Marty Ambrose

Claire's quest continues at Ravenna!

I must admit to being more and more taken with Ambrose's tribute to the seemingly infamous Claire Clairmont, stepsister to Mary Shelley, and the propositional mystery surrounding Allegra Byron, Claire and Lord Byron's daughter, said to have died from typhus in the convent Byron had placed her in. The question becomes for Claire, did Allegra die or was this all a ruse to protect her from Byron's enemies?
Ambrose gives a genuine voice to Claire's life, presenting Claire in a more gracious light than others have.
The story is loaded with unknown threats for Claire and her traveling companions as she searches for the truth about Allegra. Made more so by the restrained yet menacing undercurrents.
I was much struck by the thoughtful reflections from the eighty year old Claire, particularly after having visited the convent at Ravenna.
"There are so many unknowns when it comes to how fate might have changed our lives –one small turn around a different corner, one altered decision –I cannot say how it would have turned out."
The scene where Claire hears the imaginary voice of the younger Allegra in her room at the convent is beautifully rendered. Here the story skips between Claire and Allegra as Claire reads Byron's confession. In that reading we come to know Byron through the memories of Claire, the mother of his daughter, and his own words.
Once again we end waiting for more to be revealed. I am in two minds as to whether I am enjoying the serialization approach to Claire's story' and yet it does give me space to reflect.
Whether Claire Clairmont has deserved the bad press she's had or not, I have little knowledge about. I am however thoroughly enjoying this look at these famous literary characters through the lens of a much kinder vision of an older Claire. I find the mature reflections Ambrose imbues Claire with in keeping with her age and experience.
A fascinating read.

A Severn House ARC via NetGalley… (más)

Written by a Byron Society member, first in a proposed trilogy. On the actual book, the subtitle reads: "A Claire Clairmont Historical Mystery" (there's that other Byron mystery series--Riot Most Uncouth--maybe that's why). Finds its inspiration where Henry James found his for The Aspern Papers--the visit by William Michael Rossetti to the elderly Claire in Florence. Overstates B's "love"(!) for Claire (he never even liked her much) and even claims a poem most likely written to John Edleston was for her (B never immortalized Claire in poetry), so we're very much in the land of fiction. At least, as a novel, it doesn't pretend otherwise (so I should let off the pedantry pedal). The mystery begins with a mysterious note: "Your daughter lives." Definitely a Part 1--nothing is resolved.… (más)

The perfect little chic-lit for the beach and an easy quick read. Mallie Monroe's editor is on vacation and her replacement, the boss' taskmaster of a twin sister, is pushing hard for a sensational story for the newspaper to boost sales. When the local mango queen is found dead, by none other than Mallie, she is assigned the story. In the third tale of Coral Island Mysteries, we discover that Mallie is a bit of a body magnet. This is the third murder she has attempted to help solve. The Chief of Police, Nick Billie would have been fed up with her interference by now, except that he has cast an eye Mallie's way romantically. Now that a former boyfriend, surfer-boy Cole has shown up, a little island love-triangle is in the making. As Mallie investigates the story for the island newspaper, will she help solve the crime or become the next body to be discovered?

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