REVIEW: THE LANTERN by Deborah Lawrenson

This is yet another recent book that cements my assumption that Provence is enchanting.  Of course, in my fantasy, there is significantly less murder and suspicion than in this book (or Death at Chateau Bremont). Still, I too dream of a run down but livable field stone farmhouse, with an aging orchard and lavender fields, stretching out behind it.  My chief responsibilities would be writing, reading, wandering and gardening.  My ideas don't vary much from the main narrator.  Eve escapes from a barely rewarding career to a storybook villa in the countryside of France.  But a cloud shadows her sunny outlook when her boyfriend begins acting suspiciously.

An abandoned home in Provence / http://abandonedplaces.livejournal.com/2118536.html

The book switches between two narrators, whose stories slowly meet in the middle.  Firstly, the main, modern-day narrator deals with her growing doubts about her boyfriend's honesty.  Her efforts to gain any insight from him only drive them apart, so she resorts to her own research -- neighbors, newspapers, gossip -- and learns that he was married before, to a woman named Rachel.  She struggles between calming her racing imagination and her fears that she might be the next woman in his life to disappear. 

The second narrator, as it quickly becomes clear, is a woman who lived in the same cluster of buildings about 60 or so years previously.  Her family ran the farm as best they were able, despite one daughter's blindness, a son's familial betrayal, and a father's sudden death.  This narrative is rife with vivid descriptions of Provence's scents and sights -- particularly as the sisters embark on a lavender and perfume venture.  

The book is certainly engaging and will make you want to keep reading.  At times the switching between narratives is a bit distracting, especially when it is too frequent.  While it bears certain resemblances to the great Rebecca, I do wish the author had not so blatantly referred to it within the story.   She even calls herself out in the naming of Rachel - another of Du Maurier's lesser-known characters.  It would have best been addressed (if at all) in an author's note, explaining her fondness for the Du Maurier's stories. 

All in all, it is a solid novel and an enjoyable read.  Those who enjoy a modern gothic tale will want to check this one out.

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Thank you to the kind folks at HarperCollins for the review copy. 

Author Deborah Lawrenson's site. 

ISBN: 9780062049698

ISBN10: 0062049690

Imprint: Harper 

On Sale: 8/9/2011

Format: Hardcover

Trimsize: 6 x 9

Pages: 400, $25.99, Ages: 18 and Up

REVIEW: DEATH AT THE CHATEAU BREMONT by M.L. Longworth

Any lover of wine, cigars, and old world charm -- as well as a good yarn -- should read this mystery.  It poses no genre-defying questions,  and it really doesn't really hold any gasp-enducing surprises.  But that's ok, because it is the perfect hammock read for the summer.  Antione Verlaque is a slightly cranky, somewhat older, but not yet entirely jaded, magistrate of Aix-en-Provence.  When the heir of the local aristocracy turns up dead, he reluctantly begins an investigation.  What at first seemed like an accident turns out to have more mysterious circumstances.

A chateau in Provence

Longworth's greatest strength lies in her ability to paint a picture of the setting.  The south of France is a locale most can only dream of visiting, let alone living in, and her descriptions are intoxicating.  The rhythm of daily life with cafes, tobacco shops, gardens, groves and jaunts to the sea are fabled, to be sure, and she makes them real for a modern reader. 

The cour Mirabeau, a main location in the novel

Longworth is also able to create realistic dialogue among her characters.  Verlaque has a complicated relationship with an ex-girlfriend, Marine Bonnet, but he must include her in the investigation.  Their awkwardness is palpable.  Bonnet's best friend, Sylvie, is blunt, funny and outspoken (At times I wondered if she were named after Audrey Hepburn's best friend in Charade).  These very distinct characters make for a fun jaunt of a murder mystery.

At some points, the mystery itself is a bit weak.  There are no holes, which is always a danger.  Still, the unraveling of the clues themselves is less exciting than her characters' dinner parties.  The climax itself is one that can be seen coming a mile away and leaves the reader yelling at the characters, like a horror movie -- "Don't go in the basement! ... Well, at least turn on the lights if you're gonna do that!" But sometimes the fun is knowing a bit more than they do -- "Well, if I were there..."  And who wouldn't want to be in Provence?

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Many thanks to Gabrielle at Penguin for the review copy. 

Paperback, ISBN 9780143119524 | 320 pages | 28 Jun 2011 | Penguin | 8.26 x 5.23in | 18 - AND UP 

Author M. L. Longworth's site.