Customer Reviews

Lady Anne and the Howl in the Dark

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

 

 

Lady Anne is not the typical "lady" of the late 1700's. She tried to be the hair-brained, I-need-a-husband lass, but when her fiance dies, it is a blessing for her. Having been left a considerable amount of money by her paternal grandmother, she decides she would rather be single and not have to hide her intelligence and quick wit. Not being a beauty, she doesn't have to worry about fending off any would-be suitors.

When Lydia, a dear friend and her deceased fiance's sister, writes her and begs her to come, Lady Anne immediately responds. Lydia hinted at there being mysterious things going on at Darkefell Castle and the possibilities of a werewolf. Unfortunately Lydia fails to tell the rest of the household of Lady Anne's imminent arrival.

Since there is no carriage to take Lady Anne from the post house to the castle, and it is nearing dusk, she sets out on foot. As darkness descends, she hears a howl and a woman's screams. Trying to find the woman in the dark seems futile, until, as luck would have it, she stumbles over her body - but it is too late. She continues to make her way to the castle and arrives, unannounced, covered in blood with questions already arising.

The Marquess of Darkefell is a brooding handsome man who finds Lady Anne to be very bothersome. She insists on prying into his family's secrets - secrets he wishes to remain hidden. At the same time, her seemingly unflappable resolve and calm around him has him mystified. He has never met a woman who has been immune to his charms. He is also entertained by her quick wit and intelligence.

I highly recommend this book. Donna Lea Simpson's writing style is very engaging and draws you in immediately. She gives great descriptions of both countryside and characters.


She had dressed her bonnet with some of the purple tulips from her crushed bouquet, and as they nodded above her shadowed face, she looked both absurd and oddly adorable. He glanced at the path then back at her. It was true her nose was a little too long and her chin too pointed. There was a faint equine suggestion about the nose and generous mouth. Her color was good, though, and her dark hair glossy; she glowed with health and vivacity. (from Lady Anne and the Howl in the Dark, p 207, uncorrected copy)

"But cultivated gardens have their place, my lord," she said, ambling toward the eddy, a swirling, shadowed pool at the base of the waterfall. She stood on a humped hillock of moss and stared, admiring the sparkle of sunlight on the drops that scattered as a rivulet hit a rock. Mist billowed from the force of the falls and bedewed her cheeks. (from Lady Anne and the Howl in the Dark, p 215, uncorrected copy)




You can almost feel the tension that Lord Darkefell feels when he is around Lady Anne - and her optimism in the face of crises abounds. I really enjoyed Lady Anne and am glad that I will get to read more of her in the future. Donna Lea Simpson has two more books coming out with Lady Anne - Lady Anne and the Ghost's Revenge and Lady Anne and the Gypsy Curse.

"Lady Anne" was my introduction to Donna Lea Simpson and I was not disappointed. I admit that I was attracted to the book initially due to the cover, which has just enough historical mood, darkness and a bare man's chest to spur my desire. Reading the plot sealed the deal for me.

How to describe "Lady Anne"? It's gothic, in the same vein as Daphne DuMaurier and Victoria Holt. It's historical in the same vein as Philippa Gregory. It's a romance for the thinking and discriminating reader. It has a taste of the paranormal that reminds me a bit of Jane Austen's "Northanger Abbey". And it has a neat little mystery to wrap up into a pleasing literary gift.

One of the things I loved best about this book was the central character of Lady Anne Addison. She is certainly no frail flower of the time (England of 1786), fainting and keeping to women's interests (sewing or having children). She is more like a man of that time period - - curious, inquisitive, willful, bold and determined to remain unmarried.

I also felt a connection with the character of Boatin, Darkefell's secretary and his story of how he came to England from Africa. Here was a man who was well-read, if not superiorly educated, who was fiercely loyal to his employer, while still recognizing his faults, and who treated Anne as both a lady and as an equal. In fact, I felt somewhat more of a connection with Boatin than I did with Darkefell - - although Darkefell is quite reminiscent of Darcy from Pride and Prejudice, with his perceived arrogance and hidden sensitive nature.

Another wonderful thing about this book are the luscious details of the 18th century - - the attire, the headwear, the castles and estates - - which will cause readers of historical fiction to devour this tale. Boatin's tale, as mentioned above, is an accurate recounting of true events, giving even more depth to Ms. Simpson's story and characters.

