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cmcahill's review against another edition
5.0
I am so sad that this is the last Julian Kestrel book. I wish there were more...
victoria92's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
bev_reads_mysteries's review against another edition
5.0
In a flashback to four years ago, Ross starts the story with Lodovico Malvezzi, an autocratic Italian aristocrat with an inordinate love of music--particularly singing. He delights in discovering little known talent, seeing the young singers trained, and then springing his protégés on the singing world. His most recent discovery is a young man who is referred to as Orfeo and he has never performed in public at all. He will be Malvezzi's most prized singer--an absolute unknown with the voice of an angel. He takes Orfeo and the Maestro Filippo Donati to his secluded castle where no one but trusted servants will see him Even his signing master will not see him because Donati is blind.
While there, Malvezzi receives a strange package containing a jeweled glove and a somewhat threatening letter. There is also a growing tension between him and Orfeo. And then one night Orfeo disappears and Malvezzi is killed. But because of the growing threat of revolutionary trouble (something Malvezzi's stern rule helped keep at bay), the authorities agree that it would be best to declare the Marquis's death a "heart failure" (rather than a shot through the heart) while quietly hunting the missing singer. Everyone assumes that Orfeo's disagreements with his patron became heated enough that they ended in murder. Why else would he disappear on the very night Malvezzi was killed?
Four years later, Julian Kestrel, his servant Dipper, and his good friend Dr. MacGregor are touring the Continent. Julian intends to continue on to Italy when the doctor decides it's time to go home.When Julian, who has become a dab hand at solving mysteries, hears that the Marquis's death has finally been revealed as a murder and that the family and authorities are reopening the investigation, he offers his services. The family immediately take up his offer of help, but the police commissari Grimani is none to pleased at having a foreign amateur invading his territory. They do manage to work together in a somewhat wary manner. It isn't long before Julian reveals that there are more secrets to uncover than just who killed the Marquis and when a second murder occurs at the same castle, he and Grimani must find the links between the the deaths...before Julian himself becomes a victim.
This is the fourth and, sadly, final book in the Julian Kestrel series. Ross's final book was her best. The writing is sublime and she provides extensive information about Julian's somewhat mysterious past. Just as the singing of Orfeo surpassed that of all the singers Malvezzi had sponsored previously, so too does this novel surpass the other three. It is interesting to see Julian out of his English element and working even harder against the established police. He not only has to seek proofs of his deductions, he must provide proofs that the antagonistic Grimani will be unable to discount. He treads a tightrope and knows one false move could see him in prison for obstructing the police and Italian prisons are not as easy to get out of as English prisons. It isn't until the very end that we realize just how precarious that tightrope was. There are several unexpected and very interesting twists throughout the plot and I have to say that they were all very satisfying. I enjoyed this very much in 1997 when I first read it and I have enjoyed it even more 25 years later--though the enjoyment is bittersweet this time around. In 1997 I didn't know this would be the last mystery with Julian Kestrel. It is very sad that Kate Ross was taken by cancer just as she was hitting her stride in her writing.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting portions of review. Thanks.
While there, Malvezzi receives a strange package containing a jeweled glove and a somewhat threatening letter. There is also a growing tension between him and Orfeo. And then one night Orfeo disappears and Malvezzi is killed. But because of the growing threat of revolutionary trouble (something Malvezzi's stern rule helped keep at bay), the authorities agree that it would be best to declare the Marquis's death a "heart failure" (rather than a shot through the heart) while quietly hunting the missing singer. Everyone assumes that Orfeo's disagreements with his patron became heated enough that they ended in murder. Why else would he disappear on the very night Malvezzi was killed?
