Customer Reviews

Montmorency and the Assassins

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

 

 

Having read the first two books in this series, I was hungry for more - and Assassins really delivered. When I first picked it up I thought it would be a lot longer than the previous two, but it roars along, with bodies falling, windows smashing and all sorts of other thrilling, funny and sometimes saddening twists (watch out for the ending if you're a crier like me!)
Enough out of me - just read it! I'm waiting for the fourth one...

The third book in Eleanor Updale's series has gentleman-thief Montmerency facing his greatest challenge yet: espionage on an international scale. Set twenty years after his fall through a skylight during a botched robbery and his subsequent years recuperating in jail before taking to the sewers as his criminal alter-ego Scarper, Montmerency now looks forward to the onset of the twentieth century with his close-knit group of friends. With wealth, security and rewarding jobs as part of the British Empire's spy network, Montmerency and his dear friend George Selwyn-Fox are happy to take on a considerably less serious commission.

A collection of rare specimens have been stolen from a reclusive naturalist, and the trial leads the two men to Italy where George's brother and two sons are holidaying. Montmerency quickly takes the younger son Frank under his wing, and just when the mystery of the missing artifacts seems to have been resolved, larger problems emerge. Whilst Montmerency is distracted by the belief that there's more to the initial burglary than meets the eye, Frank gets caught up in the plots of Italian anarchists and a riot that ends the death of a policeman.

At first the family tries to protect Frank, only to realize that he's in the perfect position to act as an informant and uncover more dangerous plots against the government. Joined by their old friends Vi and Tom (a former prostitute and her son), Montmerency and George take Frank to London and then America in the hopes of integrating themselves into the anarchist movement.

Set over the course of two years and stretching from Britain to Italy, Scotland to America, the novel also delves into some romantic entanglements, Doctor Farcett's experiments with the new x-ray machine, and the question of Tom's paternity. As Updale's thickest book yet, she quietly ratchets up the tension in the espionage plot whilst detailing domestic affairs, world-building and an array of historical characters that flit in and out of the story, including activist Gaetano Bresci, composer Puccini, and inventor Thomas Edison. Updale doesn't skimp on the details, and many readers may be frustrated at the slow pacing, but her steady control over the plot and her concise writing style only enhance the suspense that intensifies over the course of the story.

She also continues her trend of setting up thought-provoking and morally problematic scenarios for the reader, without letting her own views intrude on the readers' ability to form their own conclusions. In this case she's very careful to present *both* sides of the argument that exists between the anarchists and the aristocrats, and Frank in particular finds himself caught between the allure of the underground movement and his loyalty to family and country. On the one side is his concern over the innocent lives at stake, on the other is his camaraderie with the people he's befriended and who he is secretly betraying. It's a fascinating moral conundrum with no clear right or wrong answer. Like his foster-uncle once did, Frank has to call upon his own Scarper to survive the situation he's embroiled in.

As mentioned, Updale's language is beautifully clear and descriptive, and her research into the time period and locations is meticulous. It's very reminiscent of the likes of Philip Pullman and Leon Garfield what with her gift of bringing the past (specifically Victorian England) to life in a way that few authors manage. Best described as a tightly-plotted spy-thriller, "Montmerency and the Assassins" ends on an abruptly grim and shocking note. Although it may bring a few tears to your eyes, it certainly leaves no question that there is a forth installment on its way.

An excellent series. The historical info is fascinating, not a whole lot written about during the Victorian times when a lot was changing. I recommend the whole series. My son and daughter both loved these books and came away with a fresh look on history lessons! Eleanor Updale is impressive. The story grips you early and doesn't let up past the end.
I recommend for kids 10yrs and up.... and adults

Montmorency and his old friend and partner George Fox-Selwyn set out to Italy to join Selwyn's family on a European tour, all the while keeping a lookout for a few stolen artifacts from a naturalist's private collection.

They expected a pleasant family vacation. But when one member of Selwyn's family gets them involved in an international plot to murder some of Europe's most distinguished aristocracy, they end up dealing with a lot more then they bargained for....

And this time, it's their closest friends and family members whose lives are on the line.

Montmorency and the Assassins left this reviewer with mixed feelings. The book has an interesting cast of characters that are spread out all over Europe. This, unfortunately, is one of Assassins' greatest weaknesses. It constantly jumps back and forth from one character's perspective to another, sometimes within the same paragraph. Because of this, it is difficult to relate to the characters. Readers never get to spend a substantial amount of time with any of them. The style of the writing only aggravates this problem. It often feels as though the author is merely narrating events, not weaving a story together.

The story isn't exactly boring, but it's not thrilling, either. The ending is terrible. It comes abruptly and can only be described as ghastly. Readers who have enjoyed the previous books and care deeply for the characters might want to avoid Assassins simply because of the ending, which all but undoes everything the characters have achieved during the course of the novel.

The book's one strong point is its interesting time-period details. The settings and characters of Assassins were meticulously researched. London, Italy, and America are real enough to touch. However, this fact does not undo the other problems with the novel.

Assassins is not a horrible book. It's just that there's no reason to read it. At the end of the day, Assassins manages merely to be stunningly average.

Armchair Interviews says: If you like time-period details, this book might be for you.

I loved the first book in this series, Thief, Liar, Gentleman? Yes, the story stretches the limits of believability. An urchin with no education is readily accepted as a member of the upper classes in Victorian London. His transformation from callous thief to refined gentleman occurs overnight upon his attending his first opera. Yet, I decided to accept these improbable twists and go along with the story.

But the second book, Montmorency On The Rocks: Doctor, Aristocrat, Murderer?, took a turn for the worst. Instead of developing their personality, here the characters became even shallower. The plot is random, the reasons behind the characters' actions non-existent or contradictory with their previous behaviors. The female characters even less developed that their male counterparts and that is to say something. There is no hint of any kind of sexuality on any of them, male or female, even though one of the females is a prostitute. And by the way, this is a MG novel, am I the only one to have a problem with that?

Apparently so. For the protagonists, even the aristocratic lord, accept her easily enough. And then, there is the bomb, at the end of the second book, that the said prostitute is pregnant. As I said, there is no hint of any relationship before, so the reader is left wondering who is the father of the baby.

The reader is not the only one wondering, for during this, the third book, the three male protagonists wonder too whether they are the father of the now 13 year old boy. Which means the mother was the lover of the three men. At least once. Yet, they all get along swimmingly. Really?

Then there is Maggie, the doormat nurse, who does everything for her love interest, without asking anything in return. Her selfishness is irritating. Is this how we want our daughters to behave?

Plus the story in this third installment makes even less sense. Aristocrats, anarchists, working classes and the new American industrialists are all clichés and poorly developed. And don't get me started with the contrivances of the reappearance in America of a secondary character from the first book.

Overall terribly disappointing.