Customer Reviews

The Dancing Floor

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Barbara Michaels has a special talent for injecting both entertainment and interesting information (Gothic novels; politics; roses; vintage clothing; etc) into her novels. This one is no exception, offering the dual info caches of ancient witch-burning and the complex gardens in England.

Heather Tradescant is an intelligent, rather too-blunt heroine who has always dreamed of going to England with her father. Though her father is now deceased, a hefty wad of insurance money now allows her to go. While she sightsees, she stumbled into a massive maze of hedges and plants, and soon stumbles into the eccentric Mr. Karim and his son Jordon. Karim is intrigued first by her name (explanation in the book) and then by her, and invites her to stay awhile.

Heather soon discovers that the local village is a bit obsessed with the famed Pendle Witches, a family group that was burned for witchcraft centuries before. She also meets a group of odd people: Jennet, a kindly but reticient woman who fits into the role of "village witch"; Lindsay, a shallow, manipulative woman with a Barbie-doll body; Giles, Lindsay's handsome and long-suffering hubby; Lindsay's monstrous son Bobby and tormented daughter.

Mystery-readers soon grow tired of the usual, boring, gorgeous and immensely attractive heroines (Jacqueline Kirby doesn't count--she's quirky). Heather is none of these: She's a bit overweight, enjoys her food immensely, is rather plain in appearance, but with a sharp intellect and bluntly truthful manner. I found it highly enjoyable that the men around her found her interesting, because of her brain rather than her body.

Frank Karim, despite his little bouts of maliciousness, is overall a fun character to read about, the weird millionaire. His son Jordon is a little less interesting, as often he seems to be rushed into his interest in Heather. Lindsay is despicable from her first scene, screeching at Lindsay then putting on a facade of neighborly sweetness; Giles is likable from his first scene. As Heather does, it takes a while to warm up to Jennet, as she is so reticient, but she is a strong and likable character as well.

I was very pleased that though this book contains Jennet and other Wiccans, it was not gratuitous. It's actually connected to the plot and the villain, and to the massive maze of bushes and hedges. Though I could have used a teeny bit less of Jennet's expounding on Wiccan philosophies, it overall didn't affect my enjoyment of the book. (And I just LOOOOOOOVE the descriptions of her shop and the exotic merchandise in it. What I wouldn't give to buy some of the jewelry and clothing from there...)

The descriptions are good; I particularly liked descriptions of the maze, the house, and the aforementioned shop of Jennet's. The mild obsession with the old witches was well-made, such as the murder mystery. The only problems were that it is a bit too actionless for a stretch in the middle, and the relationship between Heather and Jordon feels a bit forced compared to other novels by Ms. Michaels. However, the portrayal of the spoiled-rotten, maliciously-bratty Bobby is spot-on.

Overall, this is a good mystery and immensely entertaining, as well as informative.

Heroine: husky

American school teacher Heather Tradescant has journeyed to merry Olde England on a trip that is anything but merry. She is living out her father's last wishes and visiting the famous ancient gardens as they had once dreamed of doing together.

Heather particularly desires to see the seventeenth century garden of one Troyton House, but is denied access by the owner. Determined to at least get a glimpse of the fabled grounds, she gives in to impulse and trespasses on the property, blundering her way through a monstrous prickly hedge that does far more damage to her than she does to it.

Arriving on the far side of the vegetation Heather is left with a deep-seated sense of uneasiness extending far beyond that of merely breaking the law. She senses that perhaps God's own laws are somehow being broken at Troyton House, but by who or what she does not know--and is desperately afraid she will find out.

What worked for me:

I give Heather big points for being a teacher, and a lover of gardening, traditional Regency romance novels, and chocolate!

I enjoyed the fact that the story was steeped in the lore of several cultures. I wish it gone into even further detail in some cases, it was so interesting.

Size-wise Heather describes herself as being big-boned but flat-chested. But it didn't seem to lessen her appeal to the other gender, as she had four men interested in her at one time or another.

What didn't work for me:

Reading this story felt like mentally traversing a maze with its twists, turns, and false leads. And yet, it wasn't that highly suspenseful for me. I think I went into it expecting something shocking, like a "Blair Witch" meets contemporary gothic romance sort of hybrid, and when I didn't get that kind of intense, high-speed action I found it to be a bit draggy.

Overall:

"The Dancing Floor" didn't quite have the zing the back cover blurb really promised. Still, it's definitely worth the searching out at the library if you are a fan of witches and/or gardening.

Warning: There are several mentions of the occult in this novel and don't expect many mentions of floors, dancing or otherwise in this oddly-named story.

If you liked "The Dancing Floor" you might also enjoy "Thornyhold".

This Barbara Michaels mystery is first rate, well written, completely absorbing. I read it in two nail biting days. Excellent book.

