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Lady Julia Grey #5.5
Silent Night
'Tis the season for mystery in this fan-favorite Lady Julia Grey Christmas novella from New York Times bestselling author of Killers of a Certain Age, Deanna Raybourn.After a year of marriage—and numerous adventures—Lady Julia and Brisbane hope for a quiet, intimate Christmas together—until they find themselves at her father's ancestral estate, Bellmont Abbey, with her eccentric family and a menagerie of animals.Nevertheless, Julia looks forward to a lively family gathering—but amongst the celebrations, a mystery stirs. There are missing jewels, new faces at the Abbey, and a prowling ghost that brings back unwelcome memories from a previous holiday—one that turned deadly. Is a new culprit recreating crimes of the past? And will Brisbane let Julia investigate—?Previously publishedDon’t miss the complete Lady Julia Grey mystery series by Deanna Raybourn!Book # 1: Silent in the GraveBook # 2: Silent in the SanctuaryBook # 3: Silent on the MoorBook # 3.5: Midsummer Night (novella)Book # 4: Dark Road to DarjeelingBook # 5: The Dark EnquiryBook # 5.5: Silent Night (novella)Book # 5.6: Twelfth Night (novella)Book # 5.7: Bonfire Night (novella)
58 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2012
438 people are currently reading
2457 people want to read
About the author
Deanna Raybourn
40 books9,433 followersNew York Times and USA Today bestselling novelist Deanna Raybourn is a 6th-generation native Texan. She graduated with a double major in English and history from the University of Texas at San Antonio. Married to her college sweetheart and the mother of one, Raybourn makes her home in Virginia. Her novels have been nominated for numerous awards including two RT Reviewers’ Choice awards, the Agatha, two Dilys Winns, a Last Laugh, three du Mauriers, and most recently the 2019 Edgar Award for Best Novel. She launched a new Victorian mystery series with the 2015 release of A CURIOUS BEGINNING, featuring intrepid butterfly-hunter and amateur sleuth, Veronica Speedwell. Veronica has returned in several more adventures, most recently AN IMPOSSIBLE IMPOSTOR, book seven, which released in early 2022. Deanna's first contemporary novel, KILLERS OF A CERTAIN AGE, about four female assassins on the cusp of retirement publishes in September 2022. (Please note: Deanna is not active on GR.)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 254 reviews
November 2, 2012
Nothing makes me order a book faster than Deanna Raybourn! Now all I have to do is wait.
***
I know it's a short story but darn that Deanna Raybourn, she left me wanting more ... MORE!
If you're new to the Lady Julia series, this a great primer on who is who and who did what to whom. If you're an enslaved, I mean, dedicated reader, it's a short but sweet visit with favorite characters. Also, I'm going to try the wassail recipe at the end!
***
I know it's a short story but darn that Deanna Raybourn, she left me wanting more ... MORE!
If you're new to the Lady Julia series, this a great primer on who is who and who did what to whom. If you're an enslaved, I mean, dedicated reader, it's a short but sweet visit with favorite characters. Also, I'm going to try the wassail recipe at the end!
February 1, 2022
In questa novella non ritroviamo il mystery tipico di Lady Julia Grey, ma è semplicemente una novella di Natale in cui Lady Julia e Brisbane si trovano all'Abbazia per festeggiare il Natale con i March. Ovviamente non potrà essere tutto allegro e lineare, non con la famiglia March. Ci sono i due piccoli misteri del "fantasma" e degli anelli scomparsi, ma non ne fanno comunque un giallo. Mi pare che Deanna Raybourn dia il meglio nella forma del romanzo, però purtroppo la serie di Lady Julia Grey è stata interrotta per disinteresse dell'editore, e queste novelle sono l'unico modo per stare ancora un po' con Lady Julia e Brisbane.
January 7, 2015
First Sentence: I tore open the letter and scanned it quickly before brandishing it at my husband.
Lady Julia and her husband, Brisbane, hoped for a quiet Christmas. However, spending the holidays at her father’s estate with her eccentric family, a myriad of pets and, possibly, a ghost end that thought very quickly.
The full-length books in this series are quite enjoyable, although I’ll admit the first three are the best. This, however, just didn’t hold up to par.