Four years later, Julian Kestrel, his servant Dipper, and his good friend Dr. MacGregor are touring the Continent. Julian intends to continue on to Italy when the doctor decides it's time to go home.When Julian, who has become a dab hand at solving mysteries, hears that the Marquis's death has finally been revealed as a murder and that the family and authorities are reopening the investigation, he offers his services. The family immediately take up his offer of help, but the police commissari Grimani is none to pleased at having a foreign amateur invading his territory. They do manage to work together in a somewhat wary manner. It isn't long before Julian reveals that there are more secrets to uncover than just who killed the Marquis and when a second murder occurs at the same castle, he and Grimani must find the links between the the deaths...before Julian himself becomes a victim.
This is the fourth and, sadly, final book in the Julian Kestrel series. Ross's final book was her best. The writing is sublime and she provides extensive information about Julian's somewhat mysterious past. Just as the singing of Orfeo surpassed that of all the singers Malvezzi had sponsored previously, so too does this novel surpass the other three. It is interesting to see Julian out of his English element and working even harder against the established police. He not only has to seek proofs of his deductions, he must provide proofs that the antagonistic Grimani will be unable to discount. He treads a tightrope and knows one false move could see him in prison for obstructing the police and Italian prisons are not as easy to get out of as English prisons. It isn't until the very end that we realize just how precarious that tightrope was. There are several unexpected and very interesting twists throughout the plot and I have to say that they were all very satisfying. I enjoyed this very much in 1997 when I first read it and I have enjoyed it even more 25 years later--though the enjoyment is bittersweet this time around. In 1997 I didn't know this would be the last mystery with Julian Kestrel. It is very sad that Kate Ross was taken by cancer just as she was hitting her stride in her writing.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting portions of review. Thanks.
teaandbooklover's review against another edition
4.0
No spoilers here; I promise!
This is the last book in the series and the last one I read, although I read the others out of sequence.
I think this book was entirely too long and detailed. I had trouble keeping track of all the names of the characters~from the family members, townsfolk, police, servants and guests. I just think this story could have wrapped up quicker. That being said, Kate Ross is an excellent writer and murder mystery writer. I truly had no idea who it was until the end, and then there was also a very surprising twist at the end! You will also find Dr. MagGregor on vacation with Julian, as well as his loyal servant Dipper.
I agree with another reviewer who said she didn't like that it was placed in Italy instead of London, and I would have to agree. I had no idea Italy was such a hotbed of corruption, dissension and factions then. Anyway, I enjoyed this one, but book #3 will always be my favorite.
This is the last book in the series and the last one I read, although I read the others out of sequence.
I think this book was entirely too long and detailed. I had trouble keeping track of all the names of the characters~from the family members, townsfolk, police, servants and guests. I just think this story could have wrapped up quicker. That being said, Kate Ross is an excellent writer and murder mystery writer. I truly had no idea who it was until the end, and then there was also a very surprising twist at the end! You will also find Dr. MagGregor on vacation with Julian, as well as his loyal servant Dipper.
I agree with another reviewer who said she didn't like that it was placed in Italy instead of London, and I would have to agree. I had no idea Italy was such a hotbed of corruption, dissension and factions then. Anyway, I enjoyed this one, but book #3 will always be my favorite.
besha's review against another edition
3.0
I'm sad that there aren't more books in this series; the plots are hilariously complex and engrossing, the writing is excellent, and the period detail is superb.
That said, Kestrel was beginning to grate. Everyone loves him! He's super smart AND super talented AND all of his enemies are obviously evil AND he has a mysterious dramatic past ex which the author can pull any deus she needs!
"Too noble" and "too special" and "cannot resist cherishing a noble, yet restrained, passion for beautiful ladies" aren't exactly humanizing flaws. Every detective needn't be an antihero, but this is a bit much.
That said, Kestrel was beginning to grate. Everyone loves him! He's super smart AND super talented AND all of his enemies are obviously evil AND he has a mysterious dramatic past ex which the author can pull any deus she needs!
