The Wild Island

Jemima Shore #2

by Antonia Fraser

product_description

Genres: Mystery, Scotland, Crime, Fiction, Thriller, Suspense, Mystery Thriller

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

Antonia Fraser is the author of many widely acclaimed historical works, including the biographies Mary, Queen of Scots (a 40th anniversary edition was published in May 2009), Cromwell: Our Chief of Men, King Charles II and The Gunpowder Plot (CWA Non-Fiction Gold Dagger; St Louis Literary Award). She has written five highly praised books which focus on women in history, The Weaker Vessel: Women's Lot in Seventeenth Century Britain (Wolfson Award for History, 1984), The Warrior Queens: Boadecia's Chariot, The Six Wives of Henry VIII, Marie Antoinette: The Journey (Franco-British Literary Prize 2001), which was made into a film by Sofia Coppola in 2006 and most recently Love and Louis XIV: The Women in the Life of the Sun King. She was awarded the Norton Medlicott Medal by the Historical Association in 2000. Antonia Fraser was made DBE in 2011 for her services to literature. Her most recent book is Must You Go?, celebrating her life with Harold Pinter, who died on Christmas Eve 2008. She lives in London.

Reviews

[Elinor · Rating 2 out of 5]

I rarely give a book only two stars, but this one was mediocre at best. The only saving grace for me was the story, centering around a modern-day Jacobite group operating secretly near Inverness in Scotland. And since I am literally on a holiday from my native Canada and visiting Inverness, that added a layer of interest. Otherwise, however, the plot was muddled and the characters unbelievable.

[Lisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wish I could give this book zero stars.

[Barbara Howe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing. Weird mix of genres, and none of it very believable. The biggest disappointment was in the lead character, Jemima Shore. For someone who makes a living as an "investigator" (What does she investigate? No idea.) she was remarkably passive and incurious. There is no hint of what might make her an interesting television personality, other than being telegenic, and half-way through the book, she lost my sympathies completely. She falls into bed with a married man, practically under his wife's nose, and exhibits no shame or regret the next time she encounters the wife..

The rest of the cast aren't much better, ranging from weird to deranged to dishonourable, and none of them seem very bright. The heiress accuses her uncle of murder, then a few days later wanders along a cliff edge in the fog with him hunting for her. Not clever. By the end, I was hoping the murderer would take out the whole lot.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice easy read, had to keep reading to find out who the killer was!

[Marguerite Kaye · Rating 3 out of 5]

This second book in the series wasn't as enjoyable as the first one for me. Issues about dating and time and place and language aside, I felt that I didn't really get deep enough into Jemima's character, which is what I wanted.

In this book, she's dumped her married MP and moved on to a just as cold-hearted affair with a TV producer, but she's decided life has become too complicated, so she heads off to the Highlands in search of a private retreat. Yes, I got that, yes I thought that was an excellent idea. But though Jemima thinks she's highly independent, there was a lot of stuff about her trusty secretary (female, of course) organising her special orange juice and coffee, which grated on me. Then there was the fact that, feisty and independent as she is, Jemima seemed quite unable to say no when a ton of people intruded on her privacy, and most specifically couldn't say no to the advances of one of them in particular. Was this a deliberate ploy on the author's part to show that Jemima really was just a cold facade placed over a 'traditional' woman? I don't know, but it didn't work for me.

The very complicated plot was all about the combative Scottish Nationalist movement from the 70s which I vaguely recall - they who stole the Scone stone. In this book there's an invented incarnation of them that felt very, very cliched, and I must say I didn't like the attempts at accents. Oh, and I guessed the big main baddie pretty much straight away.

So that sounds as if it was less than a 3 star read, and yet I did read to the end, I didn't skim. Because yes, I'm still invested in Jemima. And yes, I've downloaded the next one.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed Antonia Fraser's biography of Marie Antoinette, so I picked up this mystery. She is a good writer and she successfully conveyed the Scottish Highlands setting. In fact, the setting was the most enjoyable part of the book. I wasn't convinced so much by the romantic entanglement. I don't know if the main character's attraction wasn't conveyed well enough or if the object of her desire just wasn't that attractive. He came across as a little weird and arrogant. I also wish that Fraser had not killed off (spoiler alert) Bridie. She was a compelling character and I enjoyed reading her Scottish accent. Also, there were too many characters and I think they were there just to keep you guessing. They were mostly sketches, not well drawn.

