover the truth behind her death.
Anthony Bestwick, the Marquess of Darkefell, has a great deal on his hands - werewolf sightings, prejudice against his African secretary, a ninny of a sister-in-law, and of course dark family secrets. So the last thing he needs is the exasperatingly curious and intelligent Lady Anne poking around.
Where to begin? I loved Anne. She's smart and no-nonsense, certainly not the hare-brained heroine often found in Gothic novels, though she does share their unquenchable curiosity. I loved her blunt interrogations, her sympathy for others, and her willingness to hold her own against the over-bearing marquess. In many ways she reminded me of Elizabeth Peters' Amelia Peabody, though Anne is certainly quite different (not quite as eccentric), the two share a deep-seated determination and a quick intelligence. Anne is a wonderful character made unique in that she remains ever-conscious of her place in society and the demands it makes of her. If she was sometimes exasperatingly single-minded, it was nonetheless endearing both to the marquess and the reader.
The Marquess of Darkefell is an excellent Gothic hero - dark and mysterious, keeping secrets from the heroine and surrounded by a sense danger (but not in a way that has you screaming at the heroine to Run Away, you ninny!). He's at times brash without realizing it (the speech in the church really is a hoot), and he loves to spar verbally with Anne. I love seeing the two of them interact. One of my favorite scenes is when he compliments her terrible hairstyle (in mock-seriousness, of course) and she says:
I just love the tone, it's very witty. The romantic scenes in particular left me with a smile on my face. Check out this excerpt! That added to the deliciously creepy Gothic atmosphere and the mystery surrounding the werewolf made this a successful blend of genres and an excellent read. I highly recommend Donna Lea Simpson's Lady Anne and the Howl in the Dark to people who liked Northanger Abbey, the Brontes, or who enjoy Gothic novels. It won't disappoint!
Interested in other opinions?
Medieval Bookworm
Long and Short Reviews
Peeking Between the Pages
When Lady Anne Addison is summoned to her friend's home in Yorkshire to investigate a series of werewolf sightings, her common sense insists that the beast is mere superstition. Upon arriving at Darkefell, however, she immediately stumbles over the body of a young woman, and she is determined to uncover the truth behind her death.
Anthony Bestwick, the Marquess of Darkefell, has a great deal on his hands - werewolf sightings, prejudice against his African secretary, a ninny of a sister-in-law, and of course dark family secrets. So the last thing he needs is the exasperatingly curious and intelligent Lady Anne poking around.
Where to begin? I loved Anne. She's smart and no-nonsense, certainly not the hare-brained heroine often found in Gothic novels, though she does share their unquenchable curiosity. I loved her blunt interrogations, her sympathy for others, and her willingness to hold her own against the over-bearing marquess. In many ways she reminded me of Elizabeth Peters' Amelia Peabody, though Anne is certainly quite different (not quite as eccentric), the two share a deep-seated determination and a quick intelligence. Anne is a wonderful character made unique in that she remains ever-conscious of her place in society and the demands it makes of her. If she was sometimes exasperatingly single-minded, it was nonetheless endearing both to the marquess and the reader.
The Marquess of Darkefell is an excellent Gothic hero - dark and mysterious, keeping secrets from the heroine and surrounded by a sense danger (but not in a way that has you screaming at the heroine to Run Away, you ninny!). He's at times brash without realizing it (the speech in the church really is a hoot), and he loves to spar verbally with Anne. I love seeing the two of them interact. One of my favorite scenes is when he compliments her terrible hairstyle (in mock-seriousness, of course) and she says:
"Your enthusiasm for my appearance is a paean to the lack of my lady's maid, Mary, who will arrive tomorrow, I hope," Anne said, her tone as dry as his was humorous. "Though if you think this style suits me," she continued, patting her snaky locks, "I'll be sure to have Mary copy its intricacies."
"I'm humbled by your reliance on my opinion of the mysteries of feminine hairstyling."
I just love the tone, it's very witty. The romantic scenes in particular left me with a smile on my face. Check out this excerpt! That added to the deliciously creepy Gothic atmosphere and the mystery surrounding the werewolf made this a successful blend of genres and an excellent read. I highly recommend Donna Lea Simpson's Lady Anne and the Howl in the Dark to people who liked Northanger Abbey, the Brontes, or who enjoy Gothic novels. It won't disappoint!
Interested in other opinions?
Medieval Bookworm
Long and Short Reviews
Peeking Between the Pages
I agree, it's a pretty good one! I'm really looking forward to the next and seeing how things continue to grow between Anne and Darkefell.
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