A Work in Progress

Book Notes: Viragos

 

If things look a little different here, it's because Typepad has changed "platforms" and I was migrated to the new one last night.  Right now it is very, very strange to work in.  I think it's going to take some getting used to on my end, as I had no idea this was coming.  I guess I really should read the Typepad blog more often?  Are there other Typepad subscribers out there who have already been switched?  And does it make more sense as you use it?

Anyway, on to bookish business.  I belong to several discussion groups in Library Thing, including a Virago Modern Classics group.  I tend to be more of a lurker than anything else, but I was contacted about a Secret Santa sort of opportunity a few weeks ago.  I was very tempted to join in, but in the end I decided to sit this one out.  Now I am feeling a little regretful as there are all sort of fun discussion threads about the exchange. 

I've not picked up a new Virago since I finished Dusty Answer by Rosamond Lehmann.  My intentions are good, but my current reads pile is a little too large still.  Not that that stops me from thinking about what I would like to read eventually.  Actually what I was mostly contemplating was the fact that I really wish I had a bookscase to devote just to my Viragos and Persephones, but I can't imagine where I would put it.  Or I could reorganize the bookcases I already have, but that's a job for when I have time off from work.  They just look so undignified in their current unwieldy piles.

Feeling a little disappointed that I am not part of the Secret Santa fun, instead I have thought perhaps it is time to a purchase a few new (well, used actually) Viragos.  The thing with buying "unknown" Viragos is you never really know what you're getting unless you happen to be familiar with an author and their work.  Often I will order a title on the assumption that I will like whatever I order (whether I know anything about the book or not).  This time around I am trying to be more practical about my order.  LT has become a great resource to find descriptions of the books.  Since many of them are long out of print I usually can't find more than a title on Amazon, let alone anything about the contents.  In many cases the LT catalog record now includes not only those blurbs, but also reviews as well.  I now have a list to choose from and am confident I will be ordering books I will really be interested in reading.  However, is anyone familiar with either Nina Bawden or Ellen Glasgow's work?  Both sound like authors I might like, but I'm just not quite sure and both are represented very well on the Virago list.

There were actually other book notes that I was going to share today, but as I didn't bother to make any notes to myself today, and I am feeling totally disoriented by Typepad's changes (subtle though some may be), I think I will save the rest of my news for tomorrow.        

Oh, and if you were wondering what Virago I was thinking about reading, well, I'm split.  When I mentioned a while back that I really want to read Sarah Waters' Affinity  a reader suggested I choose that for my next Virago book, and I thought what a great idea--killing two birds with one stone sort of thing.  However, I have a US edition, which is not published by Virago, so I guess that doesn't really count.  No, to my way of thinking it means I get to read not only Affinity but a Virago I own (see how my mind works?).  So instead I have pulled out Molly Keane's The Rising Tide.  I've wondered about her work for a long time.  Both books are still in the "in anticipation" stage, however, as I've already got my work cut out for me.

Kreativ Blogger

Both Iliana and Andi were kind enough to bestow me with a Kreativ Blogger Award recently.  This makes me feel a little guilty as I have been very neglectful of my needlework lately.  This is a sign it's time to spend more time on finishing a few projects!  There's an accompanying meme, so here goes.

7 things I did before
Went to movies regularly
Belonged to a local bookclub
Went to the bookstore almost weekly (strangely have gotten out of the habit)
Read anything that sounded good
Worked in a bookstore
Traveled to Europe
Stayed up very late reading

7 things I do now
Work in a library
Go to the gym at least three days a week
Walk every day
Listen to audio books
Rent movies to watch at home
Visit the library once a week
Read, but a little more selectively

7 things I want to do
Learn how to rug hook (using wool not yarn)
Collect and read all 81 books Persephone Books publishes
Complete more needlework projects
Pay off my credit card and then cut it up into many little pieces
Go to the seaside
Travel to Europe again
Attend more cultural events

