Lady Anne and the Howl in the Dark

This was one of the most delightful mysteries I have come across in a long time. I am hooked! Lady Anne and the Howl in the Dark is the first in the Lady Anne Addison Mysteries series, which makes me very happy because that means I have more of these wonderful Georgian historicals to look forward to. Author Victoria Hamilton skillfully blends all the best elements of romance and suspense, and the addition of werewolf sightings is icing on the cake. The setting in Yorkshire felt chilling and dangerous – as did the Marquess of Darkefell when Lady Anne Addison first met him.

Lady Anne goes to Yorkshire at the request of her friend Lydia, the sister of Anne’s deceased fiancé. Lydia says werewolves are about. Anne doesn’t believe for a show more minute there are werewolves, but when she discovers a dead body upon her arrival she determines to do all she can to discover what is wrong and to fix it. This is not at all the way ladies of her time and station are supposed to behave. But as Lord Darkefell soon learns – to his alternating delight and dismay – Anne is not a typical lady and won’t be stopped. She is stubborn, willful, and often reckless. She is also intelligent and curious, fearless and loyal, and very alluring to the Marquess. Up to now Anne has considered her fiancé’s death an unhappy blessing and is quite willing to remain a spinster. She has more freedom than a married woman would have and because of her father’s position is wealthy in her own right and well educated. Why would she want to give that all up? But Darkefell has a hold on her that she can’t deny.

It was so much fun to watch the back and forth between Anne and Darkefell. Each is infuriated by the other but also unable to fight the pull between them. I have a feeling (and fervent hope) that Lady Anne and Lord Darkefell will end up together but her narrow escape from marriage to Lydia’s brother has made her very cautious; she will not go quietly, nor would he want her to be a different woman even if he is loath to admit it. The supporting cast of characters is rich and full, well-developed with intriguing backstories that made me want to know them better. Some you will love, like Mary and Osei Boatin, some not so much, but they will all draw you in. And the Yorkshire countryside is so well described you feel you are there.

I was lucky enough to listen to an audiobook version of Lady Anne and the Howl in the Dark. Between author Victoria Hamilton’s superb plot and narrator Danielle Cohen’s superb narration, I often extended my daily walks because I couldn’t bear to stop listening. Fun fact: it took me a while to realize that Victoria Hamilton and Donna Lea Simpson are the same author. No wonder I love all her/their works. Just means more for my TBR. I received my copy of Lady Anne and the Howl in the Dark from the author but was not required nor expected to provide a review. All opinions are my own. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and am thrilled that there are more adventures with Lady Anne and Lord Darkefell waiting for me. show less

Werewolves in the Yorkshire countryside!

Lady Anne Addison's arrival in Yorkshire is surrounded by mishap. The picture of her arrival at the public coaching stop is both daunting and amusing. It does serve to show the mettle of this determined Georgian miss.
Anne has flown to the defense of her friend Lydia after a letter that summons Anne post haste to her marital abode, Darkefell Castle.
Anne's arrival problems compound when she is forced to continue to the Castle on foot. She hears a wolf like howl swell out over the forest, some rustling amongst the trees and undergrowth, and then she trips over a body. Enough to send me scurrying home! Not however Anne. Her arrival at the castle has elements of humor, farce and terror, covered as she show more is in mud and blood!
This is an intelligent young woman who will follow clues and use logic to find the truth of the matter, even as the body count continues to pile up. Anne joins forces with the disturbing Marquess of Darkefell, an enigmatic figure, whom Anne finds herself strongly attracted to. However, Anne's independence is of prime concern to her. No attraction to be acknowledged here! As the mystery unfolds Anne must guard against her feelings for Anthony Darkefell. (An interesting discussion on women and their choices, their finances and their independence after marriage surrounds Anne's misgivings.)
An anomaly therefore! The fearless Anne never falters in her pursuit of the truth but it seems is fearful to pursue the truth where love might be concerned.
Beneath the tale flows an older story that is part of Darkefell and his secretary, Mr. Osei Boatin's past. This is impinging on the present with overtones that might seep into the future. Osei was a slave rescued from a ship by Darkfell and his twin brother. The owner of that ship is a neighbor. There are plots within plots and the source of the threats to Darkefell are varied.
A throughly enjoyable read!
This tale was originally published by Donna Lea Simpson. It has been updated and republished under Simpson's pseudonym, Victoria Hamilton.

A Beyond the Page Publications ARC via NetGalley show less

What a great combination romance and mystery! The Marquess of Darkefell has no idea what he's in for when the spunky Lady Anne shows up on his doorstep one dark rainy eve, covered with blood and demanding answers. Summoned by her friend, Lady Anne refuses to back down to the Marquess, even when he tries using his kisses to distract her. The dialogue is witty and you won't know whether to cheer Anne on or shake your head as she plunges into one thing after another. I found myself chuckling as she got caught snooping on more than one occasion. This book is definitely something worth adding to your library. Even more exciting is that there are two more Lady Anne books coming out continuing the romance and adventure between these two.

