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Musketeers Mysteries #2
The Musketeer's Seamstress
When a Spanish noblewoman, with whom he was having a secret affair, dies in his arms, Aramis flees the scene of the crime and asks his fellow musketeers Athos, Porthos, and D'Artagnan to find the real killer before the Cardinal's men find him. Original.
336 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 3, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
June 4, 2022
Mordioux, THAT was fun! Big improvement from book one. Or maybe I’m just too easily pleased with any book that has my Musketeer boys in it?
But I believe this one has better character consistency, and Aramis actually has a character arc that‘s very interesting to follow and engaged me emotionally as well. The plot‘s better, more suspenseful, and the ending is satisfactory.
The author‘s writing style is still a bit hit-and-miss sometimes, and she has a tendency to repeat herself, but, overall, she‘s found her groove with this series. I enjoyed it!
But I believe this one has better character consistency, and Aramis actually has a character arc that‘s very interesting to follow and engaged me emotionally as well. The plot‘s better, more suspenseful, and the ending is satisfactory.
The author‘s writing style is still a bit hit-and-miss sometimes, and she has a tendency to repeat herself, but, overall, she‘s found her groove with this series. I enjoyed it!
March 4, 2018
When Aramis finds his mistress murdered and himself the prime suspect, he calls on his three companions to help him solve the crime. D'Almeida delves further into her version of the characters' pasts, which helps flesh them out further. Aramis has always been my favourite of the musketeers, through all the many incarnations of the characters I've seen and read about, so I enjoyed seeing him at the centre of the story. Another immensely enjoyable, fun read.
September 23, 2019
Being a huge fan of Alexandre Dumas’ THE THREE MUSKETEERS (1844), I was delighted to find a series of books written by Sarah Hoyt under the pseudonym of Sarah D’Almeira. The Musketeer’s Seamstress is the second book in a series of five, in which Dumas’ Musketeers effectively act as detectives looking to solve mysteries in 1620s France. The books are set within the timeframe of Dumas’ novel and so include real-life historical figures as well as original Dumas characters. This particular story is basically a locked room mystery, with Aramis seemingly the only possible suspect in the murder of his mistress, necessitating the Musketeers having to work to clear his name. The writing style emulates that of Dumas without being slavish to it. Whilst written in the third person, the story is told from the point of view of each of the Musketeers as they look for clues to unravel the mystery and fight duels with the Cardinal’s guards who are looking to hunt down Aramis. Whilst this approach retains the key mystery novel device of putting the reader in the head of the detective, it also constrains the story by not opening it up to the wider cast of characters. Cardinal Richelieu, who is at the centre of the investigation, only appears in the closing chapter. This robs the story of the scale and tension between the characters that Dumas managed to create in his original novel. That said, this is still an enjoyable read and is recommended to fans of Dumas and historical mysteries.
September 12, 2019
Aramis supplied the philosophy, the ease of expression, the fluency. And Porthos supplied the strength, the solidity, the unswerving loyalty.
This is another breezy reimagining of the Three Musketeers, taking place during Dumas’s downtime, buffing up their backstory and explaining some of the changes clearly in Dumas’s text that he doesn’t tell us the why of.
Like Death of a Musketeer, it is a mystery, in this case a locked-room mystery, although the locked room is less important than the people involved.
Aramis is suspected of the murder of a highly placed confidante of the queen; and in the era before the United States, to be suspected is to be guilty. And the evidence against him is strong. Even his friends occasionally doubt his innocence.
And throughout, the author manages to foreshadow the future of the Musketeers as deftly as if she were Dumas. It’s a great job of writing public domain characters in a new genre.
How could Aramis trust Athos to save Aramis from ruin and death, when those seemed to be the older man’s true lovers?
Want to read
July 19, 2020elibrary
November 4, 2014
The second installment in the Musketeers Mystery series is just as strong a book as the first. Just as with the first book, the author assumes that the reader is at least somewhat familiar with the source material. And when I say source material, I mean the original book The Three Musketeers, not any film adaptations. I say this because she makes reference to the events of Dumas' book periodically.
Because Dumas' characters are some of my favorite literary figures, I really enjoy this series of books. I think the author does a very good job in keeping with the voice and characterizations that Dumas created. Moreover, she keeps to the same type of chaptering that Dumas used, breaking up the book into a great many chapters, most less than a dozen pages long. Rather than make the book feel choppy, it actually helps to move the action along, as well as hearken back to the original book.
My only complaint about the story itself is that the ending was a bit telegraphed, in my opinion. I was able to piece together the clues before the characters, so the big reveal wasn't actually that big. Still, it was handled well, and made for another enjoyable tale from Ms. D'Almeida.
Because Dumas' characters are some of my favorite literary figures, I really enjoy this series of books. I think the author does a very good job in keeping with the voice and characterizations that Dumas created. Moreover, she keeps to the same type of chaptering that Dumas used, breaking up the book into a great many chapters, most less than a dozen pages long. Rather than make the book feel choppy, it actually helps to move the action along, as well as hearken back to the original book.
My only complaint about the story itself is that the ending was a bit telegraphed, in my opinion. I was able to piece together the clues before the characters, so the big reveal wasn't actually that big. Still, it was handled well, and made for another enjoyable tale from Ms. D'Almeida.
