Friday, February 20, 2009
Silent on the Moor by Deanna Raybourn
Published by MIRA Books
ISBN-13: 978-0778326144
ISBN-10: 0-778326144
Available March 2009
Lady Julia does it again!
Lady Julia Grey is at it again. Nicholas Brisbane tells her to stay away, but she ignores his request and heads with her sister to his newly-inherited estate. She arrives to find the previous family still inhabiting the grounds, with Brisbane maintaining a discreet distance. Not long after her arrival, Lady Julia is asking questions and wondering why Brisbane chose this estate, with this family, when both are succumbing to the ruins that can only come from a fallen fortune and neglect. What Lady Julia discovers is that she has insinuated herself in the middle of a mystery, and she continues to unravel the threads to understand the man she has come to love.
Silent on the Moor is the third book of Ms. Raybourn’s Lady Julia Grey mysteries. I must confess that I haven’t read the first two installments, so I was a little disappointed when I realized this novel had less romance than it did mystery – I was expecting lots of romance. I was wondering why Nicholas had such a bit part, and when he was in the story, it wasn’t very in-depth. I found it difficult to believe in their relationship because there wasn’t any chemistry between the two characters, and the author didn’t seem too concerned with developing the romance. It wasn’t until I started looking for the first two books did I realize their history has already been established and I had missed the boat. I highly recommend reading the first two books first if you’re interested in the development of the relationship, but it isn’t necessary if you’re more interested in a very intriguing, keeping-you-guessing, mystery.
Ms. Raybourn kept me guessing through this book and I really enjoyed the character of Lady Julia. I found myself looking forward to my time reading when this book was waiting for me, and I began looking for books one and two as soon as I finished the last page.