Madam, Will You Talk?
by Mary Stewart
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Description
Much of a strange and tragic drama of revenge, lust, fear, and death has already been played by the time Charity Selborne arrives at a plush resort in the South of France. But by befriending a terrified boy and catching the attention of his enigmatic, possibly murderous father, Charity has inadvertently placed herself center stage.Tags
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Mary Stewart at her best, proving that she sprang upon the publishing world fully formed and ready to go. This novel has everything that separates her from the pack: a quickly paced plot, a mystery that doesn’t solve itself before the end of the book, descriptions of Roman ruins and natural beauty that transport you to the scene, a heroine who is just an ordinary girl but finds within her the strength to rise to the occasion, and just the right touch of love interest.
I do not read Mary Stewart and see what her characters are doing, I sit with them, eat with them, and herald the morn with them:
How long I sat out there, in a coign of carved stone and rough rock, I do not know. Long enough, I suppose, for my vigil did at length bring in show more the dawn. I saw the first light, forerunning the sun, gather in a cup of the eastern cloud, gather and grow and brim, till at last it spilled like milk over the golden lip, to smear the dark face of heaven from end to end. From east to north, and back to south again, the clouds slackened, the stars, trembling on the verge of extinction, guttered in the dawn wind, and the gates of day were ready to open at the trumpet…
I will admit that part of what makes me love her so much is my long-time relationship with her. She peopled my youth with her characters and stories. When I had graduated from Nancy Drew Mysteries, she was waiting for me, but while Nancy Drew remains a childish adventure, one that it is not even possible to recapture with the same delight, Mary Stewart is as delightful, thrilling and interesting now as she was then. She is a comfort read for me, and this particular book is the writer at the height of her skills and allure.
I am so glad to have read it again after all those years and to have found that, while I have grown old across all those years, it has not. show less
I do not read Mary Stewart and see what her characters are doing, I sit with them, eat with them, and herald the morn with them:
How long I sat out there, in a coign of carved stone and rough rock, I do not know. Long enough, I suppose, for my vigil did at length bring in show more the dawn. I saw the first light, forerunning the sun, gather in a cup of the eastern cloud, gather and grow and brim, till at last it spilled like milk over the golden lip, to smear the dark face of heaven from end to end. From east to north, and back to south again, the clouds slackened, the stars, trembling on the verge of extinction, guttered in the dawn wind, and the gates of day were ready to open at the trumpet…
I will admit that part of what makes me love her so much is my long-time relationship with her. She peopled my youth with her characters and stories. When I had graduated from Nancy Drew Mysteries, she was waiting for me, but while Nancy Drew remains a childish adventure, one that it is not even possible to recapture with the same delight, Mary Stewart is as delightful, thrilling and interesting now as she was then. She is a comfort read for me, and this particular book is the writer at the height of her skills and allure.
I am so glad to have read it again after all those years and to have found that, while I have grown old across all those years, it has not. show less
When Mary Stewart is good, she is really, really good, and this is one of her best. It easily matches the level of suspense that Nine Coaches Waiting has, although in both books you do have to get through a few chapters before you get to the really page-turning stuff.
That car chase in the middle! That hairpin turn of a plot point! I started to suspect, but I didn't think it could really be pulled off...
My clue was the way Mary Stewart had played with a similar idea in Nine Coaches Waiting.
Part of me rolled my eyes a little bit at the quickly sprung up romance, but most of me enjoyed it as part and parcel of this genre of book.
I recommend both of these titles for readers who enjoy some vintage suspense!
That car chase in the middle! That hairpin turn of a plot point! I started to suspect, but I didn't think it could really be pulled off...
My clue was the way Mary Stewart had played with a similar idea in Nine Coaches Waiting.
Part of me rolled my eyes a little bit at the quickly sprung up romance, but most of me enjoyed it as part and parcel of this genre of book.
I recommend both of these titles for readers who enjoy some vintage suspense!
Charity Selborne is on vacation in the south of France with a friend, when by chance she meets David Shelley, an English boy traveling with his stepmother. It turns out that the boy’s father, Richard Byron, is a murderer—and he’s followed David to France. Charity immediately becomes embroiled in the lives of David and Richard, not knowing who she can trust.
Another really great suspense novel from Mary Stewart. One thing she’s really good at is description—you can almost hear the cicadas chirping (well, it was quite literal in my case—I had my window open and the cicadas were working overtime!). Mary Stewart is also known for her exotic locations, and this one definitely didn’t disappoint. The car chase scene is especially show more well done; the tension is palpable, even as we find out what really happened all those years ago. Mary Stewart’s books aren’t by any stretch of the imagination, literature as such (even the cover looks a little bit romance-y), but they’re definitely entertaining, and the perfect end-of-summer read. show less
Another really great suspense novel from Mary Stewart. One thing she’s really good at is description—you can almost hear the cicadas chirping (well, it was quite literal in my case—I had my window open and the cicadas were working overtime!). Mary Stewart is also known for her exotic locations, and this one definitely didn’t disappoint. The car chase scene is especially show more well done; the tension is palpable, even as we find out what really happened all those years ago. Mary Stewart’s books aren’t by any stretch of the imagination, literature as such (even the cover looks a little bit romance-y), but they’re definitely entertaining, and the perfect end-of-summer read. show less
Mary Stewart is a master of romantic suspense. Written in 1955, this is the first novel she had published -- and it is a cracking good story. Mysteries to be solved, danger, a boy and his dog, and a surprising love story all work together to make this a page turner.
I really liked the heroine in this book. She was competent, resourceful, brave, and one heck of a good driver. I was rooting for her and her young friend all the way through the book.
It is set in the 1950s, so attitudes and social mores of the time are reflected. I do hope the French countryside Stewart describes still exists.
If you enjoy romantic suspense and haven't read this yet, what are you waiting for? Grab it and start reading!
I really liked the heroine in this book. She was competent, resourceful, brave, and one heck of a good driver. I was rooting for her and her young friend all the way through the book.
It is set in the 1950s, so attitudes and social mores of the time are reflected. I do hope the French countryside Stewart describes still exists.
If you enjoy romantic suspense and haven't read this yet, what are you waiting for? Grab it and start reading!
One of the best parts of Mary Stewart's writing are her effective descriptions of the settings for her stories. Provence is no doubt wildly different to the 1950's scene depicted in the book and as such, created a nostalgic trip into a vanished countryside.
While this is an enjoyable story involving some 'chase and escape', 'detect and be fooled' situations, the telling had a rather piecemeal effect. Stewart drew rather quick character studies with a tad too much brevity for my liking. The abrupt switch from apparent 'bad guy' to credible lover would have been more sensible with a gentler development. The boy and his dog were the most fun of the group and it was satisfying to see how his relationship prospered with Charity. Nonetheless, show more the plot pulled the reader along in a hell-bent-for-leather pace, much like the main character, Charity Selbourne, drove her Riley. It was a good adventure and a great escape for a couple evenings of reading. show less
While this is an enjoyable story involving some 'chase and escape', 'detect and be fooled' situations, the telling had a rather piecemeal effect. Stewart drew rather quick character studies with a tad too much brevity for my liking. The abrupt switch from apparent 'bad guy' to credible lover would have been more sensible with a gentler development. The boy and his dog were the most fun of the group and it was satisfying to see how his relationship prospered with Charity. Nonetheless, show more the plot pulled the reader along in a hell-bent-for-leather pace, much like the main character, Charity Selbourne, drove her Riley. It was a good adventure and a great escape for a couple evenings of reading. show less
An unusual and somewhat quirky tale, I liked it well enough after I got through the slightly slow start. It didn't take long to take off, and I had to get used to the writing style since it's been awhile since I've read a style resembling it. Characters come alive easily enough, and some are funny with their clear flaws, such as the lazy companion Louise that you can't help but like. David as the child character almost glows with childlike charms and is a favorite of mine throughout the book. The ending is a summary to him as well but in a twisted way that's clever.
Formal writing doesn't mean there isn't humor hiding in the sentences, too, such as this:
"Oh hell." He landed beside me, soft-footed on the pine-needles. "This is beginning show more to have all the elements of farce, isn't it? Too many villains, and nothing to tie them up with."
The mystery is a bit....confusing. More is revealed in stages, but trust me when I say things really are all over the place, almost a little too much.
The first half has genuine tension, I think I was curling my toes a time or two. Really.
Unfortunately the romantic part became oddly clumsy. The characters literally went from distrust and fear of declarations of love within mere paragraphs. My head was still spinning from the speed of it chapters later. The presumptions of marriage were laughable and quick, but it all ended up in happily-ever-after gothic style romance in the end.
