photo: Raphael Coffey
Happy summer! Summer may not officially start for another ten days, but it already feels in a full swing. The Merola Opera Program, where I spend much of my life when I’m not writing, welcomed a new group of young artists last week. (There I am above with Mélanie when I got back from our Meet the Merolini event last Friday).
In around Merola events, I’m revising Malcolm and Suzanne’s next adventure. I haven’t blogged here in far too long, but i have been on History Hoydens talking about my trip to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and echoes of war in historical fiction.
I’ve also found a bit of time to start summer reading. Last week, even though I really didn’t have time for it, I raced through my wonderful friend Lauren Willig’s wonderful new novel That Summer. Moving back and forth in time between 2009 and 1849, with pre-Raphelite painters and wonderful old English house full of secrets, it’s a fabulous treat for lovers of historical fiction and historical mysteries.
Hope everyone’s summer is off to a wonderful start and includes time for reading. What’s on your summer reading list?
Tracy Grant - Novelist 
June 12, 2014 at 3:42 pm
You both look ready for summer in that photo! I haven’t gotten around to reading The Berkeley Square Affair yet, so that’s definitely on my reading list. I also discovered a new(to me) author of Victorian mysteries, Ann Granger. I enjoyed “The Companion” by her and plan to continue reading the series.
June 12, 2014 at 9:09 pm
I haven’t read Ann Granger’s series’ Karin – thanks for the recommendation. Do let me know what you think of Berkeley Square when you read it.
We were having summer weather when that pic was taken. Now the Bay Area fog is back. Mel is napping in her stroller wearing a coat over her sweater, and I just took off my trencoat. But it’s good writing weather, and neither of us does well in the heat.
June 13, 2014 at 3:38 am
Mom used to say “Fog in summer and summer in spring and fall in San Francisco” …she grew up there. I’m glad to see you’re still with us. You hadn’t posted in so long I was beginning to worry. Glad to see you girls are well and busy. As to the summer reading list, isn’t that just the winter list moved forward? Berkeley Square is on my nightstand but I’m still plodding along with Wolf Hall…and rereading Stephanie Barron’s Jane Austen mysteries. Take care…
June 26, 2014 at 12:02 am
Thanks, Lynne! Sorry I went so long between posts – I think because I’d been posting on History Hoydens I didn’t realize how long it had been on my website. Will do better in the future! So true about the winter reading list moved forward. Do let me know what you think when you get to Berkeley Square!
June 14, 2014 at 9:44 am
I’ve bought Lauren’s new book in audio, so I can listen to it as I drive. It looks excellent!
June 26, 2014 at 12:02 am
Cool, Helena! I think it would be a fun book to listen to!
June 22, 2014 at 4:10 am
I usually love Lauren’s books, but I found That Summer very disappointing. What happened? I know Julia says in the end that it probably doesn’t matter now who killed ____ ____, but after investing time in reading the book, it matters. I have been going over and over all the suspects in my mind ever since finishing it to go through who had motive, means and opportunity and no one character appears to have all three. It is really frustrating because I object to getting to the end of a book and not knowing what happened.
June 26, 2014 at 2:04 am
Suzanne, I also closed the book with some questions, but i actually liked that, because it encouraged me to think about the story. After mulling a bit, I think
spoilers for THAT SUMMER
spoilers
spoilers
That the sister-in-law was involved because she is the one who hid the painting in her wardrobe. i think, though, that the husband would have had to be in on it as well, because it’s hard to see the sister-in-law burying the body on her own. I suppose it could be been the husband on his own and he could have hidden the painting in her wardrobe, but she had to at least have known about it, because the painting wasn’t concealed behind the false wall until the daughter stumbled on it years later. Interesting to speculate. You could ask Lauren on her website if she wants to give an answer – even if she doesn’t, the other readers would probably have interesting theories!
June 26, 2014 at 3:51 am
SPOILER!!!
Hiding the body is the big problem for me. Either Jane or Augustus could have killed him. Arthur couldn’t as he was with Imogen during the only time she wasn’t watching out of the window. Now, Imogen says she could see the summerhouse and the moonlight glistening on the snow, so how could anybody have moved the body without either been seen by her, or leaving big drag marks in the snow that she would have seen. I don’t believe that a woman would have the strength to move the dead weight of a full grown man on her own in the space of the 15 minutes that Imogen was being kept away from the window by Arthur. And although Augustus would have had the strength, he had only been in the house a few times so how would he know where to hide the body? Leaving it in a public place until morning then moving it and hiding it would have been taking an incredible risk. What if somebody had fallen over it on the way to work? And who was searching the victim’s rooms and more importantly why? Presumably whoever was listing to the lover’s last meeting and did the murder would have known that the victim had left his rooms for good and taken everything of importance with him. So why search them? It is all dreadfully confusing.
