The Mistress of Alderley: A Novel of Suspense

Rating:
Summary: A quick read, if not a page turner...
Review: After two failed marriages Caroline Fawley is at last living an idyllic life. Her married lover has installed her at Alderly, an elegant country home in a small English town, and she has abandoned her acting career to be available to him and to her three children, the younger two of whom are still at home. On the weekends, Marius escapes from his responsibilities as a grocery store tycoon to join Caroline in fornication and mutual admiration of her gardening endeavors. Their relationship, frowned on though it may be by the local rector, is relatively aboveboard, or so Caroline thinks: Marius's wife Sheila, left behind in London, is a co-conspirator in their amicable marital charade and is reportedly busy with her own extramarital liaisons, one of which has left her impregnated.

Add to this stew of copulating characters an unwittingly flatulent baron, a nyphomaniacal opera singer, borderline incestuous interest, and, of course, a murder, and you have a delightful romp of a book. A quick read, if not a page-turner, and one that makes the book-mom look forward to more easy evenings with Robert Barnard, now that we've found each other.

Rating:
Summary: Another winner from Robert Barnard
Review: As a long-time fan of the mystery novels of Robert Barnard, I can tell you that he has come up with yet another of his intriguing plots, full of twists and turns, feints and misleading hints. The tale centers on ex-actress Caroline Fawley, the mistress of the punning title: she is mistress of the grand house 'Alderley' as well as the mistress of a grocery-chain tycoon who set her up in that house.

One of Barnard's great talents is his eye for detail, and in this case some of the more telling details come from the world of opera, something that Barnard obviously knows and loves. Olivia Fawley, Caroline's eldest daughter, is a budding opera star making her Opera North début as Leonora in Verdi's 'La Forza del Destino.' An important plot point hinges on the timing, on opening night, of Olivia's appearances onstage.

There are vivid descriptions of Leeds, the novel's locale, just as earlier in Barnard's career he infused his novels set in Norway with details of that country's milieu. One comes away with a lively sense of place.

In spite of his being quite a prolific writer, Barnard continues to come up with fresh ideas and produce effective character studies, both reasons I continue reading him.

Recommended.

Scott Morrison

Rating:
Summary: Another winner from Robert Barnard
Review: As a long-time fan of the mystery novels of Robert Barnard, I can tell you that he has come up with yet another of his intriguing plots, full of twists and turns, feints and misleading hints. The tale centers on ex-actress Caroline Fawley, the mistress of the punning title: she is mistress of the grand house 'Alderley' as well as the mistress of a grocery-chain tycoon who set her up in that house.

One of Barnard's great talents is his eye for detail, and in this case some of the more telling details come from the world of opera, something that Barnard obviously knows and loves. Olivia Fawley, Caroline's eldest daughter, is a budding opera star making her Opera North début as Leonora in Verdi's 'La Forza del Destino.' An important plot point hinges on the timing, on opening night, of Olivia's appearances onstage.

There are vivid descriptions of Leeds, the novel's locale, just as earlier in Barnard's career he infused his novels set in Norway with details of that country's milieu. One comes away with a lively sense of place.

In spite of his being quite a prolific writer, Barnard continues to come up with fresh ideas and produce effective character studies, both reasons I continue reading him.

Recommended.

Scott Morrison

Rating:
Summary: well written, interesting mystery, uninvolving characters
Review: For retired actress Caroline Fawley, he was the great love of her life. Admittedly, he was still married, but Caroline knew that she was his true love. Although Marius Fleetwood could only see her on weekends, he acted the part of father to her children, accompanied her to social events, and even included his own children on the trips. Caroline believed that the people in her village were simply old-fashioned when they urged her to seek marriage. For her, being a mistress was the perfect solution.

When Marius is found murdered, Caroline's perfect fantasy comes apart. The English police investigate, tracking down the activities of each of her family members, and the terrible truth begins to emerge. Marius lied to Caroline--and was planning a complete betrayal. The police are almost certain that Caroline was unaware of the betrayal, but someone certainly killed Marius.

Author Robert Barnard paints a very English scene with polite cops who have plenty of time to pursue the most trivial leads. Barnard's writing is highly engaging, drawing the reader into the story. The tone of the story shifts at the murder. Before, it was mostly Caroline's story. After the murder, it becomes that of Detective Sergeant Peace and Mike Oddie.

Barnard's decision to base so much of the book on Caroline and Caroline's point of view weakens the reader's involvement with the characters of the police, consequently detracting from reader interest. Caroline might be a perfectly nice person, but she spends the first half the book in emotional denial and never really develops any strong motivation. As a reader, I want a character who is striving for something (which is normally perfect for a police mystery since the police are struggling to find the killer), but Caroline wasn't really looking for anything.

Barnard's writing is strong enough to sustain reader interest despite his decision to focus on an unmotivated character, however. THE MISTRESS OF ALDERLEY makes for pleasant summer reading.

Rating:
Summary: Insightful mystery
Review: Former renowned actress Caroline Fawley enjoys her life as a kept woman living in Marsham Village with two of her three children. Caroline enjoys the weekend visits of her married lover Marius Fleetwood, who pays her bills including residing at the luxurious Alderley Mansion.

Accompanied by Marius, Caroline attends her oldest daughter Olivia's opera performance. Marius sneaks away as he usually does when he comes to an opera, but plans to return just prior to curtain call. Olivia is a success, but Marius fails to return. The next day, the police ask Caroline to look at the murdered corpse of an elegantly dressed man, who she identifies as Marius. As she worries about the future, the truths she believed about her lover begins to prove false, making her wonder about her beloved and why anyone wanted him dead.

Though the story line takes its time to introduce the players, readers will relish the wait for once the plot shifts into gear, it never slows down until the end. The characters are fully developed even those who are off stage like Marius' wife so that the audience has a feel for what motivates the cast though much of what is learned about the victim proves untrue. Robert Barnard provides the audience with an entertaining mystery that emphasizes the main and support cast.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: entertaining mystery
Review: Former renowned actress Caroline Fawley enjoys her life as a kept woman living in Marsham Village with two of her three children. Caroline enjoys the weekend visits of her married lover Marius Fleetwood, who pays her bills including residing at the luxurious Alderley Mansion.

Accompanied by Marius, Caroline attends her oldest daughter Olivia's opera performance. Marius sneaks away as he usually does when he comes to an opera, but plans to return just prior to curtain call. Olivia is a success, but Marius fails to return. The next day, the police ask Caroline to look at the murdered corpse of an elegantly dressed man, who she identifies as Marius. As she worries about the future, the truths she believed about her lover begins to prove false, making her wonder about her beloved and why anyone wanted him dead.

Though the story line takes its time to introduce the players, readers will relish the wait for once the plot shifts into gear, it never slows down until the end. The characters are fully developed even those who are off stage like Marius' wife so that the audience has a feel for what motivates the cast though much of what is learned about the victim proves untrue. Robert Barnard provides the audience with an entertaining mystery that emphasizes the main and support cast.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: Insightful mystery
Review: I found reading this novel to be exceptionally enjoyable. The plot is well crafted and the characters are interesting and well delineated. This book combines both a serious study of human nature with a clever wittiness that is a trademark of the author. The mystery itself is adequate, neither overly shocking nor contrived. It is really two novels in one with a spare writing style that I like; it's both a mystery and a social commentary.