Yes, the characters are fun. Julia is delightful and matched by her sister, Portia and Portia’s odorous Pug. And then there’s Brisbane; that man all women would desire.
The dialogue is charming…”Don’t be cryptic, Plus. You haven’t the cheekbones for it.” There is a story about Shakespeare that will make fans of the Bard gasp in horror.
However, the story tried to be too much and none of it worked well. The mystery was treated almost as an aside. The relationship between Julia and Banbridge lacked any depth and became somewhat twee. And, most annoying, several references were made to previous cases which were rather offputting, even if one has read other books in the series.
“Silent Night” was an acceptable bit of fluff but there are much better Christmas novellas available.
SILENT NIGHT: A LADY JULIA CHRISTMAS NOVELLA (Hist Mys-Lady Julia – London, 1889) – Okay
Raybourn, Deanna – Christmas Short Story
MIRA – November, 2012 (Amazon Digital Services)
Lady Julia and her husband, Brisbane, hoped for a quiet Christmas. However, spending the holidays at her father’s estate with her eccentric family, a myriad of pets and, possibly, a ghost end that thought very quickly.
The full-length books in this series are quite enjoyable, although I’ll admit the first three are the best. This, however, just didn’t hold up to par.
Yes, the characters are fun. Julia is delightful and matched by her sister, Portia and Portia’s odorous Pug. And then there’s Brisbane; that man all women would desire.
The dialogue is charming…”Don’t be cryptic, Plus. You haven’t the cheekbones for it.” There is a story about Shakespeare that will make fans of the Bard gasp in horror.
However, the story tried to be too much and none of it worked well. The mystery was treated almost as an aside. The relationship between Julia and Banbridge lacked any depth and became somewhat twee. And, most annoying, several references were made to previous cases which were rather offputting, even if one has read other books in the series.
“Silent Night” was an acceptable bit of fluff but there are much better Christmas novellas available.
SILENT NIGHT: A LADY JULIA CHRISTMAS NOVELLA (Hist Mys-Lady Julia – London, 1889) – Okay
Raybourn, Deanna – Christmas Short Story
MIRA – November, 2012 (Amazon Digital Services)
November 16, 2012
This is one of those stories that seems to be written strictly for the fans of a series. And since I'm a huge fan of the Lady Julia series, I grabbed it up eagerly. It is a short novella that takes a break from the usual darker murder mysteries and intense romantic relationship that Lady Julia and her detective husband, Brisbane share together. There is a light mystery, light sweet romantic interludes and gathering as a family for the holidays to entertain the reader.
Julia and Brisbane along with their animal menagerie journey by train down to her March family (as in the 'madder than a March hare' Marches no less) ancestral estate which is an old, brooding abbey that featured in the second novel, Silence in the Sanctuary. Julia's older sister Portia, her baby daughter and Portia's pets journey down with them. They are soon joined by their brother, Plum, but none of the other Marches can make it until the big family Twelfth Night gathering.
Almost on arrival Julia senses that things are a bit off at the Abbey. Her father is in a dark mood, her aunt is skittish and secretive, a ghost has been sighted once again and things are going missing, but nobody wants to do anything about them. Worst of all, no preparations have been made for the family holiday traditions and it all feels bleak and flat to Julia who remembers the joys of Christmas in the Abbey from other years.
The plot is simple and not the usual thing, as I noted before, for this series, but it was fun to see Brisbane in a lighter romantic mood though still himself to some extent. Julia is as curious and connivingly meddlesome as ever, but it is her machinations that eventually save the day even if the situation in this story isn't as dire as the usual mysteries she is confronted with. It was nice to visit with some of Julia's family though the typical level of March family madness was a bit subdued though only by degree.
All in all, it was a nice little 'warm fuzzy' interlude as I impatiently await the next installment in this fab murder mystery series.
If you haven't had a chance to read this series set mostly in Victorian England, I can recommend it to those who enjoy murder mysteries that include a slow to build romance story arc as the series progresses.
Julia and Brisbane along with their animal menagerie journey by train down to her March family (as in the 'madder than a March hare' Marches no less) ancestral estate which is an old, brooding abbey that featured in the second novel, Silence in the Sanctuary. Julia's older sister Portia, her baby daughter and Portia's pets journey down with them. They are soon joined by their brother, Plum, but none of the other Marches can make it until the big family Twelfth Night gathering.