7 things that attract me to the opposite sex
A sense of humor
A nice smile
Intelligence
An even temper
Common interests
A man who doesn't mind cooking
Sensitivity

7 favorite foods
Dark Chocolate--the darker the better (plain is fine, with raspberry filling is also fine)
Honeycrisp apples
Blackberry/pomegranate and cranberry/raspberry Yoplait yogurt (recent finds)
Quatttro formaggio pizza (thin crust)
Tiramisu
Tamales
Italian creme cake

7 things I say most often
Let me just finish this page before I turn off the light
Chispa, No!
What do you want to eat later (not only am I the worst cook, but also the least creative)
I really need a vacation
I'm never going to catch up (fill in the blank...cleaning, reading, with laundry...)

Now the hard part is passing this one to seven other creative bloggers who have not yet been tagged!

Kim (my sister) from ACreativeLife.  She writes and takes gorgeous photos.

Matt from A Guy's Moleskin Notebook.  More lovely photos of exotic places.

Karen from Cornflower.  Not only does she knit, she takes beautiful photos as well.

Lynne from Dovegreyreader Scribbles.  She reads an abundance of books, and she also manages to quilt and knit as well.

Carl from Stainless Steel Droppings.  He has the most creative blog posts--I wish my photos were half as well done.

Veronique from Coté Passions.  She does it all, and she does it really, really well!

Becca from Becca & Bella.  Aside from yet more beautiful photos on her blog, she is also an accomplished quilter.

The Flowers of the Field

Sarah Harrison's The Flowers of the Field is an unputdownable sort of book, which I enjoyed immensely.  I'd rather not admit how long it lingered in my TBR pile (years and years).  It always looked tempting, but the sheer size (close to 700 pages) always put me off a bit.  I'm glad I finally got over my fear of starting such an oversized read, as literally from the first page I found myself immersed in a time and place that I've had a great interest in lately.  While this is perhaps not the most profound novel of World War I out there, I thought Harrison did an admirable job of taking what might otherwise be considered a fluffy sort of read and adding some serious weight to it.

The story revolves primarily around three women.  Sisters Thea and Dulcie come from an unconventional yet wealthy upperclass family, and Primmy is a housemaid working for them.  Life is simple and cushy (well for some anyway) at the outset of the novel.  The worst thing to happen to either girl is being shunted off to relatives in Vienna when Dulcie becomes entangled in a minor indiscretion with Thea's good friend, and what the reader assumes will be a possible love interest, Jack Kingsley.  Thea is the practical, intellectual sister and Dulcie is, well, a bit of a vamp.  She's self-absorbed and more interested in pleasing herself than anyone else.  Primmy has been in service to the Tennant family for years.  She's the oldest of the group, hard-working and no-nonsense.  Soon life will be turned upside down and opportunities will open up to her never before imaginable.

Being sent to Vienna is hardly serious penance for sins committed against the good name of the family.  Thea and Dulcie's aunt has married into even greater wealthy and the Austrian nobility.  It's hoped they'll learn the proper manners and how to act in Society.  Instead Dulcie runs off with the family's tutor and Thea falls for the older son.  But War looms on the horizon and everyone's lives will change irrevocably in August 1914.  So you see things are set up perfectly for a great, dramatic story.  There were a few coincidences that I raised an eyebrow at, but I feel slightly nitpicky to even mention them as this is an otherwise well told story. 

Although there is no afterword or note of explanation, I am assuming that Harrison must have done quite a bit of research.  Between period details and battlefield scenes the story felt very realistic.  While it's told from multiple vantage points and has very epic outlook to it, Thea seemed to tell most of the story.  The War is portrayed as a bloody, grim affair, which of course it was.  There were parts that were heart wrenching, and at one point I teared up while riding the bus making a fellow passenger comment on my book (that never happens, of course I stopped reading, and why was he watching me that closely anyway?).  Thea becomes an ambulance driver, and I believe these sections were my favorite.  It's no wonder women's lives were never the same after WWI. 

