Lady Julia and Nicholas Brisbane have spent the last few months traveling and honeymooning. All is generally going well, that is until Portia and Plum track the two down and share with them a bit of shocking news. Portia has had a letter from Jane who is pregnant, widowed, and sure that her husband was murdered. And so the four pack up and head to India to see Jane… and maybe solve a murder, or two.
Dark Road to Darjeeling, the fourth Lady Julia novel, is a great read – as they all have been. However, this particular novel is set apart by an intensity that the other novels did not possess. While there was the mystery and intrigue, the great writing that keeps me hooked from page one, it’s more than that. One father’s desperation and another’s cruelty lead to acts you don’t want to believe possible. Unexpected deaths, family eccentricities, and the never ending stubbornness of some individuals are all things that kept me turning pages.
I’ll admit to one concern I had going into this book. Being that this is the first of the books where Lady Julia and Brisbane are married, I’ll admit I was a bit worried that their relationship would change with their new status. You know what I mean; the lovey, dovey everything is perrrfect relationship. Well, I should have known better. A huge part of what I love about these books is the constant butting of heads between the two, all the conflict. Believe me when I say, Dark Road to Darjeeling has it’s share of conflict between the couple.
As for that intensity I mentioned earlier, the last third or so of the book is what provides that. I don’t want to give anything away, but I have a few words that will do the job of explaining. There are people who run away, people who die… and a tiger attack.
There is, throughout the book, only one thing that really makes me angry. That thing is what happens to Jane. I just want to ask, WHY?!
All in all, Dark Road to Darjeeling was a great read. Deanna Raybourn has yet to fail to captivate me with her Lady Julia books. There are some great new characters in this book and there are lots of twists and turns that I never expected. I experienced WTF moments, moments of despair, laughter… really my emotions ran the gamut reading this one. Another fantastic read from Deanna Raybourn.
Lady Julia Grey Series:
1. Silent in the Grave
2. Silent in the Sanctuary
3. Silent on the Moor
4. Dark Road to Darjeeling
5. The Dark Enquiry (To be released July, 2011)
Among Stories 