Despite his admonitions to stay away, Lady Julia arrives in Yorkshire to find Brisbane as remote and maddeningly attractive as ever. Cloistered together, they share the moldering house with the proud but impoverished remnants of an ancient family—the sort that keeps their bloodline pure and their secrets close. Lady Allenby and her daughters, dependent upon Brisbane and devastated by their fall in society, seem adrift on the moor winds, powerless to change their fortunes. But poison does not discriminate between classes….
A mystery unfolds from the rotten heart of Grimsgrave, one Lady Julia may have to solve alone, as Brisbane appears inextricably tangled in its heinous twists and turns. But blood will out, and before spring touches the craggy northern landscape, Lady Julia will have uncovered a Gypsy witch, a dark rider and a long-buried legacy of malevolence and evil.
Deanna Raybourn has a following here at the library. We love her. We love her books. And so it was with great anticipation that ta and inkonvellum picked up her latest Lady Julia Gray novel, Silent on the Moor. Their discussion followed as such:
inkonvellum: “That’s a shame about the cover.”
ta: “I know, I was kind of embarrassed to be seen reading it.”
inkonvellum: “Those are so not Brisbane’s hands.”
ta: “Too manicured.”
inkonvellum: “And those moors? Please. Not even remotely as stormy as Wuthering Heights’ moors.”
ta: “But the scenes with Brisbane…”
<knowing look>
ta: “The Egyptology stuff was unexpected but intriguing.”
inkonvellum: “I know! But I kind of miss Count Four-Not-Cheeses. The Allenbys were rather, ah, different.”
ta: “And the ending…Can’t wait for the next one!”
Further thoughts…
The Lady Julia Gray books are smart, witty, and absorbing. An independent woman with an obstinate mind of her own, Lady Julia all too often finds herself in sticky situations, situations that readers are all too happy to see Brisbane brood about. The chemistry between these two characters is lightning-bright and immensely satisfying. Storming off has never been so entertaining. When it comes down to it, we just can’t recommend these books highly enough.
I have the book. I’ve had it for several days, but haven’t read it. Why? Because then it would be over and I wouldn’t have it to look forward to anymore. But I’m sure other people will be waiting for it (sorry!), so I’ll read it this weekend, when I have some time to enjoy it.
Oh, and, I agree with ta about the cover — I’ve deliberately left another book on top of it in my stack to hide it.