The heroine of the store is Heather Tradescent. She lost both her parents in a car crash and was left with a lot of life insurance money and the desire to complete a dream of her's and her late father's -- to visit historic gardens in Great Britain. Sounds dull? Trust me it isn't. Heather visits all the gardens before the story begins. This book begins with her determination to see the last garden on the list she and her father made up. Though the grounds are closed to visitors, she isn't deterred and ends up crashing through a hedge at the feet of the very wealthy homeowner and his son. When the home owner hears her name (an name linked with the history of his land) he asks her to stay and help him restore the garden. Sound dull? It's not. This book isn't about restoring an old garden, it's about complex relationships that develop intertwined with a mysterious plot that involves some one plotting Heather's murder.

OK, here's where I have to stop, I don't want to give any of story away, but will say that the end had some twists and turns that will take your breath away! This is an excellent book and the mystery ... well let's just say, Ms. Michaels keeps you guessing. Mixed up with the mystery is a romantic story as well, so you have just the right mix of suspense, mystery, and a little romance to spice things up and keep you guessing. I borrowed this book from the library and will now be seeking a keeper copy for my bookshelf.

"The Dancing Floor" is not one of Barbara Michaels's best novels. Most of her books are compulsive page-turners (I've been reading her ever since "The Master of Blacktower"), but the plot of this one gets literally lost in the maze (the `dancing floor' of the title). The heroine gets lost in the maze too, but fights her way out and makes a dramatic entrance into the lives of her future employer and his disdainful son.

The son, Jordan doesn't believe the maze exists. He is also suspicious of the heroine, Heather's semi-accidental precipitation into the middle of his breakfast. However his father is intrigued by a woman, self-described as pudgy and plain, who has the same unusual surname as the seventeenth-century landscape artist who had designed his newly-acquired manor's gardens. The rich old man persuades Heather (who happens to be an avid student of seventeenth-century garden designers, or `florists' as they were then called) to stay on and help him renovate his gardens.

Heather is a very pugnacious heroine who fights with almost every other major character in the book, including a very nasty little boy and his equally nasty mother. She even gets physical with the boy after he causes her to wreck her car, and again when she catches him torturing his sister. She also falls for the nasty boy's father, an Ashley Wilkes clone who suffers nobly, and conveniently leaves the scene when Heather figures out whom she really loves. This book isn't quite as long as "Gone with the Wind," but it still takes Heather four hundred and fifty pages to ditch the Ashley character and announce her true feelings.

The maze wanders in and out of the plot. Heather discovers that a local coven is using it as a meeting place. A body is found within. The reader learns a bit about the history of mazes and labyrinths. Most of the supernatural activity, unlike previous novels by Barbara Michaels, occurs in Heather's dreams---a bit of a cheat, if you ask me. The maze was getting such a big build-up, I figured there was going to be a shuddery, occult denouement within its shrubbery. Not a crazed murderer who seemed to lack motivation for his or her heinous deeds, and who was hoist on such a convenient petard.

If you are a new Barbara Michaels reader, try one of her earlier novels (I was particularly fond of "Sons of the Wolf"), or else wait for her next dance.

I started reading the Dancing Floor with no expectations, after finding it in a second hand book store. It was much better than I expected, though there were certain annoying parts of the book.

I found the story to be very interesting and entirely unique. The setting was beautifully described. There were many references to art, and garden history which were quite interesting - though sometimes pointless. The main female protagonist, Heather, is not your usual run of the mill herroine. Heather loved to eat, was confident (to the point of being rude), and definitely had her bad points as well as her good (like any normal human being).

The story seemed to go downhill in the last quarter. I felt that it was a hurried finish, and a bit of an anticlimax. The name of the book is a part mentioned slightly, and is not really relevant to the story, so a strange name for the book. The big 'mystery' which at the end is revealed, is not as dramatic as it could have been.

All this aside, I sometimes found Michael's writing style to be quite tedious. There were sections that were very annoying to read , for example in a tense, action packed scene Michael's would write conversations in a style that did not capture the mood ie. "Oh no! It's" Heather exclaimed while thinking of how lovely Lindsay looked in her new sweater "hard to believe you saw him!". That quote was made up, but her style is simlar. As you can see, it's easy to forget the first part of the sentence and have to re-read it in order for it to make sense. Confusing?

There are also references to 'She', 'He', 'Her', 'Him' and often I had no idea who she was talking about.

Overall, The Dancing Floor is certainly entertaining - and I would recommend it to anyone looking for an unusual setting, original set of characters with quirky conversations, and mildly mysterious plot.

Heroine: husky

American school teacher Heather Tradescant has journeyed to merry Olde England on a trip that is anything but merry. She is living out her father's last wishes and visiting the famous ancient gardens as they had once dreamed of doing together

Heather particularly desires to see the seventeenth century garden of one Troyton House, but is denied access by the owner. Determined to at least get a glimpse of the fabled grounds, she gives in to impulse and trespasses on the property, blundering her way through a monstrous prickly hedge that does far more damage to her than she does to it.