I'm biding my time before jumping into Harrison's sequel A Flower That's Free, but I'm not sure how long I can hold out.  Needless to say I'll be looking for more books on WWI.  I wonder if I can find any actual memoirs by women who drove those ambulances?  For the short term I've started listening to Barbara Tuchman's The Guns of August (yes, two audio books at once, something I said I wouldn't do, but as it was already handily loaded on my player, what the hey), which covers only the first month of the War.  I'm sure I'll find much more to read on this subject.  Flowers of the Field is out of print, but there are cheap used copies out there.  And don't be put off by the size.  Once the story grabs you, you won't want to put the book down.                

Miscellanea: On the Reading Horizon

Okay, so I am nearing the end of a couple of books, which puts me in the mood to be thinking ahead.  I should try and stay in the reading mode of whatever I happen to be working on, but I can't quite get out of the habit of gazing longingly at my book piles and contemplating which book (or books) I should read next.  At the moment I am considering:

The Black Pearl by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles - Over thirty books have now been written following the Morland family from the 15th century through the present day.  I think the author is up to WWI.  The Black Pearl is book #5.  I have quite a ways to go.  The books I have read I have enjoyed, and I own all of the books that are available in paperback, so there is no reason not to read them.  I meant to pick up a few of these this year, but I don't think I've read a single one, and I am very much in the mood for more of the Morland adventures at the moment.  This particular book is set in 1659 at the beginning of the Restoration. 

Greenery Street by Denis Mackail - I did mention that I wasn't quite sure which Persephone I wanted to read next.  After a quick perusal of the books I have on hand that I've not yet read, I decided Greenery Street sounded like the perfect choice.  It's another book where not much happens but the day to day business of living.  This time around it is a pair of happily married newlyweds that take center stage. 

Bleak House by Charles Dickens - This is the one book I am assured of starting this week.  There is no rush to get through it, I just want to take it at a nice leisurely pace.  In looking at the notes on the text, Bleak House was originally published in serial form beginning in March 1852 through September 1853.  How's that for leaving readers hanging?  I am hoping, however, it won't take me a year and a half to read!  I'm giving myself the winter season and will see what happens. 

The Light Years by Elizabeth Jane Howard - This is the first book of the Cazalet Chronicles.  There are four books in total and ages ago I read the first three.  I'm not quite sure what happened to the fourth, but I don't recall ever reading it.  It seems silly to read the last one now on its own, so I thought it would be good to start at the beginning.  I have a feeling it is going to be like reading this for the first time, as my memory can be atrocious after a while. I'm looking forward to watching the BBC adaptation when I finish. 

Only one full week of work and then I have a short week and a few vacation days to look forward to.  Bring on those vacation days!

"The Ghosts"

Today is far too nice to spend inside, and while I would love to wile away the afternoon finishing a book, the leaves in my backyard call!  So, today's short story (and hopefully post as well) is going to be on the ultra short side.  A while back I mooched a few short story collections, and 75 Short Masterpieces: Stories from the World's Literature edited by Roger Goodman has come in handy.  The book was published in the early 1960s, so many of the authors are unfamiliar to me.  But the nice thing about this collection is that the stories are very short--most just three or four pages. This sort of book is the perfect solution for people who say they don't have enough time to read.  Who can't spare just a few minutes to read a story that's just a few pages long?

Many of the really famous (well known by me anyway) authors included are authors that I have already read, so I opted for an author that I've meant to read for a while now.  I have a copy of Lord Dunsany's The king of Elfland's Daughter, which is a Victorian fantasy novel that I always mean to read for Carl's Once Upon a Time Challenge (but never seem to get to).  Dunsany was an Anglo-Irish author who came from a very wealthy, aristocratic family.  He was a prolific writer, writing not only short stories and novels, but plays, essays, poetry and autobiography as well.  He sounds like he was a bit of an eccentric if the wikipedia is to be believed.

