Moonlit Days and Nights

by D.H. Toole

Being the Thrilling Adventure of Reginald Ravencroft and Belvedere La Griffin: Two Self Creationists and Notable Canadian Poets of Cloth, welcomes readers to the Toronto of the 1890's, "glorius opera houses, fine restaurants, sumptuous brothels, underworld gangs, and drugs galore.

319 pages, Paperback

First published January 28, 2005

About the author

David H. Toole.

Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award
◊ Best First Novel (tie) 1996: Moonlit Days and Nights

For info on David's novels and some embarrassing bio photos, please go to davidhtoole.com.

David H. Toole was born and raised in Peterborough, Ontario and he and his wife Karen currently live in Victoria, B.C. Before moving to B.C., they spent twenty (very) odd years living in Lunenburg N.S. and Halifax. He has written several novels, stage plays, radio plays, and screenplays and hammed it up on many (amateur) stages over the years. He has supported his writing habit by selling antique lamps and renovating historic homes.

MOONLIT DAYS & NIGHTS, his Crime Writers of Canada Arthur Ellis award winning debut novel, is set in 1894 Toronto and the story revolves around an eighteen-year-old hayseed named Willoughby Tweed who leaves his farm in rural Ontario for the bright lights of Toronto intent on infiltrating high society. His adventure involves several burglaries, an attempted murder, a kidnapping, and a great deal of drinking and shopping.

MOONLIT DAYS & NIGHTS has been described by one reviewer as being “the kind of book that makes you laugh out loud or take on the annoying habit of reading paragraphs to unsuspecting friends and family.” Several years after its publication, Ian Brown took it upon himself to feature Moonlit Days and Nights on his CBC Radio show Talking Books, during which he declared it to be “a great book that we’re going to try to bring back to its deserved prominence”.

SAVING FINDLAY FINCH

David cordially invites to you to the dinner party in celebration of the forty-fourth birthday of Findlay Finch and to discover the answer to the all-important question: Who is out to kill Findlay and will his love child succeed in saving him?

Please, take a seat in the Finch House mahogany paneled dining room and join your fellow diners:

FINDLAY FINCH: bon vivant, amateur sleuth, cross-word puzzle creator, and living proof that it's never too late to have a happy childhood. His creed: Sober or blotto, this is my motto, I keep muddling through.

KITTY FINCH: Findlay’s mother, chatelaine of Finch House, secret gambler and the creator of the Velvet Hammer cocktail—a deceptively tasty concoction of lethal strength.

DAPHNE MACDUFF: Findlay’s newly discovered love child, Scottish witch, marijuana grower, employee of the Riverford Detoxification Unit, and street brawler extraordinaire. No one on this earth provokes Daphne MacDuff with impunity.

JACKIE AND GARY PITTMAN: newest come-from-a ways to buy a sea-side mansion in Sanctuary. Not at all who they seem to be.

WARNING!
When the murder victims begin to pile up in Sanctuary, Nova Scotia, it’s up to Findlay Finch and Co. to find the evil doer. They devise a fiendishly cunning plan to trick the murderer into revealing his or her identity, which ultimately culminates in a final deadly showdown. One thing is certain: not everyone is leaving Finch House alive.

Reviews

[Rowena · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an absolutely fun book. It was extremely well-written in the formal language style of the early 20th Century English speaking world, and is definitely one of the funniest books I’ve read in a long time. It’s a relatively fast-paced story about an odd young man from a small town in Ontario who moves to Toronto during the Victorian era. Once in Toronto he assumes a new identity and takes on the name of Reginald Ravencroft. Hoping to make his fortune, meet Sarah Bernhardt and live the high life he’s always dreamed of, he comes across many adventures. Hilarity ensues on every page.

I really enjoyed both the witty writing and the storyline. The exploits of Reginald and his mysterious friend, Belvedere La Griffin, were hilarious and amusing, as were the characters they met along the way. For me, someone who knows Toronto relatively well, I got a sense of how Victorian Toronto might have been like.

I also have to say, I really appreciated the illustrations in the book.

This book was absolutely hilarious, definitely laugh-out-loud funny at several parts. I loved it and would recommend it to anyone who wants intelligently-written humour. I think fans of Oscar Wilde would enjoy this one too.

[Jack Heath]

Synopsis: Reginald Ravencroft and Belvedere La Griffin and Toronto of the 1890s, opera houses, restaurants, brothels, gangs, and drugs.

[D.H. Toole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very very funny and if you are interested in Toronto 1895, Oscar Wilde, Sarah Bernhardt and having fun, buy it. It's great!

[Mirella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moonlit Days and Nights takes readers on an uproarious, charming frolic through 1890’s Toronto. The story is told through the first person narrative of Reginald Ravencroft, a naively innocent young man raised by two loving uncles in the country. Reginald comes of age, cashes in his inheritance, and is set on travelling to Toronto and living the high life in order to attract a bride. When he arrives, he learns that Toronto turns out to be much more than he expects and soon finds himself embroiled in one hilarious caper after another.

To say this book is brilliantly written, would be an understatement. The prose is witty and quippy, the characters terrifically credible, and the escapades wonderfully outrageous. I found myself laughing aloud and shaking my head while reading furiously to the next scandalous and wicked frolic.

Descriptions of locations, people, and monuments are as vivid as the storytelling, truly bringing to life Toronto as it was during the Victorian era. Highly entertaining, this is a unique novel, unforgettable, and truly a joy. What a wonderful way to escape! Very highly recommended. Get this book. Get it now.

[Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I took the novel on faith, and I was justly rewarded. Fidem Servo! I was expecting a mindless romp, but instead, I was immersed in an interesting and engrossing heist. The narrator took a little getting used to, because being a dandy doesn't always lend itself to heights of heroism, but when you put two of them together, and throw away all morals save one, it turns out to be a book I couldn't put down and was genuinely delighted to be reading. I loved the fact that living life fully was the main purpose in living. Never mind what what our friends actually got into, that's hardly the point. It just happened to be great plot that moved quickly and flowed like ambrosia.

I say all of this, frankly, because I believe this book aught to be put back on the shelves and be KNOWN for what it is. Great fun and well written! I recommend it for anyone who wants a good time.

[Sherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received as a giveaway through "Goodreads" from the author. Thank you David for the fast shipping! I look forward to reading about Toronto's Victorian era and giving a full review on this sure to be fun book!

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this Victorian era thriller. It's witty and very well written. With my busy life, it usually takes me a while to get through books, but I found it hard to put this one down. Will definitely be sharing with friends/family!

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moonlight Days and Nights was a captivating Victorian era thriller. It was such a fun read. It was hard to put down.

I won this book from the goodreads giveaway.