Group Read: NINE COACHES WAITING by Mary Stewart

Welcome to the July group read of Mary Stewart's novel, Nine Coaches Waiting. Originally published in 1958, this one is categorized as a suspense, Gothic Romance novel, according to Wikipedia. The group read starts on July 1st but readers are invited to read the book at their own pace and start it at any time. Late comers to the group read are always welcome, including anyone who has already read the book and just wants to join in the conversation.

The group read has just one simple rule:

If your comment about the book may be a spoiler for others, please clearly indicate this in you post using something like this: **SPOILER ALERT** or something equally noticeable so others can skip past if they choose to.

That is for the rules. I am really looking forward to reading this one!

I've got it on my list for July, but I probably won't start until the middle of the month.

I've listed it in TIOLI Challenge #10 if anyone wants to join me there for a shared read.

I'm hoping to get to this one in July!

I've been having a hard time keeping up with the various challenges and group reads (can't seem to find the time to do as much reading as I'd like), but I really like Mary Stewart and have been looking forward to reading another by her, so I'm going to try hard to join in.

Great to see you here Carrie, Katie and Sandra! I have a couple of other books I want to finish first, so my plan is to start reading this one around July 8th.

I picked up my copy at the library the other day, along with several other books. Not sure exactly when I'll get started, but I'm looking forward to something new. I've never even HEARD of Mary Stewart before, so I have no idea what to expect.

I've got my copy and will start it in a few days. I'm looking forward to it a lot more than my other group read, Portrait of a lady

I read it last year and, although it was a reread, I enjoyed it enough that I'm thinking about reading another of her books in July.

Hm, this one is actually on my TBR list, so I might put in a request for it at the library.

I don't know if I will be able to get to this in July but thought I would post a different cover. I inherited this from my mother when she passed away in 2007, along with many other books, and have not read it yet. It has a price tag, from my favourite second hand bookstore, of 40 cents (original price - 75 cents) - published in 1968 and probably purchased by Mere not too long after that!

That's my cover too! which shows how long I've had my copy.

Although I'm not joining the group read, I'm lurking here since I've read the book a couple of times.

I'm about halfway through it. So far, so good.

So happy to see all the posts here! I started to read my copy today during my lunch break and I am currently part way through the Third Coach section of the story. So far, I am just getting settled in with the characters and the setting and very intrigued by the comment our protagonist's father made about one of the de Valmy.

> 11 - I really like that cover! The cover for the copy I am reading is rather dated looking considering the copyright indicates it is the twenty fourth impression with a publication date of 1990:



I have to say, I wish I knew more about cars... I am kind of curious to see how closely the car on the cover fits the original 1958 publication period for the book, or if it is supposed to be representative of the time period for the story. I haven't nailed down the time period for the story yet, but I assume it is set in the mid to late 1950's, which would make this a contemporary novel for when it was written.

Just popping in to report that I am about to start the Fifth Coach and really enjoying the slow, steady build of the story. Loving how the characters all seem to have their little own secrets. I am also rather surprised that the story doesn't feel dated like i was expecting it would.

Still trying to narrow down the time period and based on some insight gleaned in the Fourth Coach, I am now leaning towards this one being set in the early to mid 1950's.

My favourite cover is the fifth one in msg 1. It sets the time and the tone for me. Early to mid 1950's sounds about right.

I started this on Sunday and am only able to get a bit read at a time, am almost near the end of the Third Coach, still feeling my way around the characters. The de Valmys have definitely piqued my interest. I've been trying to place Linda Martin's age and am thinking she must be about 23. Does that sound right? I'm also feeling a great need to visit Savoy.

> 17 - I agree, Sandra. that cover does set the time and tone of the story and is a lot better than this one:



This cover gives me the impression I am going to be reading a somewhat fluffy chick-lit kind of story, and not the atmospheric suspense building story this one is. ;-)

I've been trying to place Linda Martin's age and am thinking she must be about 23. Does that sound right?

I have been puzzling that over myself. If she went straight from the orphanage to work at the boys school (where she was for only two yeas before getting the governess gig), I have been trying to mull over at what age one would leave an orphanage..... 18? That would then make her only 20-21 years old but she comes across as older than that, more in line with your guess of 23 or even 24.