The only downside to this book, in my own opinion, is the somewhat unresolved ending . . . which makes perfect sense if you realize "Lady Anne" is the first of a new three-part series. The ending leaves this reader, at least, wanting more and anxious to see where Lady Anne's travels take her next and what part the mysterious and moody Darkefell will play in her life in the future.

I recommend "Lady Anne" without reservation, if you're a fan of gothic, historical, paranormal romance.

The letter from her best friend Lady Lydia Bestwick seemed hysterical to sensible Lady Anne Addison. However, concerned about her buddy's mad rant regarding werewolf sightings, Anne travels to Darkefeel Castle in Yorkshire to prove her wrong and bring some peace of mind to Lydia.

Forced to go on foot to complete her trek to the remote castle, Anne hears the scream of a woman in the dark gloomy woods before stumbling upon a corpse. As she investigates the homicide she tripped over and the alleged werewolf sightings sworn to God by the villagers and employees of the castle, Anne realizes the evidence points towards the only uncooperative person in the vicinity, Lydia's recalcitrant brother-in-law the Marquess of Darkefell. As Anne finds indications of a poorly developed frame with ties to the bustling slave trade, the Marquess makes it clear he wants her in spite of his objection to her independence and courage.

This is a fabulous historical amateur sleuth that introduces readers to a terrific Georgian Era gender bending detective. The story line contains three wonderful subplots that tie together with a Moebius Knot twist: romance, investigation including into potentially paranormal and the profound look at the slave trade with its biblical "Curse of Ham" misinterpretation rationalization. With a nod to The Hound of the Baskervilles albeit a century plus earlier, Donna Lea Simpson's first Lady Anne eighteenth century mystery is a howling success.

Harriet Klausner

Back and forth, back and forth I go on what to say and how to rate "Lady Anne and the Howl in the Dark". It's the start of a new historical romantic mystery series by Donna Lea Simpson, a writer whose works I enjoy. But I need to say up front that this is heavier on the mystery than on the romance--and that it's set in the Georgian period of English history. So when I rate this one, I'm rating it as a mystery vice romance. Having said all that...I enjoyed this book. It kept me turning the pages (373 of them) to see what would happen next and how Lady Anne would react.

Lady Anne is the daughter of an Earl and an heiress in her own right. She's not a beauty, but neither is she hideous. And when her fiance died fighting in the colonies, during her year of mourning she took stock of her life and realized a few things. She'd had a near miss from an unhappy marriage. She didn't like acting vapid to 'snare' a husband. She didn't care for the attitudes and morals of the ton. And she couldn't quite see the benefits of marriage when compared to the life she could currently lead. She quite likes being a spinster, able to do mostly as she pleases. So when her recently married friend sends a letter requesting 'urgent' help, off Lady Anne goes. But not only is there no cart nor carriage to meet her, but while WALKING to the manor where her friend is living, she hears a wild howl, a woman's scream, and stumbles across a dead body! It doesn't take long for her concern for her friend and her natural curiosity to take over and soon Lady Anne is doing some nosing around of her own. And she'll continue to do so until she's satisfied...no matter what the handsome, arrogant, and infuriating Marquess of Darkefell says! So there.

A gothic setting, liberal doses of humor, a mystery, more action than I expected, and some very titillating sexual tension between our hero and heroine. This story was, in some ways, more than I expected...yet in others, less. Lady Anne is a no-nonsense, intrepid, and very intelligent heroine who follows her own mind and her own path while staying mindful of the boundaries society asks of an unwed woman. She's someone I'd like to meet and talk with. And she certainly leads the Marquess a merry chase as she's about the only woman willing to stand up to him...in spite of her attraction to him. She made me smile and laugh with her retorts and setdowns.

The pace of the book was quick, despite its length. The mystery unfolds slowly at first, then rapidly gains speed and goes full out to the end. But it was the end that bothered me a bit. First, I didn't think this was a mystery that readers could solve themselves. There were a few clues, bits and pieces that were only available after the denouement. I wasn't expecting that so it bugged me a bit. But I guess in a way it does make this book 'feel' more historical, evoking the tenor of the gothic mysteries of the past. And the other minus, for me, was the lack of resolution in the relationship. I won't give it away, and now that I understand there are more books to come with the same characters, I see why the author ended it as she did. But when I got to the last page, I was peeved!

All in all I did enjoy the book quite a bit. Enough that I plan to pick up Donna Lea Simpson's next installment in Lady Anne's story, "Lady Anne & the Ghost's Revenge" which comes out in Aug09.