June 25, 2014 at 3:32 am
Tracy, we haven’t heard for a long time about what you are working on at the moment. Are you allowed to give us a hint?
June 26, 2014 at 12:04 am
Yes! I’m working on the next Malcolm & Suzanne book, which is actually the book I originally meant to write after The Mask of Night. I’ve been thinking about it for years, and I’m so excited I finally get to write it. It centers on Laura Dudley, the children’s governess, being accused of murder. I will post a teaser soon. And questions like that are always very welcome!
June 25, 2014 at 8:03 pm
Hi Tracy,
I just finished “The Berkeley Square Affair” and oh my gosh it was AMAZING!!! I sat for a half an hour after I closed the book and just absorbed. I think it was your best yet!! Now, until your next work of awesomeness, I was wondering if you could recommend me something to read. I have read CS Harris, Tasha Alexander as well, so was wondering if there are others out there I have not discovered. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Enjoy your summer!
Tiffany
June 26, 2014 at 12:07 am
Oh, that is lovely to hear, Tiffany – thank you!! As to other suggestions – have you read Lauren Willig? If not, do, both That Summer, her other stand alone The Ashford Affair, and the Pink Carnation Series. And Deanna Raybourn’s Lady Julia mysteries and recent stand alones are fabulous. I also recommend Laurie King’s Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series – wonderful both as a mysteries and as a study of a relationship. One of my favorite books is Freedom & Necessity by Steven Brust & Emma Bull, fabulous historical novel, love story, mystery, and adventure with a touch of fantasy.
Does anyone else have suggestions?
June 26, 2014 at 1:44 am
Thanks, I’ve never heard of Freedom & Necessity, I’m definitely going to check it out. Tiffany, I love this genre so I’ve got lots of suggestions. I recommend Nita Abrams Regency spy stories, Kate Ross’s Regency mystery series that starts with “Cut To the Quick”(no romance in it though), and the Captain Lacey Regency mysteries by Ashley Gardner(aka Jennifer Ashley). If you like political intrique/adventure in an ongoing series that features the same couple, as Tracy’s books do, I highly recommend Michelle Diener’s books that are set in the Tudor era (King Henry VIII). The first book is “In A Treacherous Court”.
June 26, 2014 at 1:58 am
Great suggestions, Karin! I’ve read and enjoyed all your suggest except for Michelle Diener’s series which I’ve heard good things about but is still TBR. Do try Freedom & Necessity, Karin. It’s quite wonderful, and I think anyone who enjoys my books would like it.
June 26, 2014 at 4:02 am
We are so lucky, there are heaps of good historical mysteries out there these days. I have really enjoyed all of the ones mentioned above and would like to add: Stephanie Barron’s Jane Austen Mysteries and Rose Melikan’s Mary Finch trilogy which are set during the regency and French Revolution. Anne Perry’s Inspector Pitt and Inspector Monk books and Charles Finch’s Charles Lennox books which are all set in Victorian England. Kerry Greenwood’s Phryne Fisher books, set in 1920s Melbourne (where I live) and Babara Cleverly’s Joe Sandilands books set in 1920s & 30s England, France and India. And M.M. Kaye’s Death In series set in the 1930s-50s in all sorts of fascinating places.
June 26, 2014 at 4:24 am
Well, it’s hard to add to everyone’s lists – Suzanne had mentioned some of my favorites; so have some of the other ladies. I would add Ellis Peter’s wonderful Brother Cadfael series and of course, Imogen Robertson’s Crowther and Westerman series. I want to start Berkeley Square soon, Tracy, and promise to give my thoughts…although I’m sure I’ll like it. I’m still trying to finish Wolf Hall, which is good but slow reading and too darn long.
June 26, 2014 at 11:54 am
Thanks Lynne, I completely forgot about the Crowther/Westerman series. They are fabulous.
June 27, 2014 at 3:56 am
I just remembered another author you all would love – David Dickinson – who writes the Francis Powerscourt mysteries. I loved them…set in the late 1800’s and similar (but not the same) to Charles Finch’s series.
And Karin, thanks for the tip on Michelle Diener – I keep seeing her books pop up on my Amazon page and have wondered what they were like. I’ll put her on the to-be-read list.