December 12, 2009
D'Almeida is not Dumas, and she takes some liberties with the material so we have a mystery trying to live within another's world. It is quite successful however. We have a body from the very beginning, though some of the liberties that are taken, this body is Aramis' lover, and Aramis is immediately implicated in her death. The Cardinal seemingly wanting to arrest him, but later, with Cardinal's Guard as per usual, it seem wanting to eradicate him and our three other heroes.
We get a glimpse more of who our four musketeers are as D'Almeida adds to the canon by telling us details as to Athos and his best friend, the backgrounds of the servants, the inner workings of Monsieur Treville's Hotel. All these would be welcome but these background additions seem to serve this one story, rather than the entire canon. Where will we be as the series further developes?
As to the body, we have very lite red herrings, but the ending, with part of the puzzle decipherable as we have some small clues given our way, is satisfactory. The last twist seems a stretch, but in all it is well worth a read for the period and for the flavor
We get a glimpse more of who our four musketeers are as D'Almeida adds to the canon by telling us details as to Athos and his best friend, the backgrounds of the servants, the inner workings of Monsieur Treville's Hotel. All these would be welcome but these background additions seem to serve this one story, rather than the entire canon. Where will we be as the series further developes?
As to the body, we have very lite red herrings, but the ending, with part of the puzzle decipherable as we have some small clues given our way, is satisfactory. The last twist seems a stretch, but in all it is well worth a read for the period and for the flavor
February 10, 2013
I was excited about reading this book. I love Dumas' Musketeers. I've been a fan ever since I can remember...all those different movies versions and of course the cartoons, the French series where all the Musketeers were all animals (dogs, I think) comes to mind, I really enjoyed that one.
I think what I enjoyed the most about the book was the way the Musketeers interacted with each other, and also I loved getting a glimpse on their private lives and their personalities. I have mixed feelings about this book. Although I enjoyed the characters, the setting, and even the mystery, I found at times that it was dragging, basically it had a few dull moments.
I found out have way through the book that The Musketeers's Seamstress is actually the second book of the series. I won't be reading the first book, but I will be looking for the rest of the series. I sure I can survive a dull moment or two.
3.5/5
I think what I enjoyed the most about the book was the way the Musketeers interacted with each other, and also I loved getting a glimpse on their private lives and their personalities. I have mixed feelings about this book. Although I enjoyed the characters, the setting, and even the mystery, I found at times that it was dragging, basically it had a few dull moments.
I found out have way through the book that The Musketeers's Seamstress is actually the second book of the series. I won't be reading the first book, but I will be looking for the rest of the series. I sure I can survive a dull moment or two.
3.5/5
October 14, 2015
Taking other authors characters and trying to write stories about them is never an easy task and I was always going to be sceptical of someone attempting to do this with Dumas.The main problem with this book we as I couldn't figure out where she intended it it fit in. Sometimes it seemed like the author didn't know herself. She would refer to events that happened in the three musketeers on one page and a little later claim a character had no knowledge of Athos's true identity. ..which is learnt in that book! . She repeats herself constantly in describing their personalities and even sentences that were just said the page before. Also she claims the Normans came from overseas to France...ahem do some basic research please. There is very little subtilty in her plot but it works well and it's nice to be with the characters again.
September 30, 2009
Sarah D'Almeida has her musketeers tackle a "locked room" mystery in her second novel. I enjoyed the book and though the center of the story was Aramis and the mystery surrounding the murder of his mistress, I thought Porthos stole the show by reminding the others that you should not ignore the obvious or what is going on in your surroundings. (You will have to read the book to understand what I mean). I have to say that he is becoming my favorite musketeer of the four.
I felt that the last few chapters were a bit of rush to the ending, but other than that the book was a satisfying whodunit and Aramis's character was fleshed out a bit more by delving into his past.
Recommended.
I felt that the last few chapters were a bit of rush to the ending, but other than that the book was a satisfying whodunit and Aramis's character was fleshed out a bit more by delving into his past.
Recommended.
October 19, 2009
Lots of exciting, swashbuckling action as the Three musketeers and D'artanian try to clear Aramis of a murder charge.
The four leads are well written and their interaction is lots of fun of to read. This book has more depth than the first book, but the resolution was weak.
Fun to read, as I love these characters, and not really being traditional detectives they have to use their own special methods to solve the mystery.
The four leads are well written and their interaction is lots of fun of to read. This book has more depth than the first book, but the resolution was weak.
Fun to read, as I love these characters, and not really being traditional detectives they have to use their own special methods to solve the mystery.
December 4, 2013
This book stinks! There is so much superfluous description that I wanted to shoot myself. I don't need to know the color of the embroidery on the musketeers breeches, and the texture of the plume in his hat, and the tiny scar on his left thumb, and the small stain on the edge of his handkerchief. Seriously, just get on with the story already. I don't need a detailed analysis of the scene in every other paragraph! Horrible writing, and a boring plot.
January 2, 2012
This book was great. The style was very like the A. Dumas style with short chapters/sections rotating characters point of view and a very interesting time for the setting.
I will be looking for other books in the series.
I will be looking for other books in the series.
March 19, 2009
Three muskateers in an adventure, mystery romance. OK, but not for me.
August 22, 2009
I very much enjoy the period setting and the characters come alive but the mystery fizzles in the final few chapters, leaving a cloying disappointment. Still, this is a fun read while it lasts.
August 9, 2012
I like the characters and the series, tho this one isn't great.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews