Silent in the Grave (A Lady Julia Grey Mystery)

The is a beautifully written book. I love historical novels. This one is no exception, you get lost in the location & time, the language & characters. The mystery of the death of Lady Julia Grey's husband keeps you on your toes through the entire story & leads to a suprising ending. The relationship between Julia & Nicholas is definately an interesting one & the author does a good job of not serving it up on a silver platter. Julia is a wonderful character as well, stronger then most women of her time & willing to take chances & stand up for what she believes in. I look forward to reading the 2nd in the series!

This was a great read. Julia, the main character and narrator, is charming and funny. The mystery itself is well thought out and written. I was close to figuring it out, but the author stayed one step ahead of me throughout. Very satisying ending. Can't wait to read the next book in the series. If you like Anne Perry's Thomas & Charlotte Pitt series you will enjoy this book.

This book was such a pleasant surprise. I ran across it as a kindle deal and decided to take a chance on it. I do NOT enjoy books that are slow paced or filled with too much smut. This book is fantastic because it has mystery, intrigue, and romance but cleanly done. You can tell that Deanna Raybourn truly loves a good story and writes genuinely to deliver that. The book does not put in extra-graphic sexuality or gory murder details just to make the book sell. This was a fantastic read. I just purchased book 4 in the series. I will say that I wasn't thrilled with the homosexuality slant in this first book; however it wasn't enough to make me put the book down. The story was still about the protagonist and centered around her. I LOVE the romantic tension woven throughout these books. Masterfully done! I am thrilled to have discovered this author. What a gem!

I devoured this book in one day, neglecting all else.

The characters are unusual, likeable and diverting. The story fits together, and the period detail is great. Romantic tension, sensual descriptions without becoming silly and graphic. Highly recommend this one, and I'm looking forward to the next!

I loved, loved, loved this book. I loved everything about it! I loved the plot, the writing and the characters (especially Lady Julia). It's suspenseful, it's funny at times, the characters are quirky and endearing and it kept me wanting more. What more can you ask from a book? After I finished "Silent In The Grave, I immediately delved into "Silent In The Sanctuary" (fantastic too!) and am now reading "Silent On The Moor" which is FABULOUS! If you like Victorian mysteries, do not pass on this book. You will love it!

I agree with several of the other reviewers who this book is more of a romance than a mystery. There were very few suspects and I fiqured out who did it, if not why, about a quarter way through the book. I was looking for a replacement for the Charlotte and Thomas Pitt mysteries of which I've read all, and this book made me appreciate just what a good author Anne Perry is. Ms. Perry's authentic Victorian manners and settings plus her real talent for creating mysteries really makes other books pale. Others have mentioned the modern tone of this book and inauthenicity. And while I didn't mind Lady Julia and her eccentric family, I really disliked the character of Nicholas Brisbane. He did remind me of Heathcliff, a character I really dispise. And the second sight subplot is ridiculous. All in all, if you're looking for a romance it will probably serve, but I was looking for a mystery.

I really enjoyed this book. It had an honesty about it that wasn't affected or forced. Lady Julia is very human and likable and the mystery is a many layered one. I will read the author's other books.

This is the first real murder mystery book that I have enjoyed. I never care for that kind of book but it is set in a time period that I adore and has wonderful character development. I can't wait to start the next one!

This new series was a very plesant surprise. It use a great formula that I enjoy...murder, intrigue, sex, an intelligent vibrant woman and a handsome mysterious man. This book kept my attention from start to finish and left me anxious to start the sequel.

The story started slowly but quickly picked up in pace and interest. You can't help but fall in love with Julia as you see her become a much wiser and more world-wise independent thinking woman. A great story and a good mystery that keeps,you guessing until the end.

I purchased this book thinking it was going to be a typical lightweight historical romance with a touch of mystery thrown in, but I was wrong. This a thrilling mystery set in Victorian times with just a hint of romance. It's much more "hard-boiled" and darker than I expected. The writing is excellent, much better than your typical romance. The characters were well-drawn and fascinating. Lady Julia Grey is a wonderful heroine and I'm curious to see what develops between her and the dark and mysterious Brisbane. I'll definitely continue with this series.

I do want to provide a warning. This book is not for younger readers. There are some explicit passages that some will find offensive. They're not gratuitous, but they make this a book that's not for everyone.

Despite the fact that I bought this on the recommendation that it was a Scottish period mystery, (and it turned out to be English,) I enjoyed this writer immensely! I purchased the second in the series already and look forward with delight to more from this great new author. It was suspenseful, well-written and the characters were crisp and interesting.

This was a very good read: interesting characters. At one level you forget you are in one of those mystery novels with five possible killers in the room! I can't wait to read the next novels in the series to determine if D Raybourn will retain her high level. I hope so.