"Dunsany's writing habits were considered peculiar by some. Lady Beatrice said that "He always sat on a crumpled old hat while composing his tales." (The hat was eventually stolen by a visitor to Dunsany Castle.) Dunsany almost never rewrote anything; everything he ever published was a first draft.  Much of his work was penned with quill pens, which he made himself; Lady Beatrice was usually the first to see the writings, and would help type them. It has been said that Lord Dunsany would sometimes conceive stories while hunting, and would return to the Castle and draw in his family and servants to re-enact his visions before he set them on paper."

Whatever his writing habits (and they do sound peculiar), since I found "The Ghosts" in not just one but two of my short story collections I keep by my bedside, I decided that was the story I needed to read today.  I hadn't planned on choosing a ghost story, but they seem to be following me around lately.

I liked this story, because for once the protagonist gets the better of the ghosts!  Dunsany does setting quite well.  Oneleigh is a mouldering, ancient family home set in isolation amidst a "dark gathering  of old whispering cedars."  Two brothers are in attendance, one fully believing in ghosts ("he mistook things imagined for things having an actual existence") and the other somewhat skeptical.  The skeptical brother decides to sit up and give any wayward ghost every opportunity to make a visit.  As a matter of fact he wishes them to come, and come they do.  I have to say, these were actually rather chilling ghosts.  I won't give details away, because you can listen to the story here (must check the rest of Miette's site out, since she is a fellow short story lover)!  In this story logic and reason trump fear.  Still, faced with those ghosts I'm not so sure I wouldn't have been reduced to one big goosebump.   

A Holiday (Reading) Gift Guide

Do I dare ask this question.  Have you started shopping for the holidays?  (Do I hear groans out there?).  With the economy in such a dire state it's really hard to get in the gift buying mood even with the stores already decorated and my niece busy practicing Christmas carols.  Yes, tralalalala--singing away.  In no time at all I'm going to be Jingle-Belled out!  Alas, help has arrived.  In the form of fantasy shopping anyway, a la Holiday Bas Bleu catalog.  I love Bas Bleu and really should order from them more often.  In any case I pour over their catalog every time one arrives in the mail.  Shall I share my personal favorites?  Their gifts are prefect for any booklover.

André Kertéz's On reading is wonderful.  I can attest to it, as I have the now out of print Penguin paperback edition.  It's been republished as a lovely little hardcover.  The images are black and white taken between 1915 and 1970.

Flapper: A Madcap Story of Sex, Style, Celebrity, and the Women Who Made America Modern by Joshua Zeitz has found a place on my wishlist.  It's just the time period I am interested in and concentrates on the US phenomenon.  Were there flappers in England?  Or were they a particularly American invention like the Jazz that ushered the period in?

Daphne du Maurier's Don't Look Now has been published by New York Review of Books Classics.  I'm glad some of her short stories have found an American publisher.  The title story is truly excellent (also made into a great movie) and very well worth reading.  I'm not sure which other stories the collection contains, but I think I need to get it to add to my du Maurier collection.

Too Many Books totebag.  Because you can never have enough bookbags.  And the illustration is by Edward Gorey.

I've discovered a new mystery author.  L.R. Wright's The Suspect sounds like something I would enjoy.  A mystery that is less a whodunit than a why-dunit.  It's set in Canada and won the 1985 Edgar Award.

These keychains are the sort of thing you buy for someone else (or hope someone buys for you).  I think the Jane Austen is my favorite: "I always deserve the best treatment, because I never put up with any other."

Yes.  Book Darts.

I love this one.  Brilliant Women: 18th Century Bluestockings by Elizabeth Eger. The National Portrait Gallery in London had an exhibit earlier this year about bluestockings.  This is the companion book filled with illustrations and "scholarly yet accessible text."  It's a bit pricey, but maybe my library would order it.

I wish I wrote more letters, then I could use these cool Bronte Sisters Note Cards.  Very pretty in any case.

