Peril at Somner House

September 13, 2010
Challis fails to make Daphne du Maurier an interesting lead in her lightweight second mystery featuring the young future author (after 2009's Murder on the Cliffs). Daphne's older sister, Angela, invites her along on a vacation to Somner House, located on an island off the coast of Cornwall that's isolated from the outside world for most of the winter. On the island, Daphne meets a host of characters straight from an Agatha Christie novel, one of whom, Lord Max Trevalyan, is soon found dead of severe head wounds. The many suspects include Trevalyan's widow, her lover, and the gardener, whose daughter gave birth to Max's son. A romantic subplot concerning Daphne's attraction to the murder victim's Darcyesque younger brother never comes to life. Some readers will have trouble with the author's clumsy prose (e.g., "A vague smile of vacuity passed her lips").

November 1, 2010

In her second outing (after Murder on the Cliffs), aspiring novelist Daphne du Maurier and her sister Angela investigate the murder of Max Trevalyan, their host and owner of Somner House, an imposing mansion on St. Mary's Island off the coast of Cornwall. Housebound by a winter storm, the other guests harbor dark secrets, and the place fairly crackles with suspense and intrigue. Once again Challis captures du Maurier's own writing style to depict the future author of Rebecca as a young woman full of ambition but also naive. The mystery is dark and brooding, a cross between du Maurier's gothic style and that of Emily Bronte. VERDICT Challis proves that there are always fresh ways to reenergize an old genre. For fans of Golden Age traditional mysteries and readers who enjoy du Maurier's books.

Copyright 2010 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2010
Challis second mystery (following Murder on the Cliffs, 2009) starring a young Daphne du Maurier takes place on a remote island off Cornwall, where Daphne is visiting friends. With storms lashing the coast and the dead body of the possibly insane lord of the manor turning up on the beach, we have the perfect setup for a gothic-infused country-house mystery. Daphne, bored with the country-house lifestyle, sets about investigating with the help of some of the other guests. Challis manages to deftly weave together the few known facts of du Mauriers young life, the events and characters from her published works, and a generous dose of traditional mystery elements to create a suspenseful tale that will appeal to fans of other literary-inspired mysteries, such as Stephanie Barrons Jane Austen series. Try suggesting this to readers who enjoy the 1920s setting and cozy feel of Carola Dunns Daisy Dalrymple series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)