Upon reading the first chapter of "Silent in the Grave" I was immediately struck with the similarity to another novel, "And only to Deceive." Both are mysteries narrated by the wives of dead husbands living in the late Victorian period, both go on to investigate those deaths and both come to the conclusion that not only did they not really know their husband, but they had no clue of who they were either.

Seems familiar, no? Luckily this book is saved by the charming and often funny narration of Lady Julia, the heroine of this novel and her very odd and very large family. They make the book far more than the mystery does (though I have to admit the scene were Lady Julia confronts the murderer s very well done in a way I can't say or it will spoil it for you.)

All in all an enjoyable mystery. I look forward to the next novel in the series.

Three point five stars.

Surprisingly good - in view of the cover. (Really, the covers for this entire series are dreadful.) This is an excellent mystery, with very well-drawn characters, realistic dialog, and an excellent plot that twists, but remains plausible. (And that's saying a lot, because the main protagonist's family is like a traveling circus.) Julia Grey is a well-behaved and very proper wife, married to a genteel and wealthy man. Who promptly dies at the start of the story. She believes it's a long-diagnosed health problem that kills him, she soon comes to realize that he was murdered - and that she's really not a well-behaved woman. (It's in her genes, as you'll find out when you meet her family.) Along comes Nicholas Brisbane and together they unravel the mystery. Very satisfying read!

A well written 1st book in the series. Enjoyed the description of an aristocratic Victorian family who lives "outside the box". The characters in the book were interesting people, especially the 2 main characters. The ending was surprising. I intend to purchase the next 2 books in the series - "Silent in the Sanctuary", "Silent in the Moor"

The characters in this book are the same as those in Silent in the Sanctuary, by the same author. The setting, which I love, is in England in the days of tight corsets, letter writing, servants and horses and buggys. The author makes the heroine an interesting women living in a society of very strict rules.

I would definitely recommend this book and all the books in the series. They simply keep getting better. The author has created characters that you love and want to spend time with. Lady Julia is smart and witty and Brisbane is complicated and interesting.

STORY BRIEF:
Edward and Julia had been married for five years when Edward dies from a genetically weak heart. Nicholas is "a detective of sorts, a private inquiry agent." After the funeral Nicholas tells Julia that Edward hired him before he died because Edward feared someone was planning to murder him. Julia doesn't believe Nicholas. She thinks Nicholas wants to be hired to earn some money. She insults him and tells him to leave. A year later Julia discovers a threatening note to Edward and realizes she must investigate his death for her own peace of mind. She asks Nicholas to help her.

There are sequels to this book in which Julia and Nicholas investigate other crimes.

GENRE DEBATE: Is this Mystery or is this Romance?

Several the store reviewers who are mystery fans rated this poorly claiming it had too much romance. I am a romance fan, and I find it "not romance." My definition of romance includes a developing romantic relationship with the couple together at the end. In this story, an odd working relationship develops but not a romance. And they are not together at the end. One mystery fan, Lisa Rae, said the following "In Victorian mysteries the heroine rarely spends so much time describing and mentally lingering over the hero's physical attributes -- glimpses of open shirts, dark chest hairs, muscles, etc. The author clearly intended to give sexual tension and romantic relationships place over mystery development. That puts (it) firmly in the romance genre." To me, the mental lingering was incidental, and there wasn't enough sexual tension and relationship development to call it romance.

Another reviewer A. Anderson said "This is a romance in the style of boy meets girl, boy and girl can't stand each other, boy and girl are thrown together through circumstances and find themselves drawn to each other, boy has mysterious past, girl leaps to unfounded conclusions left, right and center, boy and girl are separated, and girl pines." OK there is some of that, but they weren't drawn to each other enough to be called a romance. "Girl leaps to unfounded conclusions" is a character type, not a genre type. Sure she exists in some romances, but I don't like that type of romance. Also, in this story the girl did not pine for him out of love. She was pining for answers. She was impatient to take action. So apparently, this book does not work for mystery fans nor romance fans.

However, for readers like Carrie Gwaltney on Goodreads it's a perfect blend. She states in her review "This is exactly the kind of novel I was looking for when I realized I wanted a little romance mixed with my steady diet of mystery and fantasy stories."

REVIEWER'S OPINION:

The story is told in first person by Julia. As she investigates Edward's death, she learns many things about Edward, other family members, acquaintances, the hired help, and Nicholas. By the time everything was revealed I found it an interesting mix of characters with interesting motivations and some scandalous activities. But the process of getting to the end was not as enjoyable as I had hoped. It was slow reading. I was not emotionally drawn to the characters. There was no romantic relationship which is an easy way for an author to get me emotionally involved, but that wasn't here. I would have liked seeing more of Nicholas' thinking and feelings which apparently couldn't be done due to first person Julia. I also wanted more details about the raven -- what was told to the Queen and her reaction and thoughts about it.