"Too noble" and "too special" and "cannot resist cherishing a noble, yet restrained, passion for beautiful ladies" aren't exactly humanizing flaws. Every detective needn't be an antihero, but this is a bit much.
jamread2021's review against another edition
3.0
This story started off slowly and I guessed a key surprise near the beginning, however the atmosphere and story kept me engaged in the story.
threerings's review against another edition
5.0
A really great novel as well as a good mystery. It's unfortunate that this was the author's last book, because it shows hoe skilled she was at creating an atmosphere and a large cast of believable characters. All the characters felt like real people with their own motivations and secrets. Of the many secrets in the book, some were truly surprising and others were not. That's my only quibble with the book, that I wish I had been more surprised by some things. But I didn't guess Whodunit, so that's something. This book thankfully exposes some of the protagonist, Julian Kestrel's, inner self and past, which is something the reader has been wondering about in all the previous books. I wish the series had been continued, but this is at least a satisfying final chapter.
wild_night_in's review against another edition
5.0
Oh wow. That was an absolute revelation! The plot twists and turns beautifully and logically, all guided by Ross' skilful hand. The period details (someone getting arrested for eating watermelon in Austrian-Italy, the clothes, the idioms..) were wonderful and drove the story on instead of holding it back.
Am absolutely gutted to discover that she died shortly after completing this novel. I'd have loved to read more of this utterly bewitching series! Still have the first 3 books to console myself with though...
Am absolutely gutted to discover that she died shortly after completing this novel. I'd have loved to read more of this utterly bewitching series! Still have the first 3 books to console myself with though...
emtobiasz's review against another edition
4.0
After devouring the three previous Julian Kestrel books in under a week, I took my time with this one. The change in setting-- moving from England in the 1820s to Italy under Austrian rule-- threw me off a bit, and knowing this was Kate Ross's last book made me want to take it slow. But once I hit the halfway mark, the story picked up quickly and I found myself speeding through again. I liked learning more about Kestrel and his past as the book went on-- Ross has had a habit of dropping tantalizing hints throughout the series, and a lot of questions were answered in this book. Overall, I'll miss these books and will definitely be looking for another mystery series to fill in for Julian Kestrel.
alesia_charles's review against another edition
3.0
It took me a long time to finish this, because unlike the earlier three volumes, it dragged. The first 50 or so pages held a lamentable lack of Julian Kestrel, and even once he arrived on the scene there was a lot of conversation and very little progress.
Really, things only took off after Rinaldo Malvezzi arrived on page 266, and then they proceeded most satisfactorily: drama, another murder, investigation, recriminations, tragedy, and threats of premature interment! Not to mention a twist in the ending that I'd actually considered early on, but then discarded because the author carefully avoided any hints toward it at all.
Besides that last third or so of the book, the most interesting part of the story was learning about early nineteenth-century northern Italy, a place and time that is much neglected in fiction - and in history as taught in the United States. The area had been conquered by the French and then, including the time of the book, the Austrians. There's a substantial political background to the story, to go with the cultural information.
But I didn't pick up the book to learn about occupied Italy, though that was a welcome bonus. Despite the great ending, overall I was a bit disappointed in Ross's last book, which makes me sad. It was good enough, but not as good as the previous ones.
Really, things only took off after Rinaldo Malvezzi arrived on page 266, and then they proceeded most satisfactorily: drama, another murder, investigation, recriminations, tragedy, and threats of premature interment! Not to mention a twist in the ending that I'd actually considered early on, but then discarded because the author carefully avoided any hints toward it at all.
Besides that last third or so of the book, the most interesting part of the story was learning about early nineteenth-century northern Italy, a place and time that is much neglected in fiction - and in history as taught in the United States. The area had been conquered by the French and then, including the time of the book, the Austrians. There's a substantial political background to the story, to go with the cultural information.
But I didn't pick up the book to learn about occupied Italy, though that was a welcome bonus. Despite the great ending, overall I was a bit disappointed in Ross's last book, which makes me sad. It was good enough, but not as good as the previous ones.