The Mark of the Midnight Manzanilla by Lauren Willig

Narrated by Kate Reading

The Mark of the Midnight Manzanillais the penultimate in Lauren Willig’s highly entertaining Pink Carnation series, and, as with the books that precede it, has a dual storyline which switches between the early nineteenth and twenty-first centuries as American grad student Eloise pursues her research into the life and times of the Pink Carnation as well as her relationship with her English boyfriend, Colin. While this book perhaps deviates somewhat from the series’ roots in the tales of the espionage and counter-espionage being practiced by the English and French during the Napoleonic Wars, it’s nonetheless a thoroughly enjoyable story which is brought vividly to life by the utterly splendid Kate Reading.

We first met Sarah – Sally – Fitzhugh in The Mischief of the Mistletoe, (Book 7 in the series). She is now in her second season, and the story opens at a soirée being held at a house next door to that of the Duke of Belliston – who, rumour has it, is a vampire.

Sally is a wonderfully no-nonsense young woman, and pooh-poohs that suggestion instantly. Since the publication of The Convent of Orsino, a gothic novel written by Lizzie’s stepmother (formerly Miss Gwendolyn Meadows, confidante of the infamous Pink Carnation), London has been overtaken by vampire fever, and even being a duke is not enough to avoid suspicion and gossip. Bored by the party – and by the season as a whole – Sally takes up her friends’ challenge to beard the supposed vampire in his den, and makes her way into the garden next door – only to be immediately accosted by the purported creature of the night himself. And the sparks start to fly.

“I am not trespassing,” Sally said haughtily. “I was simply admiring your foliage.”

The Duke of Belliston arched one brow. “Has anyone warned you that strange plants might have thorns?”

If she had wanted a lesson in horticulture, she would have consulted a gardener. “Has anyone ever told you that it is exceedingly annoying to speak in aphorisms?”

For a moment, a flicker of something that might have been amusement showed in his dark eyes. Amusement, or merely the reflected light of the candle. “Yes,” he said. “It tends to truncate conversation quite effectively.”

Sally wasn’t accustomed to allowing herself to be truncated.

Ms Reading’s delivery in passages such as this is one of the many highlights of her performance. She has a wonderful way of delivering dead-pan utterances without overdoing it, which is an excellent match for Ms Willig’s clever humour.

The duke is quite aware of his reputation and appears unaffected by it. But Sally is annoyed at the cruel gossip she continually hears being circulated about him, and is determined not only to learn more about him but to champion him.

Lucien, Duke of Belliston doesn’t want a champion, or even to integrate himself back into the society from which he fled twelve years ago. He has returned to England from Louisiana, where he has been living with his mother’s family, determined to discover the identity of the person who murdered both his parents when he was a boy. Dogged by gossip and haunted by his past, he’s a troubled young man who has finally come to realise that it’s time for him to stop running, find out the truth and bring the murderer to justice.

When someone tries to frame Lucien for murder, Sally becomes even more determined to help him to discover the truth about his parents’ murders as well as to find out who is attempting to stoke the frenzy of rumour and see him convicted of this latest killing.

The fact that his smile does funny things to her insides has nothing to do with her interest, of course.

Not a thing.

Before long, Sally and Lucien are on the trail of deadly spies, assailed by ghoulish bumps in the night and in denial about their attraction to one another.

The Mark of the Midnight Manzanilla is an absolutely wonderful story, full of wit, humour and a strongly characterised supporting cast, all of it realised with great vivacity and tremendous insight by Ms Reading. Many familiar faces from previous books in the series make guest appearances, such as the formidable Miss Gwen and Sally’s brother “Turnip” and his family, but what makes this such a great listen are the fabulous interactions between the central couple. Sally reminds me somewhat of Miss Gwen, with her down-to-earth attitude and her sharp tongue, and Lucien is quite possibly the sexiest of all the Ms Willig’s heroes. He’s not showy or devilishly naughty, but his intelligence, dry wit and his protectiveness toward Sally make him very attractive.

The story and the performance are bubbling over with exuberance, and Ms Willig has struck just the right balance between erudition and good old-fashioned story-telling by weaving in references to cultural phenomena both old and new. She deftly takes a swipe at the early nineteenth century’s craze for dreadful gothic novels (in much the same way as Jane Austen does in Northanger Abbey) while also having a dig at the current craze for sparkly vampires and even getting in the odd Monty Python reference. And she does this in the context of a fast-paced romantic mystery featuring memorable characters and fabulous dialogue.

The words “Kate Reading narrates” should be enough by now to know that an excellent listen is guaranteed. Her performance here is a delight from beginning to end; her pacing is flawless and all the characters are clearly differentiated and skilfully realised through the use of a variety of tone and accent and a wide range of expression. The secondary characters receive just as much careful attention as the protagonists; Lucien’s former tutor, Sheridan, is given a lovely Irish lilt; bluff – and drunk – cousin Hal is a hoot; and Lucien’s scheming social-climber of an aunt is made to sound suitably hostile through the use of an unpleasant nasal tone. Ms Reading’s portrayal of the two principals is perfect, expertly capturing Lucien’s self-deprecating sense of humour and Sally’s sensible waspishness while also conveying the affection and kindness that lies beneath the witty banter.

By some standards, The Mark of the Midnight Manzanilla may seem to be rather a lightweight book, but comedy isn’t easy to write, and to pull off something this good towards the end of a long-running series is an amazing feat.

[section label=’Audiobook Information’ anchor=’Audiobook Information’]

Caz

AUDIOBOOK INFORMATION

TITLE: The Mark of the Midnight Manzanilla

AUTHOR: Lauren Willig

NARRATED BY: Kate Reading

GENRE: Historical Romance

STEAM FACTOR: You can play it out loud

REVIEWER: Caz [button type=’link’ link=’http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LSUGXVQ/?tag=audiogalsnet-20′ size=’btn-lg’ variation=’btn-default’ target=’blank’]Buy The Mark of the Midnight Manzanilla by Lauren Willig on Amazon[/button]