Arriving on the far side of the vegetation Heather is left with a deep-seated sense of uneasiness extending far beyond that of merely breaking the law. She senses that perhaps God's own laws are somehow being broken at Troyton House, but by who or what she does not know--and is desperately afraid she will find out.

What worked for me:

I give Heather big points for being a teacher, and a lover of gardening, traditional Regency romance novels, and chocolate!

I enjoyed the fact that the story was steeped in the lore of several cultures. I wish it gone into even further detail in some cases, it was so interesting.

Size-wise Heather describes herself as being big-boned but flat-chested. But it didn't seem to lessen her appeal to the other gender, as she had four men interested in her at one time or another.

What didn't work for me:

Reading this story felt like mentally traversing a maze with its twists, turns, and false leads. And yet, it wasn't that highly suspenseful for me. I think I went into it expecting something shocking, like a "Blair Witch" meets contemporary gothic romance sort of hybrid, and when I didn't get that kind of intense, high-speed action I found it to be a bit draggy.

Overall:

"The Dancing Floor" didn't quite have the zing the back cover blurb really promised. Still, it's definitely worth the searching out at the library if you are a fan of witches and/or gardening.

Warning: There are several mentions of the occult in this novel and don't expect many mentions of floors, dancing or otherwise in this oddly-named story.

If you liked "The Dancing Floor" you might also enjoy "Thornyhold".

I loved this novel. This one her finest works. She completely captures the mystery and horror needed to make it a successful novel. This is an excellent novel to add to your collection. Centered on a woman who has just gotten over a terrible loss, she goes to a small town where the drama begins.

In short an excellent piece of work.

---- THE DANCING FLOOR Barbara Michaels Harper Collins, Mar 1997, $23.00, 422 pp. When Heather Tradescent's beloved father suddenly passed away, the bereaving woman decides to see the British homes and gardens that she and her deceased dad had planned to visit. With her vacation almost over, Heather visits Troystan House, which is not open to the public, but somehow she manages to find a way inside where she meets the eccentric rich owner, industrialist Frank Karim, who makes her part of the family. At first, Heather has her doubts, but ultimately the warmth of the place makes her feel that she finally has found a place where she belongs. As she gets more comfortable, Heather falls in love with Franks's son, Gordon, but doubts he reciprocates her feelings. However, things turn bad when a child turns up missing and the evidence indicates that a coven is behind the event. Instead of finding a heavenly home, Heather may have placed herself in mortal danger. Barbara Michaels can always be counted on for writing an entertaining book and her latest novel, THE DANCING FLOOR, will augment her growing reputation. Heather and the support cast are all great characters, but it is Ms. Michaels' ability to increasingly build tension while tossing hints of potential supernatural involvement that makes this an exciting romantic suspense drama. Harriet Klausner

I loved Barbara Michaels from the first time I picked up The Walker in Shadows. I'm not sure what you would call this genre, perhaps modern gothic. It usually involves some sort of supernatural mystery in a contemporary setting. The nice Michaels touch is that her heroines aren't bewitching young girls but ordinary women, who admit to a few years or a few pounds or some other characteristic that makes them human. There's usually a male love interest, but even this person, far from being a virtual madison avenue ad icon type, is flawed in some way. The result for me is that I find them far more realistic, and identifiable. In The Dancing Floor, the heroine is just such an ordinary type (sort of an ex gym teacher). The hero is rather more handsome than is usual for a michaels piece (and rich, also unusual) but he does have a definite attitude that lessens his appeal and adds to the believability.

Another nice thing is the settings. Often Michaels stories are set in Maryland, but where ever they are set, they aren't too extreme. No wind swept cliffs. And we usually hear about the heroine dealing with some new work issue, whether running an inn, or learning about vintage clothing, or something that adds some fascinating information for Michaels to discourse about. In this novel, the setting is in an ancient English home, or more particularly its ancient garden, which may contain remnants of a old walking maze or "dancing floor". Michaels gives the reader a lot of fascinating information on mazes in this book, and I really enjoyed hearing about these old mazes that don't involve hedges, but just walking a convoluted path.

I hear that Michaels has become disenchanted with this genre, and is concentrating on her Ameila Peabody series that she writes as Elizabeth Peters. I have read some of those novels and the first six or seven are fine, but after that, the couple involved got a little too precious for me. I wish she would write more as Barbara Michaels. Perhaps eventually she will tire of Peabody long enough to give us a Michaels novel again.

In the meantime, I guess I am going to have to read the Dancing Floor, Walker in Shadows, and other Michaels classics again.

I have to admit I read this book five times. Now I am just waiting for it to come in stock in the nearest bookstore.
The story and plot is good if you are into mystery which I certainly am. What made me pick up and read this book for the 1st time was not only the title but the cover because the cover itself says that this book is a mystery. For those of you that are a Barbara Micheal's reader and have not read this book. Read it.