Almost on arrival Julia senses that things are a bit off at the Abbey. Her father is in a dark mood, her aunt is skittish and secretive, a ghost has been sighted once again and things are going missing, but nobody wants to do anything about them. Worst of all, no preparations have been made for the family holiday traditions and it all feels bleak and flat to Julia who remembers the joys of Christmas in the Abbey from other years.
The plot is simple and not the usual thing, as I noted before, for this series, but it was fun to see Brisbane in a lighter romantic mood though still himself to some extent. Julia is as curious and connivingly meddlesome as ever, but it is her machinations that eventually save the day even if the situation in this story isn't as dire as the usual mysteries she is confronted with. It was nice to visit with some of Julia's family though the typical level of March family madness was a bit subdued though only by degree.
All in all, it was a nice little 'warm fuzzy' interlude as I impatiently await the next installment in this fab murder mystery series.
If you haven't had a chance to read this series set mostly in Victorian England, I can recommend it to those who enjoy murder mysteries that include a slow to build romance story arc as the series progresses.
November 17, 2012
Boring, insipid, and nowhere near the par of her normally excellent Lady Julia novels. This is a very short Christmas novella that is lighter than light, with not much plot, and some very forgettable new characters in a supporting cast. And, lest I forget to mention, some rather annoying family members. Their appearance in the normal novels are bad enough, which is a testament to Deanna Raybourn's ability to write believable characters, but in the family gathering in which this book takes place, they seem to grate on one's nerves so much more (as times spent with one's family generally do in real life). For example, I find myself wanting to strangle Jane the Younger, so annoying is she, despite the fact that she is but an infant.
If nothing else, Deanne Raybourn excels in writing in characters that one wants to kill (or punt, in the case of Portia's disgustingly flatulent pug) despite the lack of their skill of speech. There is no real mystery plot, it's just a holiday family get-together, and a real one might be less painful to attend than to read in this sorry excuse of a novella. If you must read some Christmas novels related to a late Victorian series, I would suggest Anne Perry instead.
If nothing else, Deanne Raybourn excels in writing in characters that one wants to kill (or punt, in the case of Portia's disgustingly flatulent pug) despite the lack of their skill of speech. There is no real mystery plot, it's just a holiday family get-together, and a real one might be less painful to attend than to read in this sorry excuse of a novella. If you must read some Christmas novels related to a late Victorian series, I would suggest Anne Perry instead.
November 28, 2017
One of the reasons I read Christmas stories is to find new authors I might like, or even love. Last year it was Jodi Taylor and her St. Mary's books. This year it's Deanna Raybourn. I've already added the first of this series into my queue and can't wait to read them after the new year. I loved the style and the wit and I am so glad to find a new author to enjoy.
September 18, 2018
As a fan of this series, this novella was a delight. Nothing earth shattering happened but it was fun to spend time with the characters again, especially all of Julia's eccentric family.
December 22, 2019
I loved this cover, that is solely why I grabbed it.
Then I decided to read it cause it is the holiday season and it's a holiday mystery. Oh, how I love a mystery.
I had no idea it's considered #5.5 or #6 in the series though. I didn't feel lost though. In the moments where a scene from another book was mentioned, a highlight appeared to let me know which book in the series was being referenced. I quickly came to realize that I actually have the first book on my Kindle. I look forward to reading it.
This era is not one I generally read from, however, the snark had me looking past it all. Chapter 6 literally had me laughing outbloud. This scene with the animals was so good and descriptive that you could literally picture it. Too funny.
Definitely great writing and more I want of it.
Then I decided to read it cause it is the holiday season and it's a holiday mystery. Oh, how I love a mystery.
I had no idea it's considered #5.5 or #6 in the series though. I didn't feel lost though. In the moments where a scene from another book was mentioned, a highlight appeared to let me know which book in the series was being referenced. I quickly came to realize that I actually have the first book on my Kindle. I look forward to reading it.
This era is not one I generally read from, however, the snark had me looking past it all. Chapter 6 literally had me laughing outbloud. This scene with the animals was so good and descriptive that you could literally picture it. Too funny.
Definitely great writing and more I want of it.
April 14, 2017
You know when you get obsessed with characters in a series??? Yeah...that's where I am right now.
