Updale is my hero ~

[lookingland]

I was intrigued by Eleanor Updale's Montmorency a while back, but daunted at the price tag for an unknown author. Then I found a copy at Half Price Books for a dollar and snatched it up. I fell immediately in love with it. It's a wonderfully silly romp through the London's Victorian underworld in which a paroled thief who was pieced together by a upstart surgeon begins to lead a dual life: robbing the rich to make himself presentable to London society (and developing a conscience along the way).

I received for my birthday the sequel, Montmorency on the Rocks. Montmorency has established his new life, is no longer stealing, works for government as a spy, but has developed a new problem: a wee drug addiction that's threatening to ruin him. His best friend takes him and his surgeon to Scotland to get clean and they stumble upon a mystery: babies are dying on a remote isle; a whole generation has been wiped out.

On the island (and here's the point of writing this here) is a Catholic priest named Father Michael. Father Michael is a bit eccentric: full of hellfire and damnation, sermonizing about Divine retribution as being the cause of the infant deaths, etc. He strikes a terrifying image and immediately no one trusts him. Curiously, however, you get him away from the pulpit and he's friendly, genial, and loving (though then is even more suspect because he loves the babies so much!) His behavior is so bizarre that is accused of being the baby-killer by the surgeon, and dragged off the island by the police while the islanders throw rocks, hurl insults, and burn his house.

I won't tell you how this book ends, but I couldn't put it down. I so love the characters (Montmorency and Doctor Farcett are just adorable) and Updale's vivid landscapes and just the wacky fun of such a silly bunch of Londoners trying to solve crimes (there's a second mystery about a train station bomber that is equally compelling and surprising running alongside the baby-killer story). I find the books so endearing that I was wracked with fear that Updale would make a Catholic priest a baby-killer. As I turned each page, I kept thinking: "no! it can't be! there's always a twist! there has to be a twist!" but I was really afraid she'd turn out to be hateful.

In the end Updale vindicated herself in an wonderfully unexpected way ~ there was, indeed a twist (and one which I didn't see coming!) That's the way to write a mystery!

If I had twelve thumbs, they would all be up. This sequel was every bit as good as the original and in some ways even better (so many wonderful reversals!). I can't wait for the next one due out this spring.

: D

cross-posted to catholic_media

Comments

[psalm23.livejournal.com]

Those books sound interesting! Hmm...*wonders if she could find them cheap, too* *_*

~ Laura.

[lookingland.livejournal.com]

they're definitely a joy ~ well-written and solidly positive without being treacle.

: D

[sparowe]

Sounds fascinating! Your reviews are always worth a read. :)

[lookingland.livejournal.com]

thank you ~ ! i enjoy sharing this sort of thing, especially if a book is really good.

: D