Okay, so totally frivolous, but it's the perfect weather to snuggle up with a good book and drink some hot chocolate.  Belgian chocolate no less.  Yum.

Hmm.  I think this may only have put me in the mood to buy things for myself.  It's good this is only wishful thinking.  Virtual window shopping if you will.

I've mentioned Bas Bleu before (no connection with the company by the way--just fond of bookish stuff), and if you don't get their catalog you can ask to be added to their mailing list.  They really do have a great selection of unusual books and other gifty items.

The Fortnight in September

The Fortnight in September is a really lovely read, though a touch bittersweet.  That doesn't take away from the enjoyment, however, it just adds to the charm of the story.  Where else can you find a delightful story of one family's annual seaside holiday but from Persephone Books?  It follows the Stevens family from the day before they leave to their journey home a fortnight later and chronicles the minutiae of their daily routine, and while it may sound mundane, truly it is never boring.

The introduction to the novel is taken from R.C. Sherriff's autobiography, No Leading Lady.  Written in the early 1930s, the idea for The Fortnight in September came about as Sherriff himself was on holiday in Bognor.  He watched the endless stream of people go by and wondered about their lives.  His recent attempts at novel writing had ended up in the trash, so he decided to write with the intention of simply writing, not thinking about publishing the story.  Sherriff had been feeling what probably all writers must feel--an inability to write the way he really wanted to.

"After some fruitless efforts I began to wonder whether I hadn't been right off the track in all my previous attempts.  I wanted to write about simple, uncomplicated people doing normal things, and I was groping around for flowery stuff and highfalutin words to do it with.  Clearly the best way was to write about these people in the simple, uncomplicated words that they would use themselves to describe their feelings and adventures.  I decided to try it that way, to confine myself to the modest supply of words at  my command and see whether they would last the distance.  It might not produce a book that anybody would want to read, but it would keep my pencil busy and fill the empty evenings."

He didn't expect any publisher to want to publish his novel, but in the end it became a bestseller, the first edition selling out in a week.

Sherriff writes with a simplicity that is never "simple", which fits well with his representation of this very average, very middle class British family--parents, two grown children out working now, and a younger son still at school.  I think I enjoyed this novel so much because they were so normal and average.  They could be any family.  They might even be my family.  The Stevens are quite ordinary, but in their own way courageous, too (does that sound silly?).  They're not necessarily happy to make due with the lives they've ended up with, but at the same time they find a contentment in their middle class lot in life.  I know that sounds incongruous, how can you do both, but each member of the family, save for the youngest son, works through his or her own problems and disappointments.  In a way, isn't that what a vacation is meant to be?  A way of breaking with the mundanity of life and refreshing yourself and coming away with a different view?

The annual fortnight to Bognor is looked forward to all year long by the family.  Each year they descend on the "Seaview", a quaint bed and breakfast that's actually seen better days, but as the family has always stayed there they don't really notice or mind the shabbiness.  For Mr. Stevens the night before the trip is almost the most satisfying--the anticipation of all that's to come and the knowledge that he's left the office behind and can pull out all his comfortable clothes.  I think Mrs. Stevens might actually enjoy the annual trip a little less than everyone else, not being fond of the sea, but she puts on a good show of finding it all relaxing.  It's the end of the day that she really appreciates, when she has an hour entirely to herself, no dishes to wash, no chores to worry about, when she can take out her needlework and have her glass of "medicinal" port that she only drinks on holiday.

This is probably as close as I'll come to a fortnight holiday anywhere this year, so I found it entertaining and enjoyable to spend time by the seaside, if only vicariously with the Stevens family.  Sheriff is so spot on with all the little worries and emotions that a family might feel.  The house must be properly closed up, pets cared for, the tickets bought and steps taken to ensure the family arrives at the train station on time.  There's the excitement of finally arriving and having two long weeks to look forward to.  Everything's possible in the beginning.  Of course deciding whether to pay extra money to have a cubby on the beach is agonizing.  If you don't take it, will you regret it later.  Or would the money be better spent elsewhere?  And then all of the sudden the days start moving swiftly by, time slipping through their hands.  It doesn't matter that this was written in the 1930s, as some things never change. 

