Death of a Musketeer [Hardcover]

Sarah D'Almeida (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Berkley (2006)
• ISBN-10: 073947670X
• ISBN-13: 978-0739476703
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,137,369 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I was born in Portugal far more years ago than I like to admit to, in a -- then very small -- place called Granja (lugar da Granja -- lugar possibly transtating roughly as hamlet -- but literally translating as "place") in the freguesia (allegiance/fiefdom) of Aguas-Santas (Holy Waters) in the Conselho (council) of Maia in the district of Porto.

All those designations are changed now, but as I like to tell people I grew up somewhere between Elizabethan England and Victorian England with just a little of the twentieth century thrown in.

This might be exaggerating -- not much -- but the truth is that I did go to a village school and learn to write with a quill pen. Though I used ballpoint pens at home. I penned my first "novel" with ballpoint at around the age of six. And since it was pretty easy -- all twenty pages of Enid Blyton rip-off -- I abandoned what I (by then) suspected was an unattainable aspiration of becoming an angel when I grew up. I decided instead to be a novelist.

Once this was decided, of course, it didn't take all that long at all. Only some... cough... twenty years, during which I acquired a degree from the University of Porto (where we didn't use quill pens), found that employment for English majors was at best scant, moved to the US, changed my name, got married, worked at a variety of jobs from multilingual translator to retail clerk, had two kids and a varying and scary number of cats and read far more than is good for any human being.

So, now I live in Colorado with my husband, two teen sons who are both taller and stronger -- and far more handsome -- than I and four indoor cats, plus a variety of Not-Our-Cats(tm) who beg food at the kitchen door and for whom we provide facilities summer and winter. But who are not... cough... our cats. Ever.

I've been telling lies for fun and profit since 1994 (I did it for free long before that.)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An exciting ride and new depth with old friends., December 9, 2006

By 

L. Runkle (Cedar Rapids, IA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Death of a Musketeer (A Musketeer's Mystery) (Paperback)

Sarah D'Almeida has written a mystery for Dumas fans everywhere. But if you aren't a Dumas fan, take heart - the mystery itself is so absorbing that you will also enjoy it a lot.

Dumas is very hard to pastiche - not only does the author have to deal with what people remember of the books, but the author must also work with what people remember from the movies. Sarah D'Almeida succeeds admirably. Athos is complex, D'Artagnan is intelligent and ambitious, Aramis truly is a ladies' man intended for the church, and Porthos is not stupid, but more inclined towards deeds than words.

The interaction between the characters is very much from Dumas, but takes on a new dimension as they struggle to solve a mystery that could leave Richelieu ascendent over both the Queen and King of France. This mystery does have some romantic scenes in it, but there isn't anything that I would object to high-school students reading.

Some of the history in this book is clearly Dumas-influenced, but some genuine seventeenth-century history shines through. The daily life and empty purses of the historical musketeers is clearly evident, and D'Almeida has done an outstanding job of integrating historical fact with Dumas without letting the story suffer.

And the story! Although anyone who has read Dumas is familiar with some elements of the story, they've been reinterpreted in a breathtaking fashion. The mystery was not obvious, and galloped to its conclusion. I tested this with a family member who is not a Dumas fan. She, too, was gasping in the last few chapter. Musketeers, a mystery, and an exciting ride. Wow!

I'm eagerly awaiting the next books in this series.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Tour of Seventeeth Century Paris, December 9, 2006

By 

Pamela A. Uphoff (Texas, USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Death of a Musketeer (A Musketeer's Mystery) (Paperback)

I was impressed with how authentic the seventeenth century mindset of the characters seemed. And four very different personalities, at that. From the brooding Athos, the womanizing Aramis, tongue tied Porthos, and the young but clever D'Artagnan we see four views of the world. And what a world! The descriptions of Paris and the people of Paris are delightful. The writer pulls the reader so far into the world that one feels that one could easily get lost if one made a wrong turn down a street.

This is not the real seventeenth century, but rather Dumas' Seventeenth, full of the coincidences, resemblances, class prejudice, chivalry, and casual bloodshed in the name of honor that decorated his literary world. A fun read, with a good mixture of characters and action.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun, swashbuckling tale!, December 9, 2006

By 

John Wagner (Albuquerque, NM) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Death of a Musketeer (A Musketeer's Mystery) (Paperback)

LOVED it! A fun, swashbuckling adventure for modern readers. Ms D'Almeida does a fantastic job in this (the first of a series of adventures) tale. The fights are pure classics! With the twist of INTELLIGENT musketeers (something Dumas failed to do!), musketeers out to solve a murder! Great story! I can see why it was selected to be offered as a Mystery Book Club edition. Many kudos to the authoress for an excellent book. I look forward to the sequels!