-------------
I am now part way through the Sixth Coach and I am really getting into the mystery and the slowly building suspense of the story. The budding romance bit is good too... not too sappy, and I love how there is more than one male of interest in this story. I am curious to see how Linda manages things and what will happen next.

I read the first 10 pages earlier this evening and if I can stay awake I hope to read through the Third Coach before bedtime.

I'm guessing Linda is 24. She's just told someone that her parents died when she was 14. Seven years in an orphanage has her leaving at 21, then working 3 years at the boys school.

I don't think I've mentioned yet that I borrowed my copy from the public library and its cover is the second from the left in message #1. I would have guessed the picture dates from the 1970s from the colors and hairstyle, but this edition has a 1983 publication date.

By the way, I was horrified by what she was taught at the orphanage - Reading is a Waste of Time.

Later in the book, she tells someone she is 23.

I have a little over 100 pages left - the suspense build-up is very well done and I had to force myself to stop reading and turn off the light last night. Always a sign of a good book!

>18 lkernagh:: Whoa! I haven't started yet (I plan to once I finish my current at-home book), but that does seem like an inappropriate cover.

My copy of the book is part of an omnibus that also includes Madam, Will You Talk? and Wildfire at Midnight. The cover is kind of creepy:

I was horrified by what she was taught at the orphanage - Reading is a Waste of Time.

LOL~! Can you just imagine be taught that? *shudders at the thought*

> 21 - Aha, I have now reached that point in the Sixth Coach where she discloses her age. I agree with you Katie, the suspense build up is well done.... the little tidbits of information are doing a good job of driving my interest! Who to trust, who to trust..... ;-)

> 22 - Interesting cover. I am guessing the roses have significance for one of the stories in the omnibus. The shadowy woman and the moon - at least I think that is a moon near the top left hand corner, or maybe just another floating spot - against a dark backdrop do give the cover a creepy appearance.

---------------

The Sixth Coach seems to be the longest of all of the sections in this story. This is the kind of story I loved reading as a teenager so I am rather surprised I have never encountered any Mary Stewart books before now.

Onwards with the reading....

18 - The budding romance bit is good too... not too sappy, and I love how there is more than one male of interest in this story.

I haven't gotten to the romance yet, but from having read previous Mary Stewarts I knew it would be here somewhere. I've met Blake, and I've just met Raoul, both of whom have me wondering if they are the love interest. I love the romancey bits Stewart includes in her novels and how they don't take over the rest of the story. They're there, but the supsense and the tension and the 'mystery' are the main things.

Lori, we must be at about the same spot in the book. I just read that conversation where she reveals her age not too many pages ago.

I had good intentions of doing some housework today since it's my day off, but I think I'm going to have to finish the book first. There's no one to complain if the cleaning doesn't get done, and we're agreed that reading really isn't a waste of time, right?!

I started working at the public library after I graduated from 9th grade in about 1963. I clearly remember how excited everyone was about this book and Mary Stewart's books in general. I read it at some point but didn't remember many of the details so I really enjoyed reading it again and finished it last night. I thought it was well done throughout. I agree with sandragon that while the romance is important to the story its the other elements that make the story especially good . I was talking about it with a librarian the other day and she was saying that the romance was so tame compared to today's romances but at the same time more satisfying as an element of the plot. While I was reading I was thinking about what car would take the place of the Cadillac in the story today since a young man now would probably be driving something else....where I live maybe a Cadillac truck!

I meant to tell a story and I forgot...in our small city there is an area near downtown that is wooded and on a river. For over 20 years a homeless camp has been there. A few months ago, the railroad that owned the land gave notice that all would have to move out within a month. They were selling the land to the city and over the years this has become a populated area and many complaints were being received. Citizens have been very interested in the fate of these people, some of them have lived in this tent city for 10 years. This week there was a front page picture and story about one of the men that had lived there a long time, he had been invited by a family member to move in with him and had relocated. He was a big burly man, looked to be in his late 50s or 60s. He told what living in the camp was like, etc. When I saw the picture I knew it had been taken at a computer kiosk at the main library and there was an ebook on the screen. Sure enough, he told the reporter how much he liked to read and he was enjoying using the library. When asked about his favorite genre he said it was romantic suspense! After reading Nine Coaches Waiting I can understand that!

I finished the book this evening. I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep tonight until I found out what happened. One of my favorite aspects of the book is Linda's rapport with Philippe.