If you want to sit with a cup of tea and feel the cold wild landscape and then come into the coziness of the interiors, I recommend this book.

[Ape · Rating 1 out of 5]

Tartan Tragedy. A tragedy indeed. I've read the first four chapters, got to page 36 and I hate it! Really not my thing and life is too short so I am quitting this book. It's actually an old murder series written in the 1970s... I thought it all sounded wierdly dated when I started reading it. The whole thing is a bit twee and not amazing. I couldn't care less why that guy's been killed. The Scots speak in a wierdly written Scottish dialect and it's all one step away from offering you a tin of shortbread. And the style and the main character has a taste of upper class snobbery and snooty-ness. Did I mention I haven't been enjoying this?!

[Dianne Landry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jemima has dumped the loser from book one and is taking a holiday in the Highlands of Scotland. Upon arrival in Inverness she discovers that her landlord has died and she has arrived in time for his funeral. Suddenly she is mixed up with the Red Rose Society, a group bent on proving the Beauregards (Jemima's landlords) are the true heirs to the English throne through Bonnie Prince Charlie.

More bodies pile up but in the end things fall into place.

I really enjoy this series and will most certainly read more.

[Liz Owen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Used to like this series back in the day. Now seemed contrived and dated.

[Kathy KS · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overall, this didn't do much for me. There wasn't an actual mystery; rather, there were deaths and mysterious assignations, etc., but there was no one actively trying to "solve" who killed two people where Jemima Shore is vacationing (in the Scottish highlands). I love history and know my share of some of the history of Scotland, but the people in this area are strangely obsessed with it. And actually, they made me NOT care about this book.

I didn't really like Jessica, our MC, much either. The book is definitely set in the 1970s, but filled with people I wouldn't have cared that much about even then.

I think that's enough of this series for me. Your mileage may vary.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was very mediocre book with an unlikable protagonist. As with the first book in the series there are a series of murders that are not identified as such until almost the end of the book. Jemima is not a strong character and her inclination to get involved with married men did not endear her to me. This book for the most part bored me and the only reason I finished was because I wanted to see who the murderer was. I would not recommend this book.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

A review on the book jacket admiringly compared Jemima Shore to a female James Bond (single, drives a fast car, dresses well, drinks, and has gratuitous sex). But I find her character less attractive because of these things. Why does she have to act like a man? I'm not a prude, but the sleeping with married men bothers me.

The mystery was interesting, though, and learned a lot about Scottish nationalism, although at times it was confusing.

[Jeff Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Television investigator Jemima Shore takes an Highland holiday only to jump into highly charged Scottish Nationalism and possible murder of Henry Beauregard, who's guest she was meant to be. There is also the White Rose, who want to bring back home rule for Scotland complete with their own queen. "The Wild Island" looks and feels dated but it's an interesting book, nevertheless, but doesn't really hold the suspense for long enough.

[Briar · Rating 2 out of 5]

Antonia Fraser trying to write a wild romance. It's not that successful, to be honest. Jemima, with her much-vaunted intelligence, once again displays a solid lack of logical thinking and generally a fairly dull intellect. None of the characters were especially engaging and the plot was rather dull.

[Christine Dolan · Rating 3 out of 5]

When you pick up a book called Tartan Tragedy in which the heroine is called Jemima, I suppose you know exactly what you are getting. Cosy crime with a silly plot set in the Scotland of castles, kilts and murderous clans. Quite diverting though. A very light hearted read.

[Susan Grimshaw · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lightweight, rather convoluted story about a warring Scottish family, but alright to read in the bath.

[Janey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Far-fetched and weird but oddly entertaining.

