Wildfire at Midnight (1956)

Mary Stewart's mystery/romances are my chicklit. So when it's raining out and I'm feeling lazy and such, they're pretty much perfect for my mood. I curled up with this one today and polished it off in an hour. If you've read any of Mary Stewart's other books, apart from the Arthurian ones which are a whole different kettle of fish, you'll be pretty familiar with the formula: pretty high class woman who works for a living but has ties to the aristocracy, still girlish and a bit naive, gets swept up in some kind of mystery and manages to solve it all -- or at least be the instrument of the men solving it all -- while stumbling around and getting herself into trouble.

Gianetta probably isn't the most striking of Stewart's heroines, and the romance is less developed -- I'm really not so keen on Nicholas Drury; I was far more interested in the mystery, which was predictable enough, but kept me guessing as to motive.

When people say 'cosy mystery', this is probably more or less what they're thinking of. ( )

This Mary Stewart story about murder on the Isle of Skye has always been a favourite of mine. It is very atmospheric with lots of rain and highland mists. I like the fact that it is tied to a particular time, close to the coronation of Queen Elizabeth 11 and with everyone tuned to the wireless to hear about the mountaineers trying to scale Everest.

The heroine is attractive, lacking in confidence like several other Stewart heroines, but showing a decided amount of spirit particularly in the breathtakingly scary ending. I do not find the romance particularly convincing. Gianetta may still be in love with her ex-husband, but we see him so infrequently that it is hard to make a judgement about his character.
Stewart's other characters are better drawn, with a wide variety featuring in one of those closed communities so beloved of Golden Age crime writers. I particularly liked sultry actress Marcia Maling causing havoc with married couples. I also love the claustrophobic atmosphere in the hotel as danger draws ever closer with all of the guests potential murderers.
For newcomers to Stewart's magical blend of mystery, crime and romance this is a good novel to start with. ( )

Model Gianetta Brooke was the picture of sophistication - and a complete innocent - when she married author Nicholoas Drury. She wasn't much older when they divorced. Tired and in need of a vacation, Gianetta heads for the hills of Scotland, only to find herself smack in the middle of a terrifying murder mystery. And one of the prime suspects is her ex-husband.

Not Stewart's best, but a spine-tingler, nonetheless. ( )

A well-written story by Mary Stewart, with suspense that will keep you turning pages. I've always liked the way the author paints a vivid picture of the character's surrounding. It's always so beautiful without disrupting the flow of the story - or so I thought.I somehow got a little irritated in the latter part of the story. Every time when I thought that I was close to finding the perpetrator, another landscape description pops up, and it gets a little annoying after a while. At first, I didn't realize it but the moment I closed the book, it suddenly dawned on me that almost half of the book was filled with long, detailed portrayal of the environment. Not that it wasn't a good thing...I guess it just didn't do for me.The characters, I have to say, were interesting though a tad predictable and flat at times. The heroine's romance did not seem palpable to me as the string of incidents that lead up to her disastrous marriage were not fully explained prior to the story. Also, I did not fully grasp the amount of love Nicholas have for her and vice versa. If only the author were to include more of their back story, would things have turned out differently? Well, who knows? It's only my opinion after all. ;DDespite everything, I still think its an enjoyable read! ( )

1956 contemporary romantic suspense set on the Isle of Skye. Fashion model Gianetta Drury needs some peace and quiet, She's never fully recovered from her divorce to the husband she still loves, and London during the build-up to the Coronation is more excitement and fuss than she wants. A holiday on the Isle of Skye seems ideal, until she discovers that her ex-husband Nicholas has signed into the same hotel on the same day. And if that wasn't enough, it turns out that there has been a recent murder, and the other residents of the hotel are suspects. Nicholas isn't exempt, because he was staying in the hotel on a previous trip. And then there is another murder...

While I picked out the correct candidate for murderer readily enough at the first clear clue/herring, the story's well enough written that it doesn't matter. There's still plenty of suspense in whether the characters will recognise the right pattern in time. The book has some engaging lead characters in a strongly drawn setting, and some genuinely chilling scenes. A particular highlight for me was the chase in the fog towards the end of the book. One with re-read potential even after you know the solution. ( )