Nine Coaches Waiting

Linda Martin, a half-French, half-English orphan, is hired as a governess to Philippe de Valmy, the young heir to the Valmy fortune. He lives with his aunt and uncle in his ancestral home near the Swiss border. His uncle and cousin look after the family fortunes, but Linda suspects that things are not as well as they seem when a potshot is taken at Philippe in the woods. Is he in danger of being killed for his fortune?

My previous experience with Mary Stewart was a failed attempt to get into The Crystal Cave, probably not helped by a massive mass-market paperback with small print. That attempt was so long ago that I considered Nine Coaches Waiting to be my “first” Mary Stewart novel, and this is a much better book from her oeuvre to show more start off with. The story rockets along like Raoul’s Cadillac, with just the right amount of twistiness that I had fun trying to predict what would happen next (and was not irritated if I succeeded). The “romantic” part of the romantic suspense that is this book would have probably had me rolling my eyes if I’d picked this up at 15, but there is only a minimum amount of romance in this book, just a couple of smooches and dramatic declarations of love.

This is a good read for when you want to stay put for an afternoon with a big bowl of popcorn and a cozy blanket. show less

[Nine Coaches Waiting] by Mary Stewart
3★'s

What's It About?
A governess in a French château encounters an apparent plot against her young charge's life in this unforgettably haunting and beautifully written suspense novel. When lovely Linda Martin first arrives at Château Valmy as an English governess to the nine-year-old Count Philippe de Valmy, the opulence and history surrounding her seems like a wondrous, ecstatic dream. But a palpable terror is crouching in the shadows. Philippe's uncle, Leon de Valmy, is the epitome of charm, yet dynamic and arrogant—his paralysis little hindrance as he moves noiselessly in his wheelchair from room to room. Only his son Raoul, a handsome, sardonic man who drives himself and his car with show more equally reckless abandon, seems able to stand up to him. To Linda, Raoul is an enigma—though irresistibly attracted to him, she senses some dark twist in his nature. When an accident deep in the woods nearly kills Linda's innocent charge, she begins to wonder if someone has deadly plans for the young count.

What Did I Think?
I probably would never have read the book if not for a challenge that I was trying to complete. It was better than I had anticipated since this is not my usual type of book. It was a good combination of mystery and romance although I wished it had been a little heavier on the mystery side. The atmosphere of the story reminded me a lot of [Rebecca]. Those that like Gothic romance/mysteries will redoubtably love this book. show less

After 10 years in England, first in an orphanage and then working in a boys school, Linda Martin jumps at the first opportunity to return to France as governess to a young Comte. Linda's new employers hadn't asked about her past and, since it seems to her employers that she is English, she doesn't disclose that she had once lived in France and speaks fluent French. Things that at first seem merely odd soon become sinister, and Linda eventually realizes that there is no one in the household that she can trust, especially not the man she has fallen in love with. Will she be able to prevent a great tragedy?

Romantic suspense used to be my favorite genre, and I devoured it in my teens and early twenties. Recently I've been disappointed when show more I've revisited favorite authors from that period of my life. My tastes have changed. Maybe I've outgrown the genre, or the books never were as good as my memories of them. Then I picked up this Mary Stewart and discovered that her work is even better than I remembered. Plot, character, and setting combine in a story that's difficult to put down. Although this book conforms to the basic conventions of the genre, it doesn't feel formulaic. Linda isn't the typical female lead whose silly behavior gets her into trouble and who needs to be rescued by a man. She's smart and strong and a match for any circumstance. The next time I feel an urge to revisit this genre, I won't hesitate to pick up another Mary Stewart novel. show less

Linda Martin, an orphaned English girl, has accepted a job as governess at Chateau Valmy in the French countryside. We know immediately that all is not as it seems in the Valmy household, as does Miss Martin, and the sorting of the good from the bad is a dangerous endeavor.