[Squeak2017]

DNF

This book wasn't interesting, engaging or enjoyable. Sorry - just not my thing.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very atmospheric

[Frances · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. I felt I knew the people and the places - perhaps I did

[Calum Campbell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not a very good book.

[Gowri N. · Rating 1 out of 5]

I came across an Antonia Fraser short story in an ancient anthology titled Ms.Murder, which featured stories of female sleuths. Jemima Shore came across as intelligent and capable in her story, which is why I picked up this novel with high hopes.

But yikes, this was terrible. A number of reviewers call out the problematic aspects of Jemima Shore's character and they're quite right. She seems to exercise very poor judgement when it comes to relationships. The cardinal sin though is how poor an investigator she is. She is not detecting anything here but just bumbling along. She even has to be "saved" a couple of times. Not an interesting character at all.

I do think I'll check out more of Antonia Fraser's short stories though. Perhaps the less we have of Jemima, the better the story might be?

[Carolyn Cash · Rating 4 out of 5]

TV Reporter Jemima Shore goes to the Scottish Highlands for some peace and quiet, but she finds her holiday plans have gone bung!

Her host is found dead, but when a second body is found, Jemima finds that there is something really weird going on.

Who is responsible for the two deaths?

I couldn't put this book down as I was eager to find out who the killer was but it is usually someone you least expect.

This book was previously published as The Wild Island.

[Vijaya Lakshmi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tartan tragedy is written about a TV Investigative reporter Jemima Shores,who runs a popular show on megalith television under the same name “ Jemima Shore, Investigator”and decides to take a moths break from her work.
Jemima plans a well intended vacation not knowing that it could lead her to the doors of danger. She books a cottage known as Tigh Fas on an Island called Eilean Fas in Scotland. With all the chaos around her work routine, she chooses a quaint and serene accommodation, to be all by herself, with no distractions of the modern world, not even a cell phone. However, things do not turn out as simple as she wants them to be.
On her arrival to the Island she discovers that her host Charles Beaureguard has mysteriously died a day prior. Ignoring the entire episode she tries to focus on her vacation, but, her investigative nature cannot keep her away from all the bedlam around. During her stay she realises that the tragedy might be linked to property dispute within the family. Her suspicion arises from the fact that ,Henry , Charles uncle, looks quite nonchalant on his nephews death which is unusual. On the other hand Clementia , Charles sister hides no emotions and blames her uncle for Charles death.
Caught in this maze Jemima realises that things are not as plain as they seem to be. Her curiosity for the mystery leads her from one clue to the other. She tries subtly to interrogate the relatives but that only adds to the confusion.
While she is unofficially on the case, she discovers another murder. The question is will Jemima Unravel the mystery?
The plot was very intriguing but the writing seemed frustrating at times. Had the writing been less cumbersome it would have made a great thriller.
Nevertheless I wouldn’t miss saying I could not put the book down till I got to the Mystery murderer. I did skip paras here and there to reach to the end but the murderer was a real surprise.
Very Interesting read if you can skip the cumbersome part.
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[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

"When Jemima Shore takes a welcome break from the stresses of television reporting, all she wants from her remote Scottish island is peace and isolation. So when she learns that Charles Beauregard won't be able to collect her after all, her plans for a relaxing holiday are shattered -- Charles is dead. And when she decides to continue her stay in the Highlands, she finds herself increasingly involved in a bitter and bloody family feud between Colonel Henry Beauregard and Beauregard Castle's new owner, Clementine, who claims to be a descendant of Bonnie Prince Charlie ..."
~~ back cover

The only thing Scottish about this book was those faint whiffs of Bonnie Prince Charlie and a local band of daft numpties who thought they could reverse the outcome of Culloden and bring the Stuarts back to the Scottish throne (which doesn't exist any more.) Other than that, this book could have been set anywhere -- Appalachia, say, or Italy under the Medicis. Jemima somehow gets sucked into the middle of all this, which seems an awkward plot device -- Clementine (what a Scottish name that is, and of course just screams "descendent of the Stuarts" ...) is slated to become Queen Clementine, the rightful heir to the Stuart succession. At least if the band of local numpties get their way she will.

