Silent in the Grave

Silent in the Grave (2007) Deanna Raybourn

First, a mea culpa. In my memory, I confused this with another book. A book that I found ho-hum at best. I also read this at a time when I was still irritated when someone put romance into my mystery (or fantasy or whatever), and I remembered this as having a lot of romance.

It didn’t, really.

So, I’ve been irritated in my mind with this book for no damned reason at all. Which is too bad, because upon re-reading, I found I quite enjoyed it.

Lady Julia Grey’s husband Edward dies at a dinner party they are giving, and although his death was not completely unexpected (he suffered from a hereditary heart ailment) it was sudden, and a private inquiry agent he had hired believes Edward may have been murdered. But she has no interest, and instead turns to learning how to be a widow.

“I know that you wish to mourn Edward . He was a lovely person and we were all quite fond of him. But the man you buried was not the child you played with. Do not make the mistake of climbing into his grave and forgetting to live the rest of your life.”

Being a widow was an internal and a society process. Society expected widows to wear unrelieved black for a full year, to avoid any social engagements and frivolity, socializing only with their immediate family. Many widows, such as Queen Victoria, spent the remainder of their lives in morning, and many women saw the Queen as someone to be emulated.

As much as I love reading historical mysteries, the constantly remind me how glad I am to live in the future.

Mindful of propriety , I was thickly veiled and I walked purposefully , keeping my head still so that I appeared to look neither right nor left.

But my eyes roved constantly, taking it all in.

Now, Julia may be a lady, but her upbringing was unusual, so she holds many ideas that did exist at the time, but were often considered radical. The book is set in 1886, so some modern ideas aren’t completely unexpected.

And there was a comment which is appropriate to any time period.

Life is too uncertain, my dear. You must seize happiness where you find it.

All-in-all, I’m sorry I confused this book with another, because I quite enjoyed it, and have already started on the sequel.
Rating: 7.5/10

Published by Harlequin MIRA

• Browse the archives:
  
• Silent in the Sanctuary » »
• « « Arctic Chill