This is a really cute novella with all the favorites from the series together for a small, mini-mystery.
Even the animals are all included!
This is a really cute novella with all the favorites from the series together for a small, mini-mystery.
Even the animals are all included!
May 19, 2019
I've rated the previous installments in this book at three or four stars, and liked them well enough to purchase the Kindle package from Amazon. That's where things started to unravel for me.
Amazon didn't make it clear that the ensuing books were novellas. I wouldn't have purchased the package had I known. I. HATE. NOVELLAS. It's as if the author and publisher doesn't want to go to the trouble of creating an entire story, so they produce a short story. A novella that occupies me for an hour or so just isn't fulfilling. Also, it's danged-near impossible to develop characters or nuanced pacing in a novella. The work is just a blast of information, a story sketch, that leaves me cold. So instead of developing Silent Night (and the novellas that follow it, most of which occur on the heels of each other) into one book that would keep me interested for hours, the author and publisher decided to string things out.
It hink this is a lazy approach to fiction, and it cost them a reader.
Amazon didn't make it clear that the ensuing books were novellas. I wouldn't have purchased the package had I known. I. HATE. NOVELLAS. It's as if the author and publisher doesn't want to go to the trouble of creating an entire story, so they produce a short story. A novella that occupies me for an hour or so just isn't fulfilling. Also, it's danged-near impossible to develop characters or nuanced pacing in a novella. The work is just a blast of information, a story sketch, that leaves me cold. So instead of developing Silent Night (and the novellas that follow it, most of which occur on the heels of each other) into one book that would keep me interested for hours, the author and publisher decided to string things out.
It hink this is a lazy approach to fiction, and it cost them a reader.
February 6, 2023
I was a little grumpy at giving up an entire Audible credit for a 90 minute novella. However, this is a sweet Christmas story with a light mystery and a cozy peek into Victorian holiday traditions. After the heaviness of The Dark Enquiry, it was a nice break.
November 17, 2017
This was a short novella I listened to with RU. Julia and Brisbane return to Belmont Abbey for Christmas. It's always a fun listen when more of the March family is involved.
3.5 - 4.0 ***
3.5 - 4.0 ***
December 13, 2020
Charming fun Christmas short story.
March 11, 2024
Short 👍🏼
August 6, 2016
Originally posted at The Book Nympho
I do so love Lady Julia and her Brisbane. One of my favorite pair of English detectives, next to Sherlock and Dr. Watson. I generally have little to no interest in reading novellas as I might have mentioned to some of you earlier. They usually consist of the author attempting to make a big anti-climactic story out of a seventy page novella. It is just not a workable project, yet so many keep attempting it. However, I have read everything Deanna Raybourn has written thus far and I could not imagine not reading this just because it was a novella and I was pleasantly surprised.
As suggested by the title, this is a Christmas novella. Julia and Brisbane have found themselves trapped in the Abbey with a small amount of the March clan for the Christmas holidays and there seems to be a burglar afoot. Due to the fact this is a novella there is no murderer for Julia to uncover, but it seems that every one of the Marches has a secret hidden that needs to be known before the burglar can be found.
I could not stop giggling when the thief was caught. That probably gives too much of the plot away, but still it was funny and I could totally see something like that happening at my house during the holidays…or anytime really. I liked that this book didn’t try to be overly dramatic. It was nice to just sit back and read a light and fluffy mystery set in one of my favorite fictional worlds. It did make me quite nostalgic for the full-length Lady Julia novels. I don’t know if Raybourn is going to write anymore? I know she has been working on other things that I plan to read, but I do hope that she writes some more full-length Lady Julia mysteries.
I have one more novella to read in this series and that review will be coming to you all shortly. Apparently I’ve read them out of order, which irks me no end, but I suppose I will just have to get over it. Quite looking forward to seeing what other shenanigans Julia can manage to get herself into!
I do so love Lady Julia and her Brisbane. One of my favorite pair of English detectives, next to Sherlock and Dr. Watson. I generally have little to no interest in reading novellas as I might have mentioned to some of you earlier. They usually consist of the author attempting to make a big anti-climactic story out of a seventy page novella. It is just not a workable project, yet so many keep attempting it. However, I have read everything Deanna Raybourn has written thus far and I could not imagine not reading this just because it was a novella and I was pleasantly surprised.