The opposition seems in it for the money -- imagine that. Predictably, various folks start getting murdered, for no apparent reason, and Jemima finally sorts it all out, when she's not too busy indulging in wild, gratuitous sex.

Definitely not my cup of tea!

[Karla Huebner]

Yet another mystery (or thriller, or whatever exactly it is) that has clearly lost appeal over the decades. It's a bit silly in many ways--Fraser plays with the cozy, the gothic, and various other genres yet not all that convincingly. At the same time, aspects of her skill as a writer do show through, and it also becomes a bit of a period piece (1975) so may be more fun again twenty years from now. While it did hold my interest in a perverse way (it is over-the-top in its way, which becomes amusing), I found myself pondering the fact that it came out not long after Fraser's big biography of Mary, Queen of Scots, which was actually the first of the author's books I read, back in 1977. And also pondering the fact that Fraser was married to Harold Pinter. In other words, the author was simultaneously writing massively detailed historical biographies, relatively trivial mysteries, and householding with a major playwright. I'm not entirely sure how this all fits together, so perhaps I need to reread another of her Jemima Shore novels to get a better grip on Fraser's contribution to light entertainment. After all, if I were living with a major playwright (and indeed in any case), I'd want any commercial fiction I wrote to be better than this is--it has its moments but neither manages to be satire nor serious. And egad, how can Jemima's favorite color possibly be beige--surely this is a joke?

[Christian Schwoerke · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know from hearsay that Lady Fraser’s histories are much admired, and I would hazard that this bit of who-dunnit confection will not be cited in an appraisal of her body of work. I read this while in Iceland, at a hotel with an ill-stocked English library (though the Icelandic titles were numerous). The heroine, a BBC star in a crime series, becomes embroiled in some murderous business while on holiday in Scotland, but while much is going on around her, she is a bit of pretty flotsam who doesn’t seem able to do much more than weather circumstances and let the mystery unravel itself. While there is some “liberated” sex, this character is too much in thrall to customary male-dominant attitudes, and she shows no aptitude for assertiveness of any sort. While not recommended, I found it an interesting excursion into the culture/attitudes of a time and place (1970s England/Scotland) we have well left behind.

[Cassandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is not a mystery, really. Yes, there is a death, and it is mysterious, but it is really more of a take on a 1960s gothic -- a woman who is an outsider goes to the strange, empty house and is surrounded by family tensions she does not understand and menaced by forces which she is only vaguely aware of, and in the end all is revealed, but not by her agency. Fraser plays with the form, certainly; Jemima Shore is no virginal ingenue but a woman in her mid or late 30s, and the brooding male figure who would normally be menacing is instead the most sympathetic of the cast of characters, but she does not do anything really interesting with it, and Jemima still faints dead away conveniently, fails to actually investigate anything, and only discovers what is happening because she walks into a trap. Rather annoying, all in all.

[Night · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm being biased in giving 4* for this book.

Jemina, a TV star, planned for a quiet transquil holiday in a lovely Scotiish cottage. Turned out it was nothing but transquil and lovely. She found herself in a creepy-doomy house and a family feud which involved Scottish nationalism. People died and suddenly all looked suspicious.

I liked the setting and the characters as well as their backgrounds. However, the protagonist was not very likable. She was just an observer, not sleuth detective. (Maybe I expected too much.) And one of her behaviour was just downright shocking. Shame on you, Jemina.

Anyway, after reading many modern cozy mysteries, this book leaves a feeling found only from old-style writers. And it's why I rated one more star for this book.

[Bettie · Rating 2 out of 5]

As Jemima Shore arrived at Inverness Station, it was early morning but already the sun was shining.

Having acquired the first three in this series and now have two under my belt, I can safely say that as much as I adore Fraser's non-fiction, her crime mysteries leave a lot to be desired in the reading. The TV series must have 'bigged-up' the stories, or was it that we were distracted with the scenery, theme music and the lovely Patricia Hodge.

(haha - I nearly tapped in Routledge there by mistake)



Will read the third at some point.