I've yet to read a Persephone title that I didn't like.  With each new book I pick up I discover yet another treasure to be savored and read again and again and this was  no exception.  There are many wonderful stories hiding behind those plain dove grey wrappers.  As I've read only a handful, I happily have 70 odd titles to look forward to.  I'm not sure which Persephone to read next, but whatever it is I am sure I am in for yet another treat. 

Book Notes

I've received the next book I'll be reading for my Postal Reading Group.  Next up is this book, which I've already started as I don't want to leave it until the last minute like I did last time.  It's coincidental as I had been thinking of reading something by this author, and now I have the opportunity.  At least it means I can put off this decision a little longer.  I've only read the first couple of chapters, but it looks to be a good read.  I have to say the main character is already proving to be a bit of an eccentric, though.

I've also started reading Georgette Heyer's Faro's Daughter.  There is something comforting in Georgette Heyer's predictability.  While the story is different than the previous novels I've read by her, I have a good idea what to expect--the fun, though, is in how it all plays out.  I've yet to meet the heroine, but already I hear she's a hussy.  A faro dealer at a gaming house.  And a proper matron of Society is livid to discover her son has declared his intention to ask for her hand in marriage.  Said matron has called on her nephew and son's trustee to put a stop to things.  I think I can see where things are headed.  I'd say I'm in for a good romp.  And a good romp is just what I need a the moment.   

Sue Gee's The Mysteries of Glass is getting better as I go.  I am always optimistic when I start a book, but I will occasional waver after that initial excitement over a new story.  When I discovered that it was narrated from the perspective of a young curate I wondered if I would find a common path--reading about someone so different than myself (to be honest--I had a flash of thinking--if the story is told by a curate, I wonder if it is going to be boring...tsk tsk).  I guess this is the beauty of reading, I am finding that maybe I am not so different, and even if I am it doesn't mean I can't still appreciate the story he is telling.  Happily I am finding myself drawn more and more into the story. 

Emilio Calderon's The Creator's Map is what I have settled on finally to listen to.  This is the first time I have chosen an audio book read by someone who is not a native-English speaker.  I'm not sure if the reader is Spanish or Italian.  Their English is very good obviously, but accented.  As the story is told from the perspective of a Spaniard (as is the author) living in Italy, I am getting the actual pronunciation for the names of people and places.  It certainly gives the story a different flavor.  As to what it's about....I've not listened long enough to form a good plot description yet in my mind.  It is meant to be an espionage thriller set in post-WWII Italy.  I always have a hard time talking about a book I've listened to--I feel like it's not as ingrained in my mind as when I read the words on the page.  Still, it's an interesting way to discover a book.      

...And, um, may have to make some alterations to this list, as the year seems to be speeding by.  I may have to lower my expectations.  Is there no way to make the days slow down?

What's in a Name

Although I haven't yet finished this year's What's in a Name Challenge (two books finished, three books in progress and one not yet started....any chance of completing it before the end of the year?), I like the categories for round two.  I don't know yet if I'll formally join, but I thought it would be fun to see what books I could come up with for each subject.  Some were harder than I expected, but I tried to come up with three choices even though I would just be reading one book for each group.  I only looked at books that I already own, and if I do decide to join the challenge, I'll be ready to go.  Thanks to BooksPlease for the heads up on this one.

A book with a "profession" in its title.

The Glassblower of Murano by Marina Fiorato.

The Lady's Maid by Margaret Forster.

The Lace Reader  by Brunonia Barry.

A book with a "time of day" in the title.

Frost at Morning by Richmal Crompton.

The Night Watch by Sarah Waters.

In the Dark by Deborah Moggach.

A book with a "relative" in the title.

Uncle Silas by J. Sheridan Le Fanu.

Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell.

Daughters of the North by Sarah Hall.

