Die Upon a Kiss

To my shame, I found the geopolitical strands of this novel a bit overwhelming. Austrian spies abetting anti-Spanish insurrections in South America, operating out of New Orleans. It seemed a bit far-fetched to me, and I was inclined to believe that the Italian patriots in the opera company were paranoid. Which they were, but that doesn't mean that the Austrian Empire wasn't out to get them. All this history needed another full novel just to set the scene, but Barbara Hambly has a habit of filling the novels in this series with so much plot that another author would stretch it out to two or three books apiece.

Which means that geopolitics notwithstanding, there was plenty to enjoy. Beyond the plotlines, in fact, one could delight in show more discovering that ballet dancers of that era did toe dancing supported by wires, that the impresario who inserted popular tunes of the day into a Mozart opera was a philistine, of course, but following accepted custom. The denouement involving a production of Orfeo ed Eurydice featuring a chorus of Africans was shattering.

And Rose and Benjamin shared their first kiss. Talk about a slow burn. show less

This book happened to catch my eye at the library. I don't think I knew that Ms. Hambly wrote mysteries before I found this volume. It's actually the 5th book featuring Benjaman January, a free man of color in New Orleans in the early 1800's. Like other Hambly characters, January is prone to omni-competence, which would detract if he wasn't such a beautifully developed character. Yes, he's both a competent surgeon and an outstanding musician, but all of it is part of who he is, not just skills tacked onto him. I feel I would recognize Mr. January if I passed him on the street.

Like all Barbara Hambly's books I've read, the setting is lavish in realism and detail. The plot almost, but not quite, gets lost in the rush and whirl of New show more Orleans during Carnivalle. The mystery was nicely done, and the characters were all lushly real. I've already requested the first book in this series from my local library.

If you're ONLY interested in the mystery aspect of a novel, skip this one. While the mystery alone is good, it only sings in the context of the setting and outstanding characters. However, if you enjoy historical fiction of any sort, if you enjoy a character-driven story, or if you're interested in what Opera was like in the early 19th century in New Orleans, read this book. show less

I like this series. I like the history and the books seem to be to explain New Orleans and maybe the south in general. The rights or lack thereof of women is also interesting. In this book, world history gets involved with Austrian spies and Italian spies involved. I was a little confused about some of that but still like this book and this series.

TOO complicated, I kept telling myself, but I liked the pomp of opera and the generous-hearted hero and his fascinating sisters. While I love the side characters of Hannibal and Shaw, EVERY scene with them involves opium for Hannibal and spitting tobacco juice for Shaw. I could have used the cues for the new characters to the series, the walk-ons, whom I could not keep straight. What did I learn? A lot about slavery, New Orleans, opera. The smells and sights are vivid - I am hungry now for dirty rice and oysters. And I learned, as I did in her last novel, that it is indeed possible to develop generosity in the face of severe oppression.

I have loved the Benjamin January series up to now, but this one was so slow I had a hard time finishing it. It did pick up in the last half and I give it 3 stars for that part. Too many characters and the slow plot kept it from being as good as the previous books.

I
don't know where to begin...... Benjamin January, a French/Spanish/English speaking Freeman in New Orleans, is the pianist for the Opera Othello...... The impresario is threatened & attacked as is the Ballet Mistress......

There is shady dealings, jealousy, hatred, and major rivalries.

The book contains a plethora of historical facts & details of Southern customs, slavery, mistresses of color, and southern prejudices.

There was too much confusion for me..... I could never tell what was going on. All the background information of the era, characters' histories, and jumping from part to part within the chapters, confused the hell out of me, and this all made for very difficult (many times boring) reading. Which is such a shame because I show more like M'sier Janvier's character and his history, he is a very interesting & likable character..... I really wanted to like this book, I get sad when I am disappointed like this show less

freed slaves in New Orleans, at the turn of the century, and the beginnings of opera. way cool.