Customer Reviews

The Judas Kiss

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

 

 

Of course, Victoria Holt never disappoints, and this book is no exception. While it is not my favorite novel of hers (On The Night of the Seventh Moon and Bride of Pendorric are) this is a wonderful book with an interesting, intelligent heroine. Worth reading for the elaborate descriptions of the Bavarian forests, the mysterious secondary characters, as well as the romantic hero Conrad. This will sweep you off your feet -- like a fairy tale for older readers...enjoy!

I think this book is a beautiful piece of Victoria Holt's! It's so romantic, and I think everyone should read it who's a hopeless romantic like I am. Pippa goes to Conrad's country, and is surprised when she gets there. I loved the mysterious suspenseful parts. They made me keep reading until I finished it. It took me about 8 hours to finish. I recommend that if you haven't read it, you need to. I'll hopefully get it for Christmas. It'll make a great gift!

Victoria Holt truly lived up to her reputation as the queen of romantic suspense. This story combines nicely a romance with political intrigues and murders. What i like about a VH book is that the setting is always done so well i can even feel the real world in the book.
Some complaints about the story, though.(1) Conrad professes to love Philippa, yet never shows any hint of trust in her in the matter of her sister's marriage. (2)Only after seducing her does he let her know he can only keep her as his mistress and never even ask how she feels about it. That looks like cheating to me.(3)The story gets very redundant and repetitive halfway through. Whenever they meet, Conrad is forever whining that he loves Philippa, that he can't live without her; and Philippa is always busy thinking of how she is affected by him and whether she should stay with him or not.
Despite those problems, overall this book is still very enjoyable.

Gothics are the first romances I ever read. I didn't realize at the time, of course, that they were romances--I considered them more a peculiar form of mystery. (Yes, my feet were wet, and I could see the pyramids.) I also considered them a guilty pleasure. Now, it's more nostalgia.

The Judas Kiss is about Pippa Ewell. She and her older sister Francine are orphaned and sent with to live with their cruel, controlling grandfather. He intends to marry Francine to their Cousin Arthur. Rescue comes in the form of foreigners at Granter's Grange, the neighboring estate. Francine runs off with Rudolph, heir to the ruler of a small Bavarian kingdom. Pippa gets a few letters from Francine, telling about her marriage and child, then the letters stop. Some time later, she learns that Francine had been killed when Rudolph was assassinated, and that nobody in Bruxenstein believes there was a wedding or a child.

Making things worse for Pippa, her grandfather has now transferred his plans to her, and intends for her to wed Cousin Arthur on her 17th birthday.

When foreigners return to Granter's Grange, Pippa meets and falls in love with Conrad, who she takes to be an upper-level servant of some sort. He asks her to come with him as his mistress, but she declines.

Hmmm. I'm going to be outlining the entire plot of the book if I keep this up. Not what I intended to do. Suffice it to say that Pippa ends up in Bruxenstein, looking for her nephew and evidence of her sister's marriage. She and Conrad are torn between love and duty, amid dangerous political machinations.

As with a lot of older gothic romances, I had a hard time believing either of the couples had truly fallen in love. It's almost as if the falling in love part is just too private to be mentioned--either that, or it's considered something along the lines of magic--something that "just happens" and has no rhyme or reason to it.

And I knew who Conrad was from the start, which made me think Pippa was... if not TSTL, at least pretty darn dumb.

Also, the murder whodunit was never really completely solved.

However, particularly once Pippa gets to Bruxenstein, the emotional angst is quite well done. If you accept that Pippa and Conrad are in love (and you pretty much have to accept it as a given, otherwise the rest of the story is pointless), they truly are caught between a rock and a hard place, both of them for different reasons.

I also appreciated the mystery of Francine's child. There were a couple of red herrings and wrong turns, and I was sure I knew who he was, but I was wrong.

Other than who killed Francine and Rudolph being assumed but never proven, the rest of the threads in the story were neatly tied up, including those I'd assumed had been forgotten.

I really disliked this book. I felt the main relationship grew too quick. Not only because she falls into his bed without even knowing his name, but because Holt makes you just take her word for it that they are in love without showing it. I also couldn't stand Pippa because she would just give in to him all the time even when she knew he wouldn't be there the next day for her. He was just promises on promises. And all his speeches of love to her just made me roll my eyes. Plus just wanting to keep her as a mistress hidden in the woods?! Not romantic. He wasn't a gentleman, and Pippa was dumb. I had absolutely no emotional investment in seeing these two get together.

I know that Holt's novels usually have pretty neat endings, but this was just too much for me. I won't put in how neatly it was done in case someone doesn't want it spoiled. Suffice to say, the main characters get off scot free with no repercussions to those they betrayed. Not to mention upending other people's lives for their own benefit. Also the main mystery with her sister's murder has no resolution. Holt just has someone say -- yeah we think they did it.

With all these problems for me, I can say that the interaction with Pippa and her grandfather was interesting, and her relationships with all her friends were fun to read. Those relationships had depth, unlike the one with Conrad. I also thought the climax was really suspenseful and exciting. There was real danger there, which I loved.

Maybe some readers can suspend their disbelief in the main couple's lack of love and depth, but I just couldn't. Not one of my favorites of Holt's. I would recommend instead Shivering Sands, Lord of the Far Island, or Landower Legacy(this one has a great, independent heroine.)

This story has several "phases," alternating happy and miserable. Interesting story with a double surprise ending. Great reading.

This book was the best of hers that I have read so far! i have read 10 of her books and i have been pleased with every single one of them! This one i liked becasue it keeps you waiting the whole entire book to find out whats going to happen next! i couldn't put this book down i kept on trying to predict what was going to happen next and than you would be surprised with something else! When I read this book i felt like i was actually their watching everything take place! Its a great book taht i think everyone would enjoy! i let some of my friends read it and they thought the exact same thing!

Victoria Holt is my Favorite Author. This book is my favorite. I have read all her and philippa Carrs books! Philippa Ewell's siter runs away with a Baron to his land. Phillipa gets 2 letters and then they stop. SHe finds an old new-paper clipping from the year before talking about the Baron and her sister. They had been murdered. She goes off to find the truth about her sisters death and falls in love, almost gets killed and finds the truth.

On my top 2 list of favorite Holt books. This was great! I couldn't put it down! The entire plot was fascinating, and I loved it from beginning to end. A must-read!!

"Lord of the Far Island" is deffinatly the most suscpencful novel by Victoria Holt. She doesn't give away the ending at all. Just when you think you have the mystery solved, she'll prove you wrong. This is a must read book!