As suggested by the title, this is a Christmas novella. Julia and Brisbane have found themselves trapped in the Abbey with a small amount of the March clan for the Christmas holidays and there seems to be a burglar afoot. Due to the fact this is a novella there is no murderer for Julia to uncover, but it seems that every one of the Marches has a secret hidden that needs to be known before the burglar can be found.
I could not stop giggling when the thief was caught. That probably gives too much of the plot away, but still it was funny and I could totally see something like that happening at my house during the holidays…or anytime really. I liked that this book didn’t try to be overly dramatic. It was nice to just sit back and read a light and fluffy mystery set in one of my favorite fictional worlds. It did make me quite nostalgic for the full-length Lady Julia novels. I don’t know if Raybourn is going to write anymore? I know she has been working on other things that I plan to read, but I do hope that she writes some more full-length Lady Julia mysteries.
I have one more novella to read in this series and that review will be coming to you all shortly. Apparently I’ve read them out of order, which irks me no end, but I suppose I will just have to get over it. Quite looking forward to seeing what other shenanigans Julia can manage to get herself into!
August 10, 2015
This was a fun Christmas novella involving the regular characters from Deanna’s Lady Julia mystery series. Newly married Julia and Nicholas Brisbane travel to Julia’s family seat for Christmas, taking with them a fantastic assortment of pets they have acquired from all their travels – my favorites are the raven Grim and the peacocks from Julia’s trip to India. Julia is looking forward to a lovely, traditional Christmas with her family, but she finds that her father is sulking in his study, hardly any Christmas decorations have been put out, half of the staff is down with a cold, and several pieces of jewelry have gone missing. Julia is anxious to get to the bottom of things so that she can show Brisbane a customary March family Christmas.
My only problem with this story was that it wasn’t long enough! I can’t fault Deanna for that – her publisher asked for novellas, and she delivered. So really the problem is that I have a hard time with the idea of a story that is less than 70 pages long. That’s hardly enough time for anything interesting to happen. I felt I was just settling in for Christmas at the Abbey when Deanna started winding things down. Oh well! A little Lady Julia is better than none at all.
My only problem with this story was that it wasn’t long enough! I can’t fault Deanna for that – her publisher asked for novellas, and she delivered. So really the problem is that I have a hard time with the idea of a story that is less than 70 pages long. That’s hardly enough time for anything interesting to happen. I felt I was just settling in for Christmas at the Abbey when Deanna started winding things down. Oh well! A little Lady Julia is better than none at all.
November 18, 2012
So often authors virtually phone these "in-between" novellas in. Not so with Silent Night, which comes after the fifth full entry in the Lady Julia Grey mystery series. In this novella, amusingly counted as 5.5 in the series, Lady Julia and her new husband and old partner, Nicholas Brisbane, spend Christmas with her father, the eccentric Earl March, and some of her unconventional family. While at Bellmont Abbey, the March family's country home in Sussex, Lady Julia, acting mostly without Brisbane's help, successfully investigates the appearance of a ghost and the disappearance of pieces of jewelry.
The Audible Audio Edition is less than two hours long, but author Deanna Raybourn manages to create an appealing mystery that you'll devour in one sitting. Having thoroughly enjoyed The Dark Enquiry, it was nice to have a little bit of Lady Julia to tide me over until the next full novel. I can hardly wait!
The Audible Audio Edition is less than two hours long, but author Deanna Raybourn manages to create an appealing mystery that you'll devour in one sitting. Having thoroughly enjoyed The Dark Enquiry, it was nice to have a little bit of Lady Julia to tide me over until the next full novel. I can hardly wait!
July 19, 2016
I wasn't planning to read any more Lady Julia books - for a while anyway, but then I saw that the author plans to release another novella this summer and I thought, what the hell, might as well be up to speed.
So this is a light and fluffy novella that reads like the missing chapter or two from a larger story. Same quirky and lovable characters as always: Lady Julia and Brisbane, of course, Plum, Portia, Jane the Younger, Earl March, Fleur, and a few other new faces as well. But the plot is nearly non-existent and the mystery, minor though it is, is solved completely off the page. Lady Julia waltzes in with all the answers and wows us with her sleuthing skills. (That is, when she's not busily charming Brisbane into another round of "marital affection.") Overall, a forgettable installment in the series, but one that dedicated Lady Julia fans will probably want to read if for no other reason than to revisit some of their favourite characters.