I did not like some of Julia's thinking and actions, for example. Reddy is her brother's friend. Reddy comes to Julia to talk about something, but Julia won't even listen to why he came. She sends him away. On more than one occasion, Nicholas tells her something (which is true) but Julia refuses to believe him, is angry, and leaves. If I'm supposed to enjoy a heroine investigating a mystery, I'd prefer she not act stupid. At least consider the possibility that something might be true - especially when she later learns that it is true. However, reviewer Carrie saw this differently. She said "the heroine acted in a believable way throughout. Even her silly mistakes feel like the mistakes of a somewhat sheltered Victorian lady." Here again, we readers do react differently.

I did not like the author's use of gimmicks and inaccurate assumptions to create mystery. Character A plans to poison B. Julia discovers the poison and confronts A. A admits what she was planning, but she doesn't mention B by name. Julia assumes the victim is C (not B), and the rest of the story continues with Julia thinking the wrong victim. A would have told Julia it was B if Julia had simply asked. Both A and Julia assumed the wrong thing. This bothered me. Another gimmicky example I didn't like was toward the end. Julia walks up to the murderer D and tells D she knows D is the murderer. They have a conversation for over six pages, while I was wondering "who is this person she is talking to?" The author doesn't say D's name during this six page conversation. I was frustrated. I waited the whole book to learn who the murderer was and now that Julia knows, I have to wait another six pages?

On the positive:

I enjoyed the writer's style in the beginning of the book where I was in Julia's thoughts as she is living her life and thinking about things. But later in the book, not so much. Things seemed a bit slow.

DATA:
Story length: 431 pages. Swearing language: none. Sexual content: none. Setting: 1886 London. Copyright: 2007. Genre: historical mystery tinted with romance.

OK, if you like romances, you will probably like this book. If you like mysteries, look elsewhere.

Lady Julia Grey is widowed in the opening sentences, where she meets the enigmatic, dark eyed and wild haired Nicholas Brisbane for the first time. He glares at her with contempt and dislike for no reason that she can fathom. Edward Grey, the deceased, has retained the private inquiry agent, Brisbane, to find out who was threatening him, but dies before the inquiry has started. Lady Julia, nee March, is a somewhat drab woman and craving a conventional life as a relief from the truly unconventional March family. At the end of her required year of mourning, her sister helps transform her from the dowdily dressed matron into a lovely and stylish figure. About this point, Julia realizes that it is her duty to find out who killed the husband whom she liked, but never loved and who rarely sought her bed. There is little compelling reason for her to figure out the 'mystery' and is takes many chapters to figure out the murderer may well be someone within her household, and thus may present a danger to herself. Of the 41 chapters, perhaps 10 deal with clues or red herrings. Clues are eventually unearthed, the potential murderer identified and exonerated with scant reason, and the next clue turns up, and the cycle is repeated until author Raybourn more or less runs out of likely suspects. Meanwhile, her heart beats hard, and her palms grow clammy when the mercurial Brisbane is around, despite the fact he treats her abominably. There is no sex unless you count a kiss that is better remembered later than described at the time. There is no violence, unless you count one boxing match. There is no suspense unless you count...well, no, there is no suspense. Brisbane is, of course, attracted to Julia for her intelligence. Evidence on that issue is very scant, as Julia makes decisions largely on her hunches and being "certain" that the latest suspect could not have done the foul deed...

This is a romance and should be classified as same. Brisbane has shocking (sort of) secrets and Julia, predictably, finds a strength she never knew she had. The relationship is not consummated physically or in any other way surely because there is a sequel (Silent in the Sanctuary). The sequel is the second is a series that begin with "Silent in the ____". I am not going to read the sequel so I don't know if Julia and Nicholas will ever go beyond briefly pressing his hand meaningfully against the small of her back. There are some good characters (her sister Portia and her lover; her father,the Earl of March, and Fleur the Madam) and Ms. Raybourne can turn a graceful phrase, which is why this has 2 stars rather than just one.

This is a romance in the style of boy meets girl, boy and girl can't stand each other, boy and girl are thrown together through circumstances and find themselves drawn to each other, boy has mysterious past, girl leaps to unfounded conclusions left, right and center, boy and girl are separated, and girl pines. They meet again, and but for the passing of time, the familiar tension is in the air, except that some of boy's secrets are revealed. If you have read other romances, this should sound familiar.

Did I mention I am not a fan of romances? I prefer my mysteries to be mysterious and with unexpected suspects and real clues. If you like historical romances, read this book. If you like mysteries, keep looking.

Very good writing, plot flows well, believable characters. Similar to Tasha Alexander's Lady Emily series but I prefer Lady Julia. Her character is more mature and the story line did not fall immediately to the "romance" of the main characters. And, the details of the plot had a bit more 'grit' to them. Great first book. I look forward to Silent in the Sanctuary.