I used to read a lot of romantic suspense, but that was a long time ago. My few recent forays back into the genre have been disappointing. This time was different. Mary Stewart has held up well. I've got a few more of her books on my shelves and I need to work more of them into my reading plans.

I finished it today as well, and gave it 3.5 stars. I found the ending simultaneously too drawn out and somehow rushed and was a little disappointed. But I'm glad I read it. I have four more of her books on the TBR shelves to look forward to!

> #27 - That is such a great story, clue!

I finished this one last night. Loved it and gave it 4 stars. I can see where some readers may find it a tad on the formula side but it works as a great piece of escapism reading for me. At the end I felt sorry for some of the characters - okay, I felt sorry for William, not the de Valmy family - but I was a little confused by Linda and her final actions. That didn't seem to jib with the story, but I quibble.

I finally figured out which author's works this story reminded me of - Phyllis A. Whitney. I devoured her books in my youth for her suspenseful, young heroine stories. Makes me want to re-read one of Whitney's books to see if my memory is correct.... it has been a couple of decades! ;-)

I always preferred Mary Stewart to Phyllis A. Whitney but some of hers were very good too. Anyway, I'm glad most people enjoyed Nine Coaches Waiting.

> 31 - .... and all the more reason why I need to track down more Mary Stewart books to read!

#27 That is a good story! Just goes to show you can never guess what someone else will enjoy.

I've put this book aside for a few days so that I can concentrate on another book that is an ILL and has a short check-out period. However, I've enjoyed what I've read so far and am anxious to get back to it after reading everyone's comments.

Not one of my favourite Mary Stewarts, but still enjoyable. I stayed up last night to finish it. I found myself expecting 'the twist' the whole second half of the book. It seems like all the current day mysteries and thrillers must have a twist in them. Older books seem much more straight forward, or maybe I just haven't read the right books. Which isn't completely true, because I've read some Agatha Christies; she's come up with some great twists. But I can't think of other older books that have them. ('Older' being a very hazy marker).

There was mention of Phyllis A. Whitney up above. Can anyone recommend other romantic suspense authors?

M.M. Kaye used to be my favorite romantic suspense author, but I'm not sure her books have held up as well as Mary Stewart's. Victoria Holt is another author I read a lot in my teens. Elizabeth Peters has written some romantic suspense novels. So has Dorothy Gilman. I've got several of my grandmother's Helen MacInnes novels but I've only read one of them so far. The award for this genre is named after Daphne du Maurier. I'm not familiar with currently active romantic suspense writers since I don't read much in this genre any more.

I enjoyed M.M. Kaye stories when I read them a number of years ago. I loved the exotic locations she set a number of her stories in. Haven't read any recently, though.

I finished this last night - what a wonderful book! I'd never heard of Mary Stewart before - are all her books as good as this one? I'd like to read more of her work.

This was my first Mary Stewart so I am curious like you to know how her other books compare to Nine Coaches Waiting.

I read a lot of Mary Stewart's books back in the 1970s. I enjoyed them back then. I haven't re-read enough in recent years to tell you how well they hold up enough to answer your question. However, I can suggest that you give it a try. I really enjoyed her stuff back then.

I always liked The Ivy Tree as well as those that take place around Greece.

>15 lkernagh:
Ikernagh
That car looks like a '57, to me. (No joke! I may know nothing about cars, but it was in '58 that I realized cars changed every year!!)

37 - I've only started reading Mary Stewart books in the past few years and I've enjoyed all that I've read. Her Arthurian series is more meaty than the romantic suspense, but it is my favourite retelling of the Arthur legend. It's more historical fiction than fantasy.

I have several unread Mary Stewarts to look forward to, but of her romantic suspense that I've read so far, I think my favourite would be Thornyhold. So far they've all been set in the UK. Touch Not the Cat had a gothic feel to it like Nine Coaches Waiting, but Thornyhold was more bucolic.

> 41 - Thanks kaulsu!

> 42 - I have seen mention of Stewart's Arthurian series but wasn't sure if I wanted to try it out. Some of the Arthurian books out there aren't that great but I am encouraged that her's is one of your favorite retelling of the Arthur legend. I will keep that in mind. Thornyhold is the one that I have seen in the local used bookstores, but I am leaning towards Touch Not the Cat as I do prefer the more gothic feel of stories like Nine Coaches Waiting.