Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by dunnettreader
The Stormy Petrel by Mary Stewart
3.0
The Stormy Petrel ranks in the lower tier of Mary Stewart books. It has neither enough romance nor suspense to satisfy the romantic suspense reader who loves Mary Stewart's better known books, such as Nine Coaches Waiting or Madam, Will You Talk?
The plot, such as it is, is slight. Our heroine, Rose Fenemore, a Cambridge English professor on holiday in the Hebrides Islands of Scotland, writes poetry and science fiction on the side. She is seeking a quiet place to write while she waits for her brother to join her. We learn little about Rose aside from the fact that she has no romantic attachments. On a wild and stormy night, two men appear at the door of her rented cottage. Both appear to know the island and the cottage well, and both are hiding secrets. Ewen MacKay is definitely more of a charmer than the reserved "John Parsons". It only takes a few days for the mystery of their appearance and relationship to be unraveled. But as one threat is removed, another appears in the form of Hartley Bagshaw, a real estate developer who wants to bring a first-class tourist development to the isolated island. Rose, her brother Crispin, and "John"/Neil, set out to discourage Hartley from his plans. The beauty of nature and the tiny birds, the story petrels decide the fate of the planned development. If only that would happen in real life. Sigh.
The writing, as is to be expected, is clear and beautiful, filled with descriptions of the Scottish landscape and wildlife--even the midges. I could wish that Mrs. Stewart had written a stronger plot to go along with the descriptions. But even slight Mary Stewart is better than most other writers.
The plot, such as it is, is slight. Our heroine, Rose Fenemore, a Cambridge English professor on holiday in the Hebrides Islands of Scotland, writes poetry and science fiction on the side. She is seeking a quiet place to write while she waits for her brother to join her. We learn little about Rose aside from the fact that she has no romantic attachments. On a wild and stormy night, two men appear at the door of her rented cottage. Both appear to know the island and the cottage well, and both are hiding secrets. Ewen MacKay is definitely more of a charmer than the reserved "John Parsons". It only takes a few days for the mystery of their appearance and relationship to be unraveled. But as one threat is removed, another appears in the form of Hartley Bagshaw, a real estate developer who wants to bring a first-class tourist development to the isolated island. Rose, her brother Crispin, and "John"/Neil, set out to discourage Hartley from his plans. The beauty of nature and the tiny birds, the story petrels decide the fate of the planned development. If only that would happen in real life. Sigh.
The writing, as is to be expected, is clear and beautiful, filled with descriptions of the Scottish landscape and wildlife--even the midges. I could wish that Mrs. Stewart had written a stronger plot to go along with the descriptions. But even slight Mary Stewart is better than most other writers.