Reading Nine Coaches Waiting again was like coming home and finding someone had already lit you a fire and left you a hot toddy. I sank back into it, and it was as wonderful as the very first time I read it. When I was young I read this book more than once, and I thought I might find it had lost some of its allure now that I am so much older--NOT SO. It has all those wonderful details that draws one in: the orphaned governess, posing as less than she is, the French show more mansion with vast estate grounds and gardens, the handsome but rakish gentleman, and a life-or-death mystery that must be solved. The thing about Mary Stewart is that she takes all those well-worn elements and creates something new and thrilling from them. She transports you into this imagined world and anything that sounds unbelievable or cliche in a blurb just disappears into her creative and believable writing style. You find yourself holding your breath with Linda Martin and feeling her desperation as she attempts to unravel her suspicions from the facts.

I cannot express how much I love Mary Stewart and her writing. I have discovered that there are two books she has written that I have not read. I am waiting for copies of them to arrive. It is like knowing there is a Godiva chocolate bar hidden just out of reach. I want it now, but I am savoring the knowledge that it will be a delight beyond measure when I finally find its hiding place. Meanwhile, I decided to resample the chocolates that are already sitting on my shelf. show less

Hearing of the recent death of Mary Stewart at the age of 97 sent me back to her books, which I have loved for many years She is a “favourite”author on my profile page.

She wrote some acclaimed books on the Arthurian Legends, but I prefer her Romantic mystery/thrillers , set in foreign locations. She began writing before the age of package tours and the glamour of her locales at a time when few travelled much is a part of the charm.

I chose “Nine Coaches Waiting” as a tribute read. Linda Martin is a lonely, orphaned heroine, engaged as governess to a little boy in a chateau in the French Alps. There is something of “Jane Eyre” about her as she ruefully acknowledges, but a certain mental toughness and a sense of humour prevent show more self- pity.

Her new employers are a strange couple. Madame de Valmy is remote and brittle, barely concealing underlying anxiety. Her husband, Leon de Valmy runs the Valmy estate, a property that will eventually pass to his young nephew Phillipe. Leon is wheelchair- bound, but formidable, and Linda feels manipulated by him from the time of their first meeting.

She is attracted to Raoul de Valmy .Leon’s son, but her lack of self- confidence and his playboy reputation affect their developing relationship. She settles into a routine with Phillipe, but alarming incidents occur which put the boy in danger and she becomes increasingly uneasy.
When Linda feels compelled to leave the chateau with Phillipe the suspense builds in a sequence of events in which they must hide from danger.

Mary Stewart excels at describing place and the book is full of marvellous descriptions of the Savoyard area of France where the story is located. There are some terrific setpieces, particularly in the woods near the estate, and a great sense of movement as the narrative builds to it’s climax.
This story has not dated in the slightest, and in fact she was ahead of her time in creating a dauntless, albeit vulnerable heroine, who will not be beaten no matter what the emotional cost. show less

I thoroughly enjoyed Rose Cottage and Touch Not the Cat, but Nine Coaches Waiting was, far and away, even better — which is saying something. Author Mary Stewart builds suspense in this Gothic novel almost from the very first, and I stayed up way too late in order to savor the thrilling conclusion.

After spending nine years at an English orphanage and several years at a boys’ school, Linda Martin, daughter of an English father and a French mother, is thrilled to be returning to France. She is to be governess to 9-year-old Philippe, Comte de Valmy, the heir to a good-sized estate, held in trust for him by two uncles. But Linda soon discovers that a great deal is not as it should be at Château Valmy. Who at Château Valmy means the show more boy harm? And whom can Linda trust?

The late Elizabeth Peters (pseudonym of archeologist and mystery writer Barbara Mertz) wrote very similar novels of young women launched into danger, suspense novels that I have devoured and adored for years. But I now know that she studied at the feet of Mary Stewart, who seems to have invented the genre. show less

I'm pretty sure I read this back in my youth, but Mary Stewart is always worth a reread. Linda Martin takes a job as a governess to a young French boy, Philippe, the Comte de Valmy. His guardians are his uncle and aunt; the uncle is in a wheelchair but the boy seems afraid of him. Attempts are made on Philippe's life and Linda doesn't know who to trust.
This isn't my favorite Stewart book, but it's still pretty good. The descriptions of the French countryside near the Swiss border are lovely. The characters are appropriately mysterious and the reader can't see the twists coming: is Raoul, the attractive son of the aunt/uncle looking out for Philippe or trying to kill him? The romance happens pretty quick, which is why I took a star off, show more but it's still a great read. show less