I do wonder on the time period with bringing up David of Israel and a twist with Jews tying into the story if there was another political point or inspirational one that the author wanted to put in at the end of the story before closing the book on it.
Not perfect, but enjoyable and well-done. And people smoke in this one - a lot. Don't read it during a time of trying to quit the habit yourself, trust me, you'll be lighting up in no time between the tension and reminders that everyone is constantly smoking. And that Charity constantly bums cigarettes... show less
Formal writing doesn't mean there isn't humor hiding in the sentences, too, such as this:
"Oh hell." He landed beside me, soft-footed on the pine-needles. "This is beginning show more to have all the elements of farce, isn't it? Too many villains, and nothing to tie them up with."
The mystery is a bit....confusing. More is revealed in stages, but trust me when I say things really are all over the place, almost a little too much.
The first half has genuine tension, I think I was curling my toes a time or two. Really.
Unfortunately the romantic part became oddly clumsy. The characters literally went from distrust and fear of declarations of love within mere paragraphs. My head was still spinning from the speed of it chapters later. The presumptions of marriage were laughable and quick, but it all ended up in happily-ever-after gothic style romance in the end.
I do wonder on the time period with bringing up David of Israel and a twist with Jews tying into the story if there was another political point or inspirational one that the author wanted to put in at the end of the story before closing the book on it.
Not perfect, but enjoyable and well-done. And people smoke in this one - a lot. Don't read it during a time of trying to quit the habit yourself, trust me, you'll be lighting up in no time between the tension and reminders that everyone is constantly smoking. And that Charity constantly bums cigarettes... show less
This is a wonderful romantic suspense novel reminiscent of an old Alfred Hitchcock movie. When Charity and Louise check into the quaint Hotel Tistet-Vedene in the south of France to begin their holiday, they meet an interesting array of characters, including a young boy named David and his dog, Rommel. Soon Charity is drawn into a mystery that sends her racing through the countryside, trying to out-smart a deranged killer. There's plenty of intrigue and action as the heroes and villains change places constantly until an exciting car chase reveals all. Entertaining and fun.
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Author Information
51+ Works 40,210 Members
Mary Stewart was born on September 17, 1916 in Sunderland, County Durham, England. She received a First Class Honours B.A. in English from Durham University in 1938 and a teaching certificate in 1939. She taught in elementary school until 1941 when she was offered a post at Durham University. She taught there until 1945 and received a M.A. in show more English during that time. Her first book, Madam, Will You Talk?, was published in 1955. Her other works included My Brother Michael, Touch Not the Cat, This Rough Magic, Nine Coaches Waiting, Thornyhold, Rose Cottage, and the Merlin Trilogy. She also wrote children's books including Ludo and the Star Horse and A Walk in Wolf Wood. She died on May 9, 2014 at the age of 97. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Some Editions
Series
Belongs to Publisher Series
Work Relationships
Is contained in
Three Novels of Suspense: Madam, Will You Talk? / Nine Coaches Waiting / My Brother Michael by Mary Stewart
The moonspinners ; Nine coaches waiting ; The ivy tree ; Madam, will you talk? [omnibus] by Mary Stewart
Touch Not the Cat / The Gabriel Hounds / Nine Coaches Waiting / Madam, Will You Talk? by Mary Stewart
Omnibus 1 : 'Madam Will You Talk?,' 'Wildfire at Midnight,' and 'Nine Coaches Waiting' by Mary Stewart
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Madam, Will You Talk?
- Original publication date
- 1955
- People/Characters
- Charity Selborne; Louise Cray; David Shelley (Byron); John Marsden; Paul Very; Loraine Bristol (show all 8); Richard Byron; Max Kramer
- Important places
- Provence, France
- Dedication
- For my Mother and Father
- First words
- The whole affair began so very quietly.
- Quotations
- She paused a moment when she saw David and the dog, then came forward with a kind of eye-compelling grace which would have tuned heads in Piccadilly, Manchester, on a wet Monday morning. What it did in Povence, where men mak... (show all)e a hobby of looking at women, I hesitated to think.
I get on well with cats. As you will find, I have a lot in common with them, and with the Elephant's Child. - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)And, ten days later, with The Boy David carefully boxed in the back of the Riley, my husband and I set our faces to the South, and the Isles of Gold.
- Original language
- English
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