This book had a rather appealing title with ideas of a young woman finding herself in a spooky situation, perhaps with a werewolf or something. When I started reading I discovered this was set in the 19th Century with the requisite Marquess, carriage rides, grim Yorkshire surroundings and mystery. However the overall impression I was left with, after reading this book, was boredom. It was actually very hard to get through with very erratic pacing, a lot of apparent repetition and an unresolved romance.

Lady Anne seemed to this reader to be basically fairly unpleasant. She sticks her nose in with insatiable curiosity, she treats her hostess rudely, she appears to have no idea of acceptable behaviour in polite society. She's like a dog with a bone when she decides to investigate a murder, despite the fact she is visiting Darkfell at the request of her friend Lydia who clearly needs support and encouragement. Anne bascially ignores Lydia and goes off doing her own thing, questioning servants and family members about events leading up to the three strange deaths that have recently taken place.

The hero, the Marquess, is a rather indistinct figure. He seems to haunt the story, popping up occasionally when Anne is investigating but not really ever finding shape. The most believable character was an ex-slave who is the Marquess's secretary but even his behaviour seemed at times to be designed to further the plot rather than with a nod to reality.

The mystery of the murderer was spun out throughout the whole story but by the end, when the perpetrator was unveiled, I was beyond caring. I found it a real struggle to finish the book and was also most surprised to discover a very significant loose end as the book finished. The 'howl in the dark' part of the title was a pretty unimportant part of the overall story which felt in desperate need of a significant edit and whose heroine badly needed redeeming. On the evidence of this book I won't be reading another of Donna Simpson's offerings in the near future.

Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book © Helen Hancox 2008

This was a very fun book. Lady Anne is a plucky heroine with a few Lucille Ball type antics. Overall a very enjoyable read, I am looking forward to the sequel.

Lady Anne Addison is not what you'd call beautiful, but she is rational, loyal and courageous. When her good friend Lydia wrote to her pleading for her help Lady Anne wasted no time in hastening to Lydia's side at Darkefell Castle knowing full well Lydia's penchant for over dramatizing. Lydia claims a werewolf is present in her neighborhood - nonsense!

Lady Anne arrives just in time to stumble over a freshly killed body; finds her friend Lydia quite uncommunicative; and meets the Marquess of Darkefell to be an infuriating stubborn man who makes no bones about not wanting Anne's interference in investigating this latest murder, but more importantly sticking her nose in his family's business. However, there is something about Anne that seems to appeal to him and winning her over seems to be foremost on his agenda.

*** On the plus side this historical romance appears to have everything going for it. It is historical in nature giving a lot of imagery of the Yorkshire countryside; modes of travel; hints of paranormal happenings; a gothic feel and some humorous moments. What it did not do was excite my imagination or create a strong hero, though some of the dialogs could be construed humorous. In short I found it to be a bit boring and difficult to finish because I couldn't really get into the story which at times felt a bit disjointed.

Lady Anne was very outspoken, and for someone who came such a great distance to help and support her friend didn't spend too much time with her at all - in fact, Anne came off as a busybody know-it-all and a bit snobbish.

As far as the Marquess goes, I didn't feel he was fully fleshed out and so how he came to pursue Anne wasn't quite believable. Their dialogs and interactions were not what I'd call passionate or soul searching.

I would have to say that the most interesting character was the Marquess' secretary, an ex-slave, who provided a good amount of the clues, which were not easily brought forth, that helped convince the reader of the identity of the murderer. Although I will say that the identity of the murderer was kept secret right up to the end.

Bottom Line: The title of the book had me intrigued but in my opinion, the story didn't deliver and left a big loose end regarding the romantic element.

Marilyn Rondeau, for www.ck2skwipsandkritiques.com

If you like Victoria Holt and Phyllis A. Whitney then you will like this book. It is not graphic in any way when it comes to the romance between the hero and heroine ie: no sex all of the time..the heroine is a bit priggish and the hero is dark but they both were worthy for the story that the author created.

This book should be a Young Adult Fiction book - it is the first in a series by this author-- apparently what doesn't happen romantically in this book I guess the author hopes the reader will look to in the next book but I am not going to hold my breath and look to see.

This is a good book that could have been a fabulous historical romance had the author fulfilled the hero and heroines romance but I guess that is why she wishes the reader to read book two in this series--I was disappointed--the reader feels cheated at the end.