I loved Anne. She's smart and no-nonsense, certainly not the hare-brained heroine often found in Gothic novels, though she does share their unquenchable curiosity. I loved her blunt interrogations, her sympathy for others, and her willingness to hold her own against the over-bearing marquess. In many ways she reminded me of Elizabeth Peters' Amelia Peabody, though Anne is certainly quite different (not quite as eccentric), the two share a deep-seated determination and a quick intelligence. Anne is a wonderful character made unique in that she remains ever-conscious of her place in society and the demands it makes of her. If she was sometimes exasperatingly single-minded, it was nonetheless endearing both to the marquess and the show more reader.

The Marquess of Darkefell is an excellent Gothic hero - dark and mysterious, keeping secrets from the heroine and surrounded by a sense danger (but not in a way that has you screaming at the heroine to Run Away, you ninny!). He's at times brash without realizing it (the speech in the church really is a hoot), and he loves to spar verbally with Anne.

I just love the tone, it's very witty. The romantic scenes in particular left me with a smile on my face. That added to the deliciously creepy Gothic atmosphere and the mystery surrounding the werewolf made this a successful blend of genres and an excellent read.

More at my blog.

FTC Disclosure: I received a free review copy from the publisher. show less

But in this case I would have missed out on a well-formed suspense story with only a touch of romance writing. This book has everything that a good cozy mystery needs -- a tower, a castle, a purported werewolf and a terrible mother-in-law -- all scary things!

Lady Anne is a Georgian spinster who is asked by her friend Lydia to come to her new married home and help her find out about the werewolf that has been scaring locals and killing sheep. Of course, Anne is a woman of reason and is sure there is something far less supernatural menacing the residents of this area of Yorkshire. Anne, upon arriving, literally stumbles across a fresh body and thus decides that her true purpose will be to find out who murdered this girl, Lydia's maid. The show more only thing in her way is Lydia's handsome brother-in-law, Lord Darkefell, who seems to be keeping secrets of his own.

http://webereading.com/2009/04/new-release-lady-anne-and-howl-in-dark.html show less

When Lady Anne Addison’s friend Lydia writes her, desperately seeking help with a seemingly supernatural phenomenon and with matters of the heart, Anne sets off at once. When she arrives in Yorkshire, no one is there to meet her and she must make her own way to the manor after the postman acts like he is terrified by her presence. On the way to Darkefell Castle, she is nearly witness to a horrible crime and the mystery complicates before her very eyes. Determined to find out the truth, she only has one man in her way, the Marquess of Darkefell, maddening, secretive, and infuriating but somehow so very attractive.

I expected a romance out of this book, but what I got was a romantic mystery! I didn’t mind. I loved that Lady Anne was show more such a curious, intelligent woman. She’s determined to get to the bottom of things and even though mysteries proliferate around her and everyone wants to keep their mouth shut, she just does not give up. I even liked the Marquess of Darkefell, although to be honest I will probably love any character who knows that Edward of Woodstock was probably never called the Black Prince in his lifetime. In all honesty, though, I liked that he wasn’t nearly so “bad” as he was made out to be by the other characters. I found him quite endearing after we learned what he did and definitely did not do.

As for the plot, I definitely felt it came together towards the end. I figured out who had probably caused the murders and I was pleased when I was correct at least in part; some bits are left unexplained, which is okay since I discovered that this is the first of a series. I certainly never expected the resolution to the werewolf side story. I also found the parts about slavery infuriating, and more so when their truth was confirmed in the author’s note. Such barbarity makes me uncomfortable and I still can’t believe that humans could treat each other so abominably. Certainly made a wonderfully complex character in Osei though and I hope we see more of him.

Overall, I’m looking forward to more from Lady Anne and the Marquess of Darkefell and glad to hear that the next book will be published later this year!

http://chikune.com/blog/?p=660 show less

Summoned to assist a friend, Lady Anne Addison travels to Yorkshire where she immediately discovers a body. Curious to know more when Lord Darkefell wishes to keep things hidden, this independent-minded lady begins to ask questions. Can she find a murderer without bringing danger on herself?

The mystery in this book is excellent. The clues are scattered throughout the book and the solution is not immediately obvious. Lady Anne was an interesting main character. She is not beautiful, in fact, she's rather plain. She has a keen mind and isn't ashamed to use it. Her desire to help her friend made her sympathetic.

Lord Darkefell, on the other hand, I did not like. He was the epitome of a brooding, angry man, and for the life of me, I could show more not understand what attracted Lady Anne. She claims to be drawn to him, but why? Because he was handsome? He was a complete jerk!

The plot moved at an excellent pace., and the story remains in the bounds of what I would call a clean book. The supporting cast served their purpose, though none stood out as particularly unique.

For readers interested in Georgian mystery, I would recommend this. I was given a copy through NetGalley for reviewing purposes and all opinions expressed are my own. show less