A book with a "body part" in the title.

Cover Her Face by P.D. James.

Eye in the Door by Pat Barker.

Every Eye by Isobel English.

A book with a "building" in its title.

House at Midnight by Lucie Whitehouse.

The Drinking Den by Emile Zola.

The Post-Office Girl by Stefan Zweig.

A book with a "medical condition" in the title.

Human Traces by Sebastian Faulks.

A Sight for Sore Eyes by Ruth Rendell.

Loving, Living, Party Going by Henry Green.

The last category was the hardest, and my choices are a bit of a stretch (is being "human" or "living" a medical condition--oh well, close enough).  Actually this was fun and I  might just try and read from the list after all, though as usual, I reserve the right to substitute when necessary.   

The Serpent and the Scorpion

Ursula Marlow, Clare Langley-Hawthorne's sleuth in The Serpent and the Scorpion, reminds me a lot of Valeria Woodville who you might remember me mentioning not too long ago.  Valeria is Wilkie Collins' heroine in The Law and the Lady.  Both are feisty, independent women, intelligent and willing to go out on a limb to uncover the truth.  The only difference, and I'd call it progress since about forty years separate the two, Ursula is willing to go things alone without the aid or approval of a man.  As a matter of fact she's come a long way from Valeria's world, as she tries hard to shrug off Society's expectations of what's proper for a woman of her station, this means--marriage.  Part of what Ursula struggles with in this novel is how to reconcile her independence with her relationship with Oliver Wrotham, but I'm getting way ahead of myself here.

I was introduced to Ursula Marlow in Consequences of Sin, which I happened upon at the public library last year.  Ursula was not a very traditional young woman.  Raised by her father, the wealthy owner of several textile mills, she wasn't your usual uppercrust Edwardian woman.  Not only was Ursula Oxford educated but a suffragette as well.  And to top it all off she became involved in a murder investigation.  Although her actions did and do raise the eyebrows of Society, in not so short a time the world will be thrown into chaos, so her actions only anticipate the coming change.  I knew I liked her from the start.

A year later Ursula is a bit wiser but now alone after the death of her beloved father.  She's in charge of the textile business that he so carefully built into the small empire that it's become, and Ursula works hard to see its continued success.  Unfortunately there are those who'd like nothing more than to see her fail.  Business takes Ursula to Egypt where she witnesses the murder of her friend, Katya Vilensky, and once again she finds herself mixed up in the solving of the crime.  Things become more complicated when a young woman dies in a fire in one of Ursula's textile mills, and there are signs the deaths may be related.  To make matters worse an ex-lover enters the picture, and Ursula's not sure where his loyalties lie.

Langley-Hawthorne hit the ground running in this second installment.  Some mystery authors need a little time to get things going and build up steam, but I've not found that to be the case here.  I was impressed right from the beginning, and she surpassed herself in The Serpent and the Scorpion.  As with Jacqueline Winspear, it's not just the mystery aspect of the novel that drew me in, but reading about Ursula's milieu, which felt quite real and believable.  This time around the mystery wasn't just your usual "whodunit", but verged on international intrigue, which really works for the period she writes about. 

Oh, and Lord Wrotham?  To those who don't know him, he seems rather stiff and wooden, but then they don't know him like Ursula does.  Oliver Wrotham was Ursula's father's lawyer and upon his death became trustee of the family fortune.  There was a spark between Ursula and Lord Wrotham in the first book, but the spark has ignited and become something a bit more this time around.  It's a nice touch and well done.

I know it's a cliché, but I'm going to say it anyway.  The Serpent and the Scorpion is a real page-turner that gripped me from the first paragraph.  It's not often that I (literally) want to go straight back to the first page after I turn the last one, but I could happily have done so this time.  Instead I've splurged and bought Consequences of Sin, so instead I'll begin at the beginning once more.  Things have been left hanging, so I'll have to wile away the time somehow until Clare Langley-Hawthorne writes more!