Miss Tibbles Interferes (Signet Regency Romance)

Rating:
Summary: strictly for Miss Tibbles' fans
Review: "Miss Tibbles Interferes" is definitely a novel for fans -- fans of April Kihlstrom's Miss Tibbles series that is. Because while the novel is billed as a Regency romance with a murder-mystery attached to it, the romance and the mystery subplots are more or less a backdrop to a novel that is actually all about Miss Tibbles's (or rather Mrs. Merriweather) capable and managing ways. I'm a Miss Tibbles fan, so that "Miss Tibbles Interferes" was a rather agreeable read for me. However, if you're looking for the traditional Regency romance novel, you might want to try some other novel, as this particular one may indeed disappoint.

When Colonel Merriweather receives a letter from an old school friend (Mr. Hawthorne) asking him to come to London because he needs his help and advice, the Colonel and his wife (the former Miss Tibbles) set off for London with all speed. Hawthorne happens to be a curator of sorts of the British Museum, and he is currently cataloguing the artifacts that Wellington brought back from the Peninsula. However upon making contact with Hawthorne, the Colonel discovers to his bewilderment that for some reason or the other, Hawthorne is hesitant to confide in him completely, claiming that he has to do some serious thinking before he can decide what he can divulge and what he should keep to himself. He promises to be more forthcoming and asks for a couple of days to think things over. Unfortunately Hawthorne is murdered soon after this. And now the Colonel decides that that it is up to him to uncover what is going on at the museum and to discover who murdered his friend. Could it have been the work of some art theft ring? Or someone closer to home? Like Captain William Stanfield, who has been helping Hawthorne catalogue Wellington's contributions, but who is extremely cagey as to why exactly he was assigned to help Hawthorne, and who also seems to be very protective of Hawthorne's scholarly daughter, Ariel...

I've only outlined the mystery subplot; however, as I've already noted, "Miss Tibbles Interferes" is not that much of a mystery novel as the authour does not go very much into the hunt for the wrongdoers aspect of this novel. And if you're looking for a really romantic subplot, you might be disappointed there as well. The romance between Ariel and Captain Stanfield was a rather superficial one, I thought. Both seem to be drawn to each other mostly because of their looks; they seldom seem to talk about common interests or issues, so that you might wonder (a little) about the depth of their feelings for each other. Ariel spends a lot of time thinking about the handsome captain, and wondering if he's thinking about her; while Stanfield spends a lot of time thinking of Ariel as a complication to his assignment, even as he admires her for her compassion and courage! Not very romantic that. Mostly, however, this novel is about how capable and intelligent the women (Miss Tibbles/Mrs. Merriweather and Ariel) actually are. Both the Colonel and the Captain spend a lot of time remonstrating and trying to keep the 'little women' out of harm's way but to little effect, as the women seem really bent on solving the mysteries at hand. This novel is also about how Ariel metamorphoses from a shy and diffident young woman who acted mainly as her father's dogsbody, to a young woman fully capable to handling her own affairs and future. Form that standpoint, "Miss Tibbles Interferes" was a rather worthwhile read.

On the whole, while I found this novel to be an enjoyable one, I must warn that unless you are a Miss Tibbles fan, this book may be a bit of a disappointment.

Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable and light
Review: Miss Tibbles is a secondary but not minor character in April Kihlstrom's newest Regency mystery romance.

Ariel Hawthorne has just lost her father to murder and knows she will eventually lose the museum job that she loves, since it is not suitable work for a young woman. She will not have much time or opportunity to solve her father's murder. Captain William Stanfield, recently returned from the Peninsular Wars, had just begun assisting her father with his work and is also interested in finding out what is going on - but it is not clear who he is working for.

Luckily for Ariel, her father had invited old friend Colonel Merriweather to come help with his cataloging at the British Museum, and he brought along his wife the former Miss Tibbles, who has a deductive talent rivaling that of Sherlock Holmes. Mrs. Merriweather takes Ariel in hand and soon the women are ferreting out secrets just as handily as the military gentlemen. The action moves from dusty museum halls to Regency drawing rooms and back again, culminating in a grand finale of various parties processing into the British Museum rather like an Abbot & Costello movie.

If you like your romances light, full of action and humor, you will like Miss Tibbles Interferes. I give it three stars for having more comedy than romance.

Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable and light
Review: Miss Tibbles is a secondary but not minor character in April Kihlstrom's newest Regency mystery romance.

Ariel Hawthorne has just lost her father to murder and knows she will eventually lose the museum job that she loves, since it is not suitable work for a young woman. She will not have much time or opportunity to solve her father's murder. Captain William Stanfield, recently returned from the Peninsular Wars, had just begun assisting her father with his work and is also interested in finding out what is going on - but it is not clear who he is working for.

Luckily for Ariel, her father had invited old friend Colonel Merriweather to come help with his cataloging at the British Museum, and he brought along his wife the former Miss Tibbles, who has a deductive talent rivaling that of Sherlock Holmes. Mrs. Merriweather takes Ariel in hand and soon the women are ferreting out secrets just as handily as the military gentlemen. The action moves from dusty museum halls to Regency drawing rooms and back again, culminating in a grand finale of various parties processing into the British Museum rather like an Abbot & Costello movie.

If you like your romances light, full of action and humor, you will like Miss Tibbles Interferes. I give it three stars for having more comedy than romance.