So this is a light and fluffy novella that reads like the missing chapter or two from a larger story. Same quirky and lovable characters as always: Lady Julia and Brisbane, of course, Plum, Portia, Jane the Younger, Earl March, Fleur, and a few other new faces as well. But the plot is nearly non-existent and the mystery, minor though it is, is solved completely off the page. Lady Julia waltzes in with all the answers and wows us with her sleuthing skills. (That is, when she's not busily charming Brisbane into another round of "marital affection.") Overall, a forgettable installment in the series, but one that dedicated Lady Julia fans will probably want to read if for no other reason than to revisit some of their favourite characters.
June 14, 2016
I'm not sure why I keep reading this series. This is my 3rd book and I like them okay, but I don't love them. I keep thinking they'll grow on me, but -- well -- it just isn't happening. I just haven't managed to really like or care about either Lady Julia or Brisbane.
In this one, as soon as you found out what the mystery was, you knew who the culprit was.
I'm sure all of the animals are supposed to be zany. I understand that the family is 'unique', but -- in one of the last scenes, the children have filled the sitting room with animals for a play -- not small house trained animals -- I'm talking pigs and cows, etc. I'd think that would be unacceptable in the most unconventional of homes.
I am only reading these to fill the gap until the next books in my favorite mystery series are released.
In this one, as soon as you found out what the mystery was, you knew who the culprit was.
I'm sure all of the animals are supposed to be zany. I understand that the family is 'unique', but -- in one of the last scenes, the children have filled the sitting room with animals for a play -- not small house trained animals -- I'm talking pigs and cows, etc. I'd think that would be unacceptable in the most unconventional of homes.
I am only reading these to fill the gap until the next books in my favorite mystery series are released.
December 24, 2025
This novella was a nice tidbit about Lady Julia and Brisbane celebrating Christmas at her childhood home and running into a tiny bit of a mystery with jewelry going missing. There were no murders to keep it a bit lighter, and I had to laugh when I got to the solution. It was just too short. Novellas are such teasers. I really wish there was a full-length novel to look forward to. Please, please write another one!
December 31, 2012
Meh. I realize this is a novella, which soul purpose was to help fans endure the lonnnng gap between The Dark Enquiry and Lady Julia's next adventure, but... meh. The main characters didn't read, to me, like they usually do. Julia using her feminine wilds to manipulate Brisbane? A lot. Not endearing. I also I am tiring of all the animals; something that started out as cute has become obnoxious. Bah Humbug!
December 23, 2015
3.5 stars
Short and entertaining read that takes place at Christmas time; it was perfect for a cold, rainy hour of the afternoon.
Slightly wordier review: http://jenn.booklikes.com/post/124462...
Short and entertaining read that takes place at Christmas time; it was perfect for a cold, rainy hour of the afternoon.
Slightly wordier review: http://jenn.booklikes.com/post/124462...
December 30, 2012
A quick and charming read ... Not great but good if you are following the Lady Julia series!
February 6, 2022
Christmas for the newly married Julia and Nicholas Brisbane is spent with Julia's family at Belmont Abbey. Lots of fun with her interesting family and pets. Of course there is a mystery to solve.
October 11, 2016
Loved rereading this book! I'm pretty sure, at least, because it was familiar! Loved it, can't wait to read more!
February 23, 2017
I finished this in less than an hour. I would suggest skipping this novella and going straight to Twelfth Night (book #5.6). Twelfth Night basically continues immediately where Silent Night ends.
November 26, 2018
4.50 4 Stars
Although this was a fun, short Christmas read it didn't advance the story. Pretty good for a novella. There is a mystery, but no one dies!!
ETA: Second time 11/26/18
Although this was a fun, short Christmas read it didn't advance the story. Pretty good for a novella. There is a mystery, but no one dies!!
ETA: Second time 11/26/18
September 7, 2018
Fluff. Entertaining and quick read, but fluff.
September 3, 2019
I couldn't stick with it.
July 3, 2023
A Novella Is Still Just A Novella/Library Loan
Surprisingly for being a 56 page novella, there was a bit more substance than I originally thought there would be. I’m not too much of a fan of novellas. They strike me as if they’re nothing more than a duplicitous method to keep the reader coming back in anticipation for the next major release.
This is by no means directed toward Raybourn, but rather a personal, universal generalization toward all novellas. For myself, by and large, they tend to fall under three categories.
1) If it’s important enough to put to ink, than it’s important enough to include in a full sized standard novel. I can easily comprehend constraints to word and page count by publishing houses, printing limitations etc, and all the other various technical aspects as to why some writing may have ended up on the cutting room floor. But, original material is still original material. It’s not fluff and filler, a pet peeve of mine as well. So why?
2) I’ve often found in some novellas material that was pertinent to the storyline and plot. I could’ve easily been lost in the following books in the series, if I hadn’t read it in the diminutive extension provided in the novella. So again why??
3) It turns out to be nothing more than fluff, introduction of one-off characters you’ll never see or hear from again, or even absolutely off topic to the storyline/plot. Is this an effort to see what type of reaction is experienced from the reader’s perspective? Perhaps to see if there’s another book deal in there somewhere? Or worse yet, a spin off from the original series? And once again, why?? I could list quite a few reasons as to why I view this negatively. But…
I could easily stay up on on soapbox over this issue much longer, but I think I’ve made my point. Besides now I’m simply digressing. Back to the review. :0{ )
Twice now, at the end of the last novel, and at the beginning of this one, it mentions a trip to Rome. I’m beginning to wonder if this comes to pass, or is completely past beyond into the kill zone altogether.
As I said the novella did have more substance than I was expecting, but regrettably, I need to take a break from this series. Mainly because the very last two releases are also novellas.
I’m aware of all the chatter out there that this may be the end of Julia Grey’s and Nicholas Brisbane’s story. Particularly taking into account the last one written was in 2017.
I’m pleased I did read this one, in order to get my fix of those two, and the entire March family tossed into the equation. Always good laughs and delight when they’re altogether as one.
I really wanted to keep this at the 4 stars I’ve given the rest, but I honestly couldn’t do it. Since there’s no 1/2 stars allowed, I gave this a final 3.
Surprisingly for being a 56 page novella, there was a bit more substance than I originally thought there would be. I’m not too much of a fan of novellas. They strike me as if they’re nothing more than a duplicitous method to keep the reader coming back in anticipation for the next major release.
This is by no means directed toward Raybourn, but rather a personal, universal generalization toward all novellas. For myself, by and large, they tend to fall under three categories.
1) If it’s important enough to put to ink, than it’s important enough to include in a full sized standard novel. I can easily comprehend constraints to word and page count by publishing houses, printing limitations etc, and all the other various technical aspects as to why some writing may have ended up on the cutting room floor. But, original material is still original material. It’s not fluff and filler, a pet peeve of mine as well. So why?
2) I’ve often found in some novellas material that was pertinent to the storyline and plot. I could’ve easily been lost in the following books in the series, if I hadn’t read it in the diminutive extension provided in the novella. So again why??
3) It turns out to be nothing more than fluff, introduction of one-off characters you’ll never see or hear from again, or even absolutely off topic to the storyline/plot. Is this an effort to see what type of reaction is experienced from the reader’s perspective? Perhaps to see if there’s another book deal in there somewhere? Or worse yet, a spin off from the original series? And once again, why?? I could list quite a few reasons as to why I view this negatively. But…
I could easily stay up on on soapbox over this issue much longer, but I think I’ve made my point. Besides now I’m simply digressing. Back to the review. :0{ )
Twice now, at the end of the last novel, and at the beginning of this one, it mentions a trip to Rome. I’m beginning to wonder if this comes to pass, or is completely past beyond into the kill zone altogether.
As I said the novella did have more substance than I was expecting, but regrettably, I need to take a break from this series. Mainly because the very last two releases are also novellas.
I’m aware of all the chatter out there that this may be the end of Julia Grey’s and Nicholas Brisbane’s story. Particularly taking into account the last one written was in 2017.
I’m pleased I did read this one, in order to get my fix of those two, and the entire March family tossed into the equation. Always good laughs and delight when they’re altogether as one.
I really wanted to keep this at the 4 stars I’ve given the rest, but I honestly couldn’t do it. Since there’s no 1/2 stars allowed, I gave this a final 3.
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