The Wife Between Us

This book was oh, so good. I've been a mystery fan for years (my obsession with Agatha Christie is obvious if you search my blog!), but I have never read any contemporary mystery novels. I didn't think I would enjoy this, but I was so wrong!

The Wife Between Us leads you on a journey that leaves you amazed, intrigued and amazed again. I didn't know what was happening and before I knew it, I understood it all. The story revolves around two women: Nellie and Vanessa, both entangled in the life of Richard, a handsome and successful man who deeply cares about his wife. Little by little, we begin to see glimpses of their lives, like little puzzle pieces that should fit together, yet don't seem to.

We are first introduced to Nellie - the 'other woman'. She seems to be a young, and slightly naive girl who's been swept off her feet by the much older and stable Richard. He has fallen in love and when he loves someone, there's nothing he won't do.

Next we have Vanessa - the wife. An unstable alcoholic who has ruined Richard's life. Her antics and uncontrollable behavior have cost her her marriage.

Prepare to be blown away!

Footsteps in the Dark

I really enjoyed this book. It was somewhat long, didn't have as much romance as I would have liked and was slow in developing; but despite all this, I enjoyed reading it. Maybe it's because I'm incurably addicted to Heyer and unconditionally love all her books. Or maybe it's because I have started reading after a year and a mystery was just what I needed! Whatever the reason, I finished the book and started another all in the course of one day and find that I have to say something about it.

Margaret, Peter, and Celia come to the Priory: a house they have inherited from a relative. The sisters are captivated by its charming, old-world look and convince Peter, their brother, and Charles, Celia's husband, to stay. It is only later that they discover that the house is supposed to be haunted by a mysterious Monk who randomly appears and scares away any tenants. The story is so popular that no one dares to go near the place and consequently it has remained deserted.

The mystery increases when members of the family begin seeing the Monk themselves and hearing eerie cries around the place. Is it possible that the Priory really is haunted? Celia thinks so when they discover a skeleton which mysteriously falls out of a hidden priest hole.

Peter and Charles are not so convinced. They set out on a hunt to find the human presence they believe is behind the sightings. Someone is trying to scare them away. But why? Lack of any apparent reason trumps them until...........

A nice read. I only wish that Heyer had been more imaginative in the uncovering of the mystery. I would have liked more rational deduction by the characters. What was lacking in the novel were deductible clues; this would have invested readers who like to put their own brain cells to use in uncovering a mystery.

The Phantom of the Opera

The opera is haunted: so learn the new owners on the eve of their becoming managers. Choosing to view it as a practical joke, Monsieurs Richard and Moncharmin refuse to take the Opera Ghost seriously. The demands of money, the reservation of Box Five - all these things seem like a way to get money out of the managers. But things reach a dangerous peak when a death occurs - orchestrated by the Phantom; or so everyone believes. Who is this mysterious phantom and how does he make his presence felt without ever being seen? Is the Opera House really haunted? or is there some mysterious figure lurking in the depths of the building?

It is young Christine Daae who first discovers the lair of the Opera Ghost. Her actions and consequent disappearance causes Raoul, her childhood friend, to investigate with the help of the mysterious Persian who seems to know all that is going on.....

Spoilers
Weird, improbable, yet oddly fascinating - that's how I found The Phantom of the Opera. The whole concept of the entire underground system of the opera seems unreal, and yet it is actual fact! The phantom, or 'Opera Ghost' is an uncanny creature who pops up here and there keeping the workers at the opera on their toes and rules like a king. His various gifts, cultivated in the face of his hideous face, allowed him to haunt the opera. His ventriloquism, his penchant for building traps and contraptions - all aided him in his mysterious home underneath the Opera House.

Poor Erik. I was more inclined to say 'Poor Christine and Raoul'; but then I didn't know Erik's story before he took to haunting the Opera. Erik wasn't the normal hero you would feel sympathy for: he was cruel, sadistic, evil and selfish, but all the while you felt his handicap and pitied him. His psychological representation was eerie and he fluctuated between despair and intense devotion. His obsession with Christine Daae leads to his downfall and also unlocks the little good left in him.

This book is a part of my New Author Challenge 2012. The Phantom of the Opera is my first book by Gaston Leroux and was a good experience. I just might pick up other books by him.

The Woman in White: Victorian Literature Challenge

My view
What can I say about this book? It totally took me by surprise. Initially, I expected to be bored by it and the only reason I picked it up was for the challenge that I was determined to take part in. But I was hooked the moment I started. The Woman in White intrigued me, claimed my attention, and caused me to doubt as much as the protagonist Walter Hartright himself.

The Woman in White is said to be 'one of the greatest mystery thrillers in the English language' (back cover) and this is no understatement. I have always been a lover of all things mysterious (read all of Agatha Christie's detective novels!), but this type of mystery thriller was new to me. The Victorian idea of mystery was theatrical and gothic. Just look at Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights; but The Woman in White lacks the gothic element (thank God!) and is more realistic. I enjoyed this book from start to finish and would recommend it to all who love mystery with romance.

Summary
The story is written by a series of narrators, with the narrator most directly involved in the story chosen at each point. Walter Hartright, a drawing master, has been engaged to instruct two young ladies in the art of sketching and painting at Limmeridge House. On the eve of his departure, he meets a strange young woman, all in white. Who is she? where is she from? what is she doing out alone so late at night? are the natural questions which occur to Walter. But it is her odd manner and her mention of Limmeridge House that strikes him as curious. She obviously knows the place and its occupants. But the mystery is to remain unsolved for the present as he is able to get no answer out of her.  She leaves him in a state of perplexity and curiosity.

The woman in white does not make her exit here; she is the impetus that guides the whole story. To discover her identity, her odd resemblance to Laura Fairlie, her mysterious messages, and her connections to the people he loves, leads Walter on. At Limmeridge House he meets Laura Fairlie and Marian Halcombe, his two students. A strong bond develops between them all.

Soon, a grievous mischance happens that tears everybody apart. Now it is up to Walter to bring them together and with that to bring about the fall of the Count and Sir Percival. Will he be successful is something you have to find